Thanks Kavus Torabi for a fantastic evening’s music & entertainment at the Face Bar in Reading Tuesday evening.
Kavus played a ‘mind blowing’ solo set – a multi instrumental one that was a journey through music.. old and new – even offering us the treat of a track from the album Kavus hopes to complete by November – (I’m sure he will)
Despite eleven nights in a row from Frome to Glasgow/ Edinburgh and back the Tour ended in Reading with Kavus seemingly crackling with electric energy and with a voice as strong as ever despite an apology for the ” smell of lozenges” saving the most vocally demanding track to the end. He really didn’t need to.
I’m not the best guy to ask to name check album tracks as we went along- I was immersed totally into the amazing variety of intergalactic sounds and electronic wizardry coming out of one man – Kavus Tobari the master performing
sonic tricks that mesmerized us all evening.
As coloured smoke swirled around the stage and psychedelic shapes danced before our eyes, we heard sad yearning love songs as well songs about Nephilim ( Biblical half women and Angels who apparently built the Great Pyramids) Along
with mysteries Early and Universal.
The older members of the audience were able to supply some of the information I usually scroll pass on FB/ Instagram.
The Book of Enoch ! That Missing book from the old Testament.
I’m sure the Lizard people were lurking in the room somewhere in a Prog tee-shirt with that reptilian smile we’ve read about.
Before the set began Kavus and I sat with one Guinness 0-0 and a coke cola and when several people came over offered greetings and hugs as if they had known Kavus since Primary School I asked him if he ‘ knew all these people ‘?
Like Dylan’s ‘bobcats’ fans/ followers always down the front of the stage – something Dylan disapproves of,- Kavus said I paraphrase -” no but that would be cool” .I reckon he’s pretty much there anyway.
I don’t think I could have managed the cross- legged position one brave man adopted – I might
have got down there but I wouldn’t have got up
again..
Later I sat with Kavus while he ” flogged his tat”… Apparently in Manchester he got a crowd chant of ” whoring” when he suggested the audience purchase a bit of ‘merch’…that’s the Mancs’ for you!!
Kavus engaged with everyone who bought something or not- always happy to swap opinions and background information – and sent the loyal followers away with a hug and a big thank you to everyone who attended his concert.
When I suggested to Kavus that he might now be contemplating a short break after what must have been a long tiring hike up and down the country and beyond it was met with the kind of reaction you might have got if I had suggested he go on a package holiday with Donald Trump next.
“No holiday “- Rehearsals- Tour with the Cardiacs or was it Gong or the Solo Tour when the new album comes out… November
I’d better finish it, I’ve told my agent to organise the Tour” he said looking momentarily concerned.
A couple of things you could keep in the show – the Pete Townsend ‘ scissor jump ‘ at the end
As well as the hilarious impersonation of a band/ musician bouncing back on stage to do the dreaded encore when all you want to do is go home after eleven days on the road.
One fact that might not be known to anyone who has read the Medical Grade Music is that spying on the wall of the Face Bar was advertising poster
for Kasus’s gig next to a poster advertising a ‘ StrayCats ‘tribute band – the irony being as Kavus pointed out is that if he hadn’t seen the StrayCats on TOTPs when he was eight and decided that’s what he wanted to do and Brian Setzer was the
performer he wanted to emulate he wouldn’t be on the stage performing at the Face Bay now -Do
there’s something a lot of people didn’t know.
Thank you for a night to remember Kavus.
Truly fantastic and after my hug I left smiling and my head full of psychedelic images that coloured
the night sky outside and left vibes still sweetly oscillating in my ears..a really special happening.
**
Hiya Malcolm
There were a few improvisatory transitions but in the main I played-
The Sentinel
Heart The Same
From The Storm
In Her Radiance
Seasons Of Our Time
Ancestor’s Song
The Skulls We Buried Have Regrown Their Eyes
Slow Movements
Lunar Invocation
You Broke My Fall
Snake Humanis.
Kavus.
Postscript For Iran.
One of the songs that Kavus played towards the end of the evening was the very haunting The Skulls We Buried Have Regrown Their Eyes.
Commenting that sadly it’s still relevant now as it was when it was written.
This no doubt is the shadow that hangs over Kuvas as he lives/tours/plays music at present – Iran now.
Father born in Iran as was Kavus in the era before Khomeini came back from exile in 1979 and installed a brutal repressive Theocracy – which once again is suppressing a people’s Movement for Democracy. It does so by gunning down thousands of protesters… imprisoning … torturing and executing those dissenting.
The death toll is unknown but must run into the thousands- maybe more- by now.
As Kavus said during the concert – I paraphrases…
“The present brutal situation is always in my mind though here we are all enjoying – being at a concert sharing the music” …. something that would we know would be unthinkable in Iran
In the same way it would be for Kuvas and his father to return – though how can he and many others forget what is happening to their loved ones in Iran at present.
Its a terrible tragedy unfolding.
If you want to hear Kuvas speak about the situation in Iran visit him on social media – he should be listened to.As should all the voices calling out for Freedom and Democracy in Iran now.
Malcolm Paul
.