Karl's live activities...

[holden]

Hi kids,

i am listening to the epic U/W Leicester University gig from 1995, which has some super long improvizational sections. Like 20 minutes or more without so much as a peep out of Karl.

So, i'm wondering, back in the day, did Karl just dance the whole time? i know he occasionally plays/strums/sequences from his guitar and makes rare adjustments to the console, but still...in comparison to say 98-03 shows, where lyrics were more plentiful, seems like Karl had more time on his hands.

Also, with the increasing length and improved bits of recent U/W concerts, is Karl doing more at the mixing desk?

[Jan]

Yeah, that would be interesting to know... (I haven't seen them live yet... :()
I heard something about a hand camera during Small Conker and a Twix? What does happen?

[joethelion]

yea... I do wonder -

and - I'm not sure how often it occured, but I've got at least one or two recordings f/ '96 where Pearl's Girl was even done as an instrumental...

[lloyd]

Well, he does dans a lot. Play with the mini-cam, hides under the desk, takes pictures of the crowd and of darren and rick. Makes hand movements behind either darren or ricks head, no not bunny ears. During intros of tracks he often plays with his cdplayer and other stuff that's on his part of the mixingconsole. He's adjusting the sound of his mike, during moaner at the first 013 gig he turned EQ waaay low to make it sound real dark. (this I read) He asks by looking at rick for que-points, and lyrics.. I've seen him going of stage during long improvs. But also dance on a monitor or box during a intro/improv before one of the most intense PG's I've ever seen live HMH 2002. He very rarely pushes a random button or something on the desks to 'annoy' rick. Playing guitare.. finding the right lyrics in the songbook he has on and off a musicstand. He's a ball of energy bouncing on stage during almost the whole concert. When they were only 2 on stage, he wasn't doing lots on the desks and even less now with darren.
There are some cams pointed on the desks now that get projected behind them on screens. The handcam karl uses to film his face while he sings or makes faces and films the crowd (Yeay the dirties were on it at the HMH :o) or waves around fast to make blurry pics.
Btw, the spotlightman has as much engery as karl, he's keeping him in the spotlight all night or when it's off follows him till it has to shine again. Running in front of the stage all this time with that heavy and hot light, steaming the sweat out of his shirt.