I have seen a lot of good concerts this year, and this was definitely one of them! I like myself some good atmospheric ambient and prog. And I love visiting the Union Chapel – it’s both lovely and convenient.
I know Tangerine Dream is a 70s group, and that their leader has died, but I was too young to have had the chance to see them in their heyday. And this year I have been busy ticking artists off my bucket list.
As I queued for the concert, I realised that everyone else was an old white guy. Which kind of describes a lot of my taste in music unfortunately. But that did mean the crowd was very relaxed and everything was very laid back.
Tangerine Dream as a band have changed line up so many times over their history with the late Edgar Froese being the only continuous member, that they are more a concept of a band than a specific line up of musicians, like most of the groups I listen to. At the Union Chapel concert, they played as a trio comprised of Ulrich Schnauss, Thorsten Quaeschning and the Japanese violinist Hoshiko Yamane. They played a mix from Tangerine Dream’s last album that was based on ideas and sketches by Edgar Froese before he died and older work.
And in typical 70s prog fashion, the music was complemented by the beautiful visuals of a light and laser show. I love myself a good light show! And especially when it accompanies electronic music, I find it really helps to get me lost in the music and immersed in the experience.
And all that in the beautiful Union Chapel! If you haven’t been to the Union Chapel, I really recommend it! It’s a beautiful space! Gorgeous and atmospheric, and with seats (albeit church pews). Its a wonderful location for a concert. (And it’s on Upper Street, making it closest concert space to my home.)
As you have easily guessed, I loved the concert! The music was a brilliant mix of prog and ambient with just the right dash of techno thrown in. Tangerine Dream are a lot more my style of music than the uncompromisingly austere music of the likes of Tim Heckler.
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