Nektar - Nektar Live

Year of Release: 2002
Label: Classic Rock Productions
Catalog Number: n/a
Format: DVD
Total Time: 60:00:00

Before I watched this DVD, I could never have imagined Nektar had such a fanatic and huge following. With virtually every body in the building covered with a Nektar T-shirt, it's as if every fan simply was present during the NEARfest 2002 festival in New Jersey only to be there to see Nektar. Some people waited no less than thirty years for this, so with tickets selling out in a mere 45 minutes this, DVD comes as kind of a consolation for those who could not attend the Patriot Theatre themselves, but also acts as a wonderful souvenir for the many Nektar diehards who were there on that memorable night. With material pulled from legendary albums such as A Tab In The Ocean, Remember The Future, Recycled and Down To Earth and with an augmented line-up, including amongst others the legendary keyboardplayer Larry Fastm plus extra visual effects designed by Mick Brockett for sure 29th June, 2002 will remain a very memorable night, not only for the band but for many music lovers around the globe.

Compared to a lot of DVDs that simply show the entire concert, Nektar has done something special with their footage by turning it into a film. So rather than just seeing the actual concert, they have mixed it with original black and white foootage, an Old Grey Whistle Test recording, interview snippets by Norway's busty rock goddess Liz Steen and other bits and pieces. Throughout the actual concert, it strikes me how certain passages get ever so close to Pink Floyd from around that same period. Both female backing vocalists do an extremely good job, whilst some of the singing has become a little too ambitious for Roye Albrighton, who rather leaves the more difficult parts for the girls to sing (check "Recycled" for proof). It's ingenious to see "Whistling" Bob Harris introduce "Desolation Valley" in the OGWT studio way back in the seventies, only to mix it with the live recording of the same song so many years later. It's also interesting to see how the Nektar members have changed over the years. In the seventies they looked like REAL rockstars, whereas today it looks like you have a plumber, a butcher, a policeman and a carpenter on stage! Larry Fast supplies the necessary elephant noises during the uptempo "Nelly The Elephant," which towards the end evolves into an authentic African tribal rhythm. Apart from the obvious Pink Floyd comparisons, also some blues rock approaches creep into the Nektar's music, as the final track "Fidgety Queen" proves. In all, the concert lasted for no less than 2 hours and 45 minutes, of which not everything is included on this DVD. However, by means of the "film" approach I'm sure Nektar Live will be a pleasant surprise for both the diehard fan and those who have only heard about Nektar, but can't really place the music next to the name.

As additional material, you can watch the original video for "Remember The Future," including the legendary visual effects courtesy of Mick Brockett. There's also a section where Liz Steen interviews both the band and the fans to know more about the magic behind Nektar. The great thing is that, although the band might mainly attract an "older" audience, there are also some rather young guys who explain their love for Nektar. So who knows, maybe this DVD will reach younger people who will be amazed at what the band is still capable of doing, so that next time they're on tour every single venue will be much too small!

Tracklisting:
A Tab In The Ocean / Desolation Valley / Nelly The Elephant / Man In The Moon / Recycled / It's All Over / Remember The Future Part 2 (Extract) / Now / Crying In The Dark/King of Twilight / Fidgety Queen

Extra Features on DVD: Bonus Tracks / Behind the Scenes / Interviews

Musicians:
Roye Albrighton - guitars, vocals
Mo Moore - bass, vocals
Alan 'Taft' Freeman - keyboards
Ron Howden - drums
Mick Brockett -visual effects

Special Guests:

Larry Fast - synthesizers
Scott Krenz - percussion
Maureen McInty - & Michelle Eckert - backing vocals

Discography:
Journey To The Centre Of The Eye (1971/2004)
A Tab In The Ocean (1972/2004)
Sounds Like This (1973)
Remember The Future (1973/2004)
Sunday Night At London Roundhouse (1974)
Down To Earth (1974/2005)
Recycled (1975)
Magic Is A Child (1977/2005)
Live In New York (1977, rec. 1974)
More Live Nektar in New York (1978)
Thru The Ears (1978)
Man in the Moon (1980/2002*)
Prodigal Son (2001)
Sunday Night At London Roundhouse (expanded) (2002/2005)
Unidentified Flying Abstract - Live At Chipping Norton 1974 (2002)
Greatest Hits Live (2002)
Evolution (2004/2008)
Live In New York 1974 (2004)
Nektar 2004 Tour Live (2005)
Door To The Future (2005)
Sounds Like This (released but later withdrawn) (2006)
Book Of Days (2008)
Fortyfied (2009)
A Tab In The Ocean (Deluxe Edition) (2011)
Remember The Future (Deluxe Edition) (2011)
The Complete Live In New York 1974 (2011)
Retrospektive 1969-1980 (2012)
A Spoonful Of Time (2012)
Time Machine (2013)
Live At The Patriots Theater (2014)
Live In Bremen (2017)
Meglomania (2018)

Nektar Live (DVD) (2002)
Pure (DVD) (2005)

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin UK

Added: September 5th 2004
Reviewer: John "Bobo" Bollenberg

Artist website: www.nektarsmusic.com
Hits: 4214
Language: english