etan@tellab1.UUCP (Nate Stelton) (08/08/84)
I saw Missing Persons at the Bismark, Chicago 8/7/84.
They were backed up by A&M artists The Rescue, which were sort of a new
wave group. They were'nt bad, except that much of their material started
sounding alike after awhile. Actually, they're not my cup of tea. They
were tight as a group, but none of them stood out as exceptional
musicians.
Missing Persons were a treat to the eye. I'm not refering specifically
to Dale Bozzio, but more to their overall stage presence, the light show,
and the stage equipment. Terry Bozzio played not on a drum set as we
know it, but on an electronic percussion instrument that was so
minimalistic in a visual sense that it almost looked like he was just
hitting the air with his sticks. Patrick O'Hearn played over half of his
bass lines on keyboard synthesizers.
One dissapointment to me personally was that there were no extended
versions of any of their songs. I was hoping for one of O'Hearn's
rip-roaring unaccompanied bass solos a la Zappa, or at least a solo spot
for Terry, but alas, it was not to be. This is not an improvisational
group, which is not bad in itself, but is a bit of a letdown considering
the musicians. Oh, and the sound was poor. Much too loud, and no
detail. I think room acoustics were a problem, but a lower volume would
have cut down on some of the reverberation.
All in all, I'm glad I went, and I reccommend seeing them if you are a
Missing Persons fan. If you are'nt, then pick up a copy of "Rhyme and
Reason" first and listen to see if you like them.
-etan