Henry Cow 1974

1974
January
[Lindsay Cooper joins on oboe and bassoon]
19. Hounslow, London, Isleworth Polytechnic (England) (lunchtime)
19. Surrey University (England) (evening)
20. Crewe, Crewe and Alsager College of Higher Education (England) [also: Hatfield and the North]
25. London, Peanuts (England) [also: Rocks Off]
26. Bristol, University (England) [also: Dudu Pukwana]


February
01. Birmingham, College of Further Education (England) [also: Fumble] (?)
02. Hornsey, Town Hall (England) [Benefit for E.A.F.T., also: Global Village Trucking Company]
07. London, Torrington (England) [also: Isotope]
[14-28. Manor Studios, sessions for "Unrest"]
[Slapp Happy are leaving the studio as they arrive, having just completed their first LP for Virgin]

March
07. Southampton University (England) [supporting Return To Forever]
08. Hemel Hampstead, Arts Centre (England)
09. London, Bedford College - Students' Union (England)
12. Cambridge, Lady Mitchell Hall (England) [also: Gong]
13. Norwich, St.Andrews Hall (England) [also: Gong]
18. Nottingham University (England) [also: Global Village Trucking Company]
19. Birmingham, University (England) [supporting Return To Forever]
[23-31. Manor Studios, more sessions for "Unrest"]

April
[01-02. Manor Studios, sessions for "Unrest"]
10. Brest (France) [with Kevin Coyne]
11. Rennes (France) [with Kevin Coyne]
12. Bordeaux, Salle des Fêtes du Grand Parc (France) [Bérêt Cosmique, with Kevin Coyne, also: Stradivarius]
13. Mont-de-Marsan (France) [with Kevin Coyne]
15. Arles (France) [with Kevin Coyne]
16. Clermont-Ferrand (France) [with Kevin Coyne]
17. Paris (France) [with Kevin Coyne]
18. Orléans (France) [with Kevin Coyne]
25. London, BBC Langham Studio 1 [John Peel show - Pigeons: Ruins/ Half Awake, Half Asleep/ Bittern Storm Over Ulm, performed (broadcast May 9)]
[late. Chris Cutler joins Gong as temporary replacement for Pierre Moerlen (three UK gigs)]


May
01. Cambridge, Midsummer Common Free Festival (England)
08. Woolwich, The Tramshed (England)
10. St.Albans, College of Education (England)
14. London, Nova Studios (session for unreleased Slapp Happy "Europa" single)
15. Reading, Town Hall (England)
18. Bryanstan School (England)
[Beefheart tour - Geoff Leigh guests on a couple of dates]
23. Reims, Patinoire (France) [supporting Captain Beefheart]
24. Jouy-en-Josas, near Paris, HEC (France) [supporting Captain Beefheart]
25. Lyon, Palais d'Hiver (France) [supporting Captain Beefheart]
26. Arles, Théâtre Antique (France) [supporting Captain Beefheart]
30. Loughborough, University (England) [supporting Captain Beefheart]
31. Norwich, East Anglia University (England) [supporting Captain Beefheart]


June
01. Leeds, University (England) [supporting Captain Beefheart]
02. Beck (Holland) [Pink Pop Festival, afternoon]
03. Birmingham, Town Hall (England) [supporting Captain Beefheart]
04. Newcastle, City Hall (England) [supporting Captain Beefheart]
05. Glasgow, Apollo (Scotland) [supporting Captain Beefheart]
06. Edinburgh, Caley Cinema (England) [supporting Captain Beefheart]
07. Sheffield, City Hall (England) [supporting Captain Beefheart]
08. Manchester, Free Trade Hall (England) [supporting Captain Beefheart]
09. London, Theatre Royal Drury Lane (England) [supporting Captain Beefheart]
10. Hove, Town Hall (England) [supporting Captain Beefheart]
11. Oxford, New Theatre (England) [supporting Captain Beefheart]
13. Cambridge, Lady Mitchell Hall (England) [supporting Captain Beefheart]
14. Bracknell, Sports Centre (England) [supporting Captain Beefheart]
15. Liverpool, Stadium (England) [supporting Captain Beefheart]
16. Bristol, Colston Hall (England) [supporting Captain Beefheart]
17. Swansea, Brangwyn Hall (England) [supporting Captain Beefheart]
20. Bruxelles, Auditorium 44 (Belgium) [supporting Captain Beefheart]
21. Venlo, Concertgebouw (Netherlands) [supporting Captain Beefheart]
22. Amsterdam, Concertgebouw (Netherlands) [supporting Captain Beefheart]
23. Rotterdam, Doelen (Netherlands) [supporting Captain Beefheart]


July
06. Ewell, Technical College (England) [Benefit for Watchfield Free Festival, also: Half Human Band, Lightship]
[11-15. Fred Frith records his "Guitar Solos" album for Caroline]

August
Chris Cutler joins Gong as temporary replacement for the departing Pierre Moerlen

September
[Henry Cow tour Holland as a quartet, without Lindsay Cooper. Cutler: "We came off the Beefheart tour in more or less a state of shock. We had always prepared each concert as a unique event, rearranging the material and writing new bridges between pieces; now suddenly we found ourselves playing the same set night after night. We decided that we needed to stop performing and think about what to do next. Fred, Tim, John and I agreed to fulfil our last outstanding concert obligations without Lindsay - a tour of Holland. We didn't want to play any existing material so we secluded ourselves for a week in Fred's parents' cottage outside York where, restricting ourselves to the first bars of what later became 'Living In The Heart of the Beast', we worked up a 35-40 minute piece unlike anything else we did before or after"]
13-17. Skipton, near York, Village Hall (England) (rehearsals)
19. Nijmegen, Doornroosje (Netherlands)
20. Den Haag, Paard von Troje (Netherlands)
21. Amsterdam, Melkweg (Netherlands)
22. Maassluis, De Toverbal (Netherlands)
25. Enschede, Technische Hogeschool Twente (Netherlands)
26. Halsteren, Verenigings Gebouw (Netherlands)
27. Vlissingen, De Piek (Netherlands)
28. Groningen, Vera Club (Netherlands)
29. Delft, De Eland (Netherlands)

October
10. Winchester, College of Art (England)
12. Manchester, Polytechnic (All Saints) (England) [also: Hatfield and the North]

November
05. London, Royal Festival Hall (England) [D.Bedford's 'Stars End' feat. Fred Frith & Chris Cutler]
22. Wilmslow, School (England) ?
[After discussions with Slapp Happy, it is decided to merge the two groups]
["Desperate Straights" is recorded at Manor Studios (another track recorded during this session, "War", is later used for "In Praise Of Learning"; "A Worm Is At Work", also from this session, is later included on Virgin's "V" compilation)]

No comments: