By Jase Walker
Neither hell or high water, quite literally, could stop me from getting over to Haarlem to catch one of my favourite two jazz ( and then some) bands on the same bill. Plini and Sungazer, two bands that I genuinely never thought would ever end up touring together but here we at the very end of a tour that I’ve seen several friends across Europe get their fill before it finishes in the Netherlands.
So it’s Friday, the vibes are right, I’ve a beer in hand and a good mood to go along with it, I am set for tonight.
It’s time for some God damn jazz.
Sungazer walk on in their signature look of not quite pajamas and it’s time to get stuck into some complex funkadelic stuff. These guys represent a feel of being serious and yet totally unserious at the same time, proper musical genius wrapped in a ridiculous sense of humour that scratches the itch for complex music and somehow remains playful through the entire set.
You can tell that the crowd here understands the brief considering that the band asks the crowd to do the “Sungazer two step” with two meticulously timed steps to the right and left and almost the entire crowd happily joins in.
Considering the four of them are so insanely proficient at their instruments, it’s little wonder why they’re all going all out at almost any given moment. To the point of real absurdity at times, there’s a small element of backing tracks for Sungazer’s Chiptune moments and the odd bit of layering but for the most part it’s just bass, sax, guitar and drums going absolutely apeshit constantly playing some fast ass jazz.
Finishing the set with a “closing of the backing track”, a fully ceremonial shutting of the laptop to great applause is the final entry in the silliness. There’s no modernization here but it’s time to close things out with a cover of Return To Forever feat. Chick Corea’s ‘Hymn Of The Seventh Galaxy’ because why not end with some established jazz fusion for a Sungazer show?
Absolutely ridiculous in the best way, Sungazer once again showcasing why they’re a fantastic outfit and Adam Neely’s deadpan humour is always appreciated. I also appreciated the several nods to ‘The Lick’ throughout, excellent.
It’s finally time for Plini and the man himself begins the set alone on stage after the lights light up the stage. I feel like seeing him headline a room this size in the Netherlands is brilliant showcase of how far he’s come over the years considering my first experience of him was Satan’s Hollow in Manchester to barely 100 people.
It’s pretty clear right from the start that it’s hard to really rock out while keeping such insane accuracy so there’s been a lot more effort put into the overall stage production compared to the last few tours.
The stage itself is set with a smattering of painted screens across the stage with a background of lights behind it that resemble star constellations but the real part that is catching my eye is how fantastic the lighting is. It’s fairly subtle but there’s some great work being put into the various flood lighting dotted around the stage too. A mixture of intense pillars of light, LED grids, patterns constantly brushing across the stage as well as lighting beneath every member of the band too. It’s coming from so many different angles and always seems to be doing something to accentuate the playing of the band and giving a strong visual element to the overall flow of the music.
One thing that is certainly prevalent with a lot of artists is the tendency to give in to the fans’ ever loud demands of “play the old shit” but when it comes to Plini, everyone here seems to be fully on board with appreciating the newer tracks from the latest album just as much.
It’s seldom ever a show that’s about Plini himself though, every person in the band he has with him are truly outstanding musicians in their own right and although it’s come from Plini’s mind, it’s something else entirely to be able to deliver on it. Also featuring the single most polite request I’ve ever heard for a circle pit but I suppose we’ll see whether people deliver on it. Which it does, to an extent.
The experience of a Plini show is hard to really put your finger on that’s relatable to someone who doesn’t do instrumental music, especially not in a way that crossed boundaries between jazz fusion and prog metal. Beautiful melodies from every angle carry the music, each instrument taking the lead in its own segment. It’s got its heavy and lighter, more melodic elements but the live show is hard to really pick apart because the whole journey is such a fundamentally key part that it’s inseparable from its minor parts.
Every time I have the privilege of seeing Plini, I see him and of course the others take another major leap in popularity. The beauty of every element of the show, from the pure musicianship to the production elements, each tour ups the game in a different way and it’ll keep me coming back again and again. Truly incredible stuff, will keep my fingers crossed for another RADAR appearance next year.