Soft Machine impresses at Musikbunker Aachen
The Musikbunker in Aachen, Germany, is truly something special. After parking, turning the corner brings you face to face with a huge concrete block. Built in 1941 as an air-raid shelter, it provided the people of Aachen with protection during Allied bombing raids. Years later, it was converted into a venue with rehearsal rooms, and later still, concerts and parties began to take place there. The whole place feels decidedly old-school: beer in bottles and cash at the bar. You have been warned! For this occasion, the hall was fitted with wooden benches, as this was a seated concert.
On Saturday, this Musikbunker provided the stage for Soft Machine. The current line-up is certainly impressive. Drummer Asaf Sirkis and bassist Fred Thelonious Baker are still relatively new additions, but multi-instrumentalist Theo Travis, who plays saxophone and flute among other instruments and is known for his work with Steven Wilson and David Gilmour, and particularly guitarist John Etheridge have been with the band for quite some time.
The band’s performance was superb from the outset. The venue has no backstage area, meaning the musicians walked through the hall from the back, guitars and basses slung over their shoulders, before taking to the stage. The set began in relaxed fashion with ‘Open Road’ from the latest album, ‘Thirteen’. The sound was excellent from the start, and it soon became clear that these gentlemen know exactly what they are doing. Everything flowed beautifully, with plenty of room for improvisation. The setlist offered a fine mix of old classics and new material. The first part of the set focused firmly on the new album. The beautiful ‘Waltz for Robert’ and ‘Turmoil’ were delivered with precision and conviction. Overall, it is a truly excellent album that deserves more attention. Soft Machine’s music may no longer be fashionable, but the chemistry in the packed Musikbunker was overwhelming. The wonderful pauses during the playing and the thunderous applause after each piece showed that Soft Machine’s music still goes down extremely well.
After a well-deserved break, the band returned for the second part of the evening. This included the beautiful ‘Song of Aeolus’ and ‘The Tale of Taliesin’ from the album ‘Softs’. This was no coincidence, as John Etheridge was already a member of Soft Machine during that period and contributed to the songwriting. He did so on ‘Bundles’ as well, and one thing has to be said: the highlight was ‘Hazard Profile Pt. 1’ from that same album. The piece formed part of a medley of four older songs, during which the energy of these seasoned musicians positively radiated from the stage.
After another encore featuring the wonderful ‘Backwards’ and ‘Noisette’, the evening came to an end. A good two hours had flown by. A standing ovation and a queue at the merchandise stand were the reward for four musicians through and through.
The Soft Machine concert leaves you wanting more, while a visit to Musikbunker is also highly recommended for anyone who appreciates authenticity.
