Quatermass - live

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Live

	— live

Containing as it did three such accomplished musicians, Quatermass must have been a formidable force onstage. Unfortunately, no known legal live recordings exist. However, the band played two songs on a Swedish TV show in June 1970. Thankfully the audio portion survives. Here is a transcript of the short TV interview held between the two songs.

    (applause following Black Sheep Of The Family)
Interviewer: John Gustafson, from Quatermass, you’re all dressed in black. Are you the black sheep of your family?
John: No, I’m in "evening".
Interviewer: (laughing) You’re in "evening"! A lot of heavy sounds from three boys. Could you introduce the boys in the band?
John: Yeah, well, that’s Peter Robinson, organ, electric piano.
    (applause, one of the band members imitates the 50’s BBC-Radio Goon Show)
John: Michael... um... Eric Underwood, drums, percussion and row
    (more applause and more Goon Show voices)
John: (inaudible..sounds like "among others")
Interviewer: And your name is John Gustafson?
    (more applause)
Interviewer: John Gustafson, it... it almost sounds like if it was a Swedish name. Is it a Swedish name?
John: It probably is.
Interviewer: Probably is. How come?
John: Grandfather
Interviewer: Grandfather is a Swedish man. Aha. Um…what about your name Quatermass? I have heard so many questions about it. What is it anyway?
John: It's just…it's just a surname, a name, a person's name, like "Smith" or something.
Interviewer: OK, good... um... what are we going to hear now?
John: One Blind Mice
Interviewer: One Blind Mice, thank you
    (applause and intro to One Blind Mice)

******

Two live audience recordings are known, reportedly recorded in Berlin, Germany on the 4th of March and in Mannheim, Germany on the 14th of March 1971. Interestingly the shows feature a new song, Monster in Paradise. It seems reasonable to assume this may have been intended for a second Quatermass album. The song eventually surfaced on the first album by John Gustafson's later band Hard Stuff, also known for a time as Bullet.

Stockholm, Sweden, June 1970

1. Black Sheep Of The Family
2. Interview
3 One Blind Mice

Berlin, Germany, 4th March 1971

1a. Monster In Paradise, part 1
1b. Up On The Ground
1c. Monster In Paradise, part 2
2. One Blind Mice
3. Make Up Your Mind
4. Laughing Tackle (incomplete)

Mannheim, Germany, 14th March 1971

1a. Monster In Paradise, part 1
1b. Up On The Ground
1c. Monster In Paradise, part 2
2. Make Up Your Mind
3. Gemini (incomplete)

German TV, probably 1971

1. Up On The Ground (portion)
2. Laughing Tackle (portion)

Although both German shows are rather poor sound-quality audience recordings, the Berlin show is preferable for two reasons. Firstly the recorded sound quality is marginally more listenable and secondly the playing and singing is better. In Mannheim the band started late due to equipment failure and they had to get stuff from the airport. They must have been stressed out when they began playing.

Some sources state that official live recordings made by Quatermass in 1970/71 are being prepared for a full release by John Gustafson. We look forward to hearing these with keen anticipation.