Audience Review

Daevid Allen's University Of Errors

@ The Marr's Bar, Worcester - 26/9/02

The tall, thin and white haired figure of Daevid Allen took to the stage complete with mortar board, papers and cane. Followed by band members Josh Pollock (guitar & megaphone), Michael Clare (bass) & Warren Heugel (drums) he proceeded, in typical Allen style, to carry out a set of physical jerks to backing music. That over, Allen picked up his guitar and the band went on a two set musical rampage that tore down the walls of uniformity and conformity. A positive barrage of electrically charged songs was rained down on the small but seemingly knowledgeable crowd. From seventies Soft Machine, Kevin Ayers, Robert Wyatt and Gong back catalogue, through the prevailing Gong years to the current University Of Errors catalogue we were caught in something resembling a time warped, psychedelic trip of musical fantasy, mayhem and brilliance. The somewhat simple rhythms, expertly laid down by Clare & Heugel were embellished by outstanding, cascading, hard edged riffs from the tormented guitar of Pollock (now sporting silk pyjamas). The rather Gandalf like figure of Allen added his own brand of guitar and gliss (theramin sounding) guitar supremacy to the wall of sound - all accompanied by his unorthodox vocals and intricate and amazingly strange lyrics. To further enhance the already frightening musical concoction, cleverly used megaphoned vocals, samples and effects took things to another dimension - a sort of controlled mind-fuck by music!! The second set continued in much the same way only with Allen now dressed in long black clerical vestments and dog-collar. Now 64, it's amazing how Daevid Allen managed to keep up his high energy performance for the entire set - but he did! The pace, quality and often bizarre material never let up. A Marr's Bar light show projected onto and behind the band only further enhanced the trippy feel of the evening and resident sound engineer Shaun Halliwell sank his soul into the mixing desk to provide a superb sound mix for his long time musical hero. I'm not sure that Worcester was ready for a Daevid Allen experience but certainly, those that turned out tonight were not disappointed by what they experienced.

...and about the live show

That show ROCKED last night. I thought it would be good, but that was
GREAT! Even my girlfriend, who is a writer/critic loved it.

I've gotta say, and Gong purists would beat me, I enjoyed your show
more that the time I saw the traditional Gong line up at the Great American
Music Hall. It was tight. It was hard. It was intense.PA sounded great, and you
guys were totally dialed in.

... the vortexes swirled and the
interstices were explored via several old favorites, compelling new tunes,
and a few surprises. The band opened with a smoking Why Are We Sleeping
(*****) as Daevid, wearing a jester mask, moved through the crowd playing
pat-a-cake and dancing with people on his way up to the stage. They played
some tunes off their Money Doesn't Make It cd, including the title cut,
with way filtered vocals, very nice. Highlights for me were Hopper's
(Wyatt's?) Memories (!), something that sort of sounded like Tomorrow Never
Knows, the aging body lament (played to much laughter and cheering) and
Tried So Hard and Fohat Digs Holes in Space, where liftoff was achieved and
matter finally didn't. It wasn't Gong but I was kind of surprised how
fantastic and interesting they were----I don't know why people aren't
raving more about this lineup---a fabulous time was had by all and sundry
--Rosannah

The University of Errors played a quite different set from their
previous show at the Bottom of the Hill. Not sure if the highlight for
me was Penis--daevid certainly seemed to be enjoying all the attention
his member was receiving from the same blond goddess that danced on the
stage at the progfest on may 29th--or if it was when daevid returned the
favor using his guitar on her later in the show. No, I'd say I much
preferred this part of the set, but that's just me :) But getting back
to the music, yes they played Robert Wyatt's "memories" from the jet
propeller disc as well as "tired so hard". A great show overall and a
fitting end to the left coast tour. --Teiwaz


... the exposing of Daevid was a miniscule part of a musically dynamic show that I am very happy to have witnessed. The music contained vitality and
showmanship that has not been witnessed in Gong in a while; New material, a hard guitar driving sound and most importantly damm good music. Dont let a penis deny you the
pleasure of this wonderful band The University of Errors.
> p.s. The tape I made of this show has not left the cassette deck in my car or home since the show, That is how good this band is. Thanks Daevid. Michael, and Josh plus the rest of the boys. PLAY MORE --Dave

Thought I would post my thoughts on last nite's U of E show...putting it plain and simple...it rocked!!
Someone on another list said, when they saw them they were unable to play their way out of a paper bag.  Untrue I say!!  In fact, the playing was pretty virtuosic...they have a new drummer, some kid named Jason from Brooklyn that was way deep in the pocket, and could have made all the difference from their earlier shows last year.  Guitarist Josh Pollack was a trip...wearing torn red satin pajamas, the guy was a maniac utilizing hot riffs galore, jumping all over the stage and abusing the whammy bar the guy was energy incarnate.  Bassist Michael Clare did his job, and did it damn well...he had that George Romero Dawn of the Dead look going the whole show that was hilarious.  And then there was Daevid...he comes out in graduation cap and gown alone on stage and starts reciting some Yeats sounding prowse, only to be joined by the rest of the band for a tune called "Innesfree" that was a droning psychedelic masterpiece.  Daevid A has the energy of a twenty year old locked in a 62 year old body, and boy, did he get better on the guitar...either that, or he is really underutilized in Gong...his playing was great!!!  His voice was great...and yes...he did whip it out...Oy vay...what a bent circus this was.  More enjoyable then Gong IMHO --Mike Eisenberg

Malcolm Mooney (Can) with Tenth Planet and Daevid Allen (Gong) with The University of Errors Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco - March 17, 1999

Reviewed by Doug Pearson

From Aural Innovations #6 (April 1999)

This show was a real treat for a club full of fortunate San Franciscans; a first opportunity to see these two performers, both once frontmen of seminal late 60s/early 70s bands, together on the same bill. Both had played similar shows in the Bay Area previously, but never under the same roof on the same night. I'd seen Malcolm backed by a similar group of people on a couple occasions a few years back, and always been highly satisfied with the mix of
Mooney's high-energy poetic delivery, excellent improv music, and fine reinterpretations of early Can songs. This time, the six-piece lineup consisted of two drummers (one of each gender, with each kit panned hard left/right in the PA for an interesting sound), bass, lead guitar (kudos to the guitarist, who nailed like Michael Karoli's sustained fuzz tone in spots - amazing!), rhythm guitar/keyboard, and sampler/synth/sax/theremin. The newer songs,
available on a Mooney & Tenth Planet CD, sounded very together (more so than I had seen on previous occasions, when they sometimes sounded more like poetic recitation over noodling), and the versions of "Mary Mary", "Outside My Door" and "Father Cannot Yell" were outstanding. The musicians played off each other really well, and the band overall had an excellent sense of dynamics that allowed for loud improvisations without obliterating Mooney's moments in the spotlight. Mooney has an amazingly unique delivery style (somewhat reminiscent of Robert Calvert), and can really spit it out; he was quite mesmerising, whether subdued to whisper level or ranting aggressively.

The University of Errors obviously hadn't been doing this for as long as Tenth Planet (as previously mentioned, members of that band have backed Malcolm Mooney on numerous occasions over the last 5 years, wheras I believe this was the University's first public performance), but were still a great band for Daevid. A guitarist and drummer (Josh Pollock and Patrick O'Hearn of Mushroom) and bassist (Michael Clare) played through the entire show,
and were joined for most by Jay Radford on guitar, guitar-synth & "keyboard textures", and part of the time by a sax/guitar player (Erik Pearson, also of Mushroom and no relation!). The show started with the aforementioned instrumental trio jamming on some heavy riffs, before Daevid came out (glissando guitar and speculum in hand, of course) and launched into the near-angry rant of "Money Doesn't Make It"! Several unfamiliar numbers (University of Errors originals) followed, all quite memorable. "False Teacher," a near-acoustic song featuring Pearson on banjo, was a particularly excellent example of Daevid's edgy folkish material. And on the more electrified songs, the contrast between the Pollock's lead guitar (Gibson SG through Mesa/Boogie amp - loud and raunchy!) and Radford's textures was quite notable and appropriate. We even got a rendition of "So What" to round out the jazz quotient for the eveningàone should expect no less from a co-founder of the Soft Machine. The only Gong oldies in this show came out at the end, and the energetic version of "Fohat Digs Holes In Space" was a definite crowd-pleaser. Daevid's different bands/projects have always covered a broad spectrum of music, and it was great to see him perform in a context of (mostly) high-energy rock with some nice jazz/prog/space/folk/etc. influences thrown in.

Overall, a fantastic show by two dynamic (even still musically relavent, after all these years) and unique frontmen.

jambands.com REview

The Gone Orchestra, Rockin Teenage Combo, and Daevid Allen and the University of Errors
July 22, 1999 - University of Errors" @ Berbatti's Pan, SW Portland, OR
by Gordon Wilson

...."Daevid Allen and the University of Errors" are a good trip. Daevid Allen is some sort of wild english poet/storyteller/actor/musician. Mr. Allen has a colorful change of costumes, and plays a rippen lead guitar, his whammy bar on the fret board effects are stellar. "The University of Errors" are a young band of musicians from the Bay area, some of the guys are from the band "Mushroom", and these guys are all right, although Daevid is really the center of attention. If you want to see something bewildering and unique, Daevid Allen and the University of Errors are for you. --GW