19:30 BIG HALL
Henry Now – Chris Cutler, Fred Frith, Tim Hodgkinson, John Greaves
A unique return of the most important figures of the rock avant-garde
Henry Now are loosely based on Henry Cow, the most daring band of the Rock In Opposition movement, which profoundly influenced the alternative scene at the time and shared stages with early Pink Floyd, Soft Machine and Cpt. Beefheart. Although they indirectly influenced many musicians on both sides of the Atlantic, few dared to directly emulate their work, which went far beyond the category of musical progressivism. From the endless list of names with whom Henry Now members have collaborated, we select: The Residents, Bill Laswell, Robert Wyatt, Brian Eno, Iva Bitt, John Zorn, Laurie Anderson, Daevid Allen, Ensemble Modern and David Thomas.
The 1970s have gone down in history as a golden period of experimental rock that profoundly influenced subsequent generations. The most musically adventurous line-up of the era was Henry Cow. Two dozen top players passed through the lineup. The most notable, drummer Chris Cutler, bassist Jon Greaves, and multi-instrumentalists Fred Frith and Tim Hodgkinson, reunite in the revived Henry Now lineup. This is not a routine revival, but a venture that goes far beyond the format of an artistic comeback. Henry Cow's music has been ever-changing and unrepeatable; the new line-up offers uniqueness in a contemporary dimension, enriched by half a century of musical evolution. Henry Now combine progressive rock, new music and improvisation on the basis of a permanent evolution, as an eternal movement that always rejects the established clichés and rules: "We will not repeat our old songs, we are open to new dives into unknown sonic pastures. We remain true to the principles behind everything we've done in the past."