YouTube from my still camera pushed into service as a crude video cam:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QV5QKnX6krc
Xavier Mas played 12-guitar, bandurria, a small modern (cittern shape,
narrow neck, curved fingerboard) type tenor Spanish laud, and a lovely
big traditional laud which is either a baritone or was tuned with heavy
strings to Arabic tuning (it was not in fourths as he played two open
strings at one point when checking it, and they were clearly octaved
bass course to one other course). Xavier bent the notes very freely, I
always assumed the instrument used on Cohen's recent recordings with a
Turkish lavta or a Greek lauto - I had no idea that a laud could be
played with so much note bending and produce such an Eastern sound.
LC played a Godin Multiac nylon solid body into a California Blonde DI'd
into the PA. The entire band was minimally amped on stage, almost as if
they were doing a small theatre, and the sound was just relayed to the
PA. The sound level was moderate, and often if felt as if you could hear
the instruments on stage and not through the PA, which means it was very
well done indeed.
Sorry about the quality, had I known that security were letting large
camera and anything else (no restrictions appeared to be placed) I would
have taken a better method for filming or recording - and not limited
myself to one memory card and mainly shooting short clips. This was the
only full song I recorded and by the end, I just couldn't hold the
camera overhead steadily enough.
Got home and realised I have a Multiac hanging next to a laud both
unplayed for a long time...
David
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