when were the ozics at their best ?

[alienstarguest]

Anyone that follows music and this band knows that there is no other band or music that can create the soundscapes and compositions that Ed Wynn has. In studio !!. And while that studio material is superior, we know they are fair to good live, and on occasion hit the high mark. I don't think its ever been an outfit built to blow away live audiences. My question to you fellow oz-heads is this:
1. At what time period and line-up do you think they were at their LIVE best?
2. When you want to see a true jammin-ass live act, what band is your choice?

[yiannis]

I'll have to partly disagree. Although I have occasionally failed to "tune in" to the vibe of some tunes live - especially ones with no audible synths - there have been lots of cases where live versions are FAR superior to the studio ones. As to which line up I prefer it'd have to be the one with Merv and Joie primarily, but the ones with Seaweed were great too. The point is, I think they were better live when there was a STABLE line up that got really tight playing together over a period of time. I wish the line up stabilises at some point soon, otherwise live shows sound a bit disjointed to my ears.

[kermit0702]

I think despite all the different line ups, the Ozrics have remained consistently brilliant throughout - I don't believe they peaked at any time, it's just been brilliant all the time!

I've seen them live four or five times, and I think it depends what venue you see them as to how good they are. One of my favourite moments of all time was seeing them in the Cheese & Grain in Frome, Somerset - the vibe on that night was awesome.

[johanskomm]

yeah, i think they've been a really good live-act in most line-ups but i must say the line-up with tig in 86-88...and ofcourse with joie and merv...and seaweed and rad....after vinnie colaiuta rad is my favourite rock drummer ever..and so great live..just pounding away! ;D
o yeah cant forget roly ....a great, great bassplayer...i can hum most of his lines from memory, so distinctive!

[fishpaste]

Always when they were playing at the 'club dog' especially with the 'Ullulators' Mind u 'Treeworgey' was a great one as well. I think that was 1989 somewhere down cornwall way!!!! Got there but ended up seeing a band from my local area called piosened electric head instead of HAWKWIND cause tey had all fucked off to the travellers field. Let me know about ur best festival? I'm 37 u know!!! I'm gett'n old who what where! shit man just cant wait till 'shroom season again.....AGIAN

[greg]

For me, the Ed/Zia/Sweed/Rad/Jon line-up was unquestionably the best live one (although I never saw them with Roly). Earlier line-ups were a bit disorganised - nothing wrong with a load of free-form jamming, but I happen to prefer the tight-as-tight-can-be performances as exemplified in "Spice Doubt". I saw that line-up quite a few times, most memorably in York on Valentine's Day 2000 (that taught my girlfriend where my priorities lay, and no mistake!).

After the ructions of the past years, it's nice to see them with a live line-up which looks like it might be stable, so hopefully they can get that tightness back. I wasn't that impressed with the last gig I went to, in 2005... (although to be fair, I couldn't do as well as they did, so who am I to criticise....).

As for my favourite live act, it's probably GWAR, not because the music's great, but because the stage show is hilarious. All this may change in October, after I go to the Sheffield Boardwalk Ozrics show.

[grerman]

haha GWAR rule saw their last two shows in London!

For me the best period of Ozrics is 86-90, both in terms of albums and live performances. Before my time unfortunately being born in 1981, but doesn't mean I can't enjoy it retroactively

Currently listening to a bootleg of Ozrics in Tonbridge, Oct '86 - just awesome!

[ozhead]

'The Pongmasters Ball Live' D.V.D. line up was as tight as 2 coats of paint, just brilliant! I saw them many times but when they played the Canterbury Fayre in 2002 they seemed to be on top of their game musically, and together in mind - pure magic! Looking forward to the Cheese&Grain gig, it'll be great to see Ed, Merv and Joie!

[scirzo]

Well, there's a concert from '91 at the Brixton Fridge...WOW! That one's probably the best Line-up. Best Live performance I've seen in person? Probably Monster Magnet on their Superjudge tour, before Wyndorf had it over his head...

[VERNIXX]

greg said:

For me, the Ed/Zia/Sweed/Rad/Jon line-up was unquestionably the best live one.

I would have to agree. Tightest, most organized, best sound.
I saw that line up most, too. Hell, they played Portland Oregon twice!

[kirk]

This is an interesting thread.
I really enjoyed all the early gigs I went to in the eighties. The band didn't really take themselves all that seriously but I really enjoy jamming and that was what they used to do.
When they played Treworgey tree fayre in 89 they actually played 3 different gigs. In fact the last gig in the trevellers field was Ozrics and Ullulators jamming, Gavin and Ed took turns playing Guitar.
I really enjoyed Schoo as drummer for the band. The period just before before got a little stale because they played the same set for two years.
Best two gigs from Schoo era I would say were Castle Donnington "off the tracks" and Bury festival. Every so often it all comes together and magic happens.

We need more official live stuff releasing don't we ?

A great band to get into if you are into jamming is Gov't Mule. The band are not a space rock band, but are in the tradition of the Allman Bros and Led Zepp. Check em out.
They play Mean Fiddler on 14/07/07 (see you there)

[kirk]

The Bury festival I refer to above was actually Glossop. A recording was made by fans but the DAT machine was and the tape was stolen from the van after the gig.

[fishpaste]

Hey Kirk!

I only saw Ozrics playing on Wango Riley's Stage at Treeworgey. It was late in the afternoon on a blistering hot day and the mixture of smoke and dust, being created by the dreaded crusties at the front, made it almost impossible to see the band at times. We were camped down near the makeshift jamming stage which was near where we entered the site through a farmer's field. We thought we were so clever getting in for free but realised we had only bunked into the campers field!. We then had Checkpoint Charlie and numerous security men with Rotties and jeeps to deal with after that. Thankfully that night we watched the Ullulators jamming though and some excellent dub music to chill to afterwards.

I'd loved to of seen the Oz's/ Ullulators jamming together at that fezzie. (I've only ever seen them twice together... once at club dog (Finsbury Park) and a gig south of the river in Elephant and Castle). I think a lot of the bands that were there played 'unofficially' at the traveler's field that week-end and all schedules went 'out of the window' so to speak. I wonder if you remember the largel rave van with the black guy dancing on top of the roof near the gyratory wheel. It was always blurting out 'Voodoo Ray' by 'A guy called Gerald'!!.

It's nice to reminisce once in a while!!

[screamineagle]

Well, that is a ten-fisted question divided into multiple parts......

I have to say the cereal "Box Set" is their most creative period but you must have an ear for jazz/fusion because it falls into that category at times... Everyone I turn on to Ozrics, this set is introduced, the artwork fits the music...... Thank You Blim!!!

Strangeitude/Jurassic Shift top the band in production and concept too bad IRS records pulled a fast one...... I was glad to see that label fold.

[tangy]

The next time I see them play.

[kirk]

Hi Fishpaste, The Ullulators Jam thing was one of the gigs I refer to, they played (as I remember it) on thurs, fri and sat. The first gig was to an audience of 20 people ( me and my mates who I had taken speshly to see the Ozrics) in the travellers field. A really memorable part of this gis was that either the band actually played Jurassis Shift or Roly invented the weird bass riff at this gig. I remember that when this album came out a few yrs later I heard Jurassic and immediately recognised hearing that riff at this gig.

Other than enjoying the sets by OT and the ullulators and Oroonies and HW I did not enjoy this festival. A lot of things were happening within the festival that helped the demise of the festival scene. Far too many thefts, far too many young children left unsupervised, and way too many idiots riding around on horses (brew crew) through busy areas (plus 2 deaths). This and Castle Morton were (I feel) the end of the festival scene that I loved and remember fondly. It was all the excuse Douglas Hurd needed to bring in the CJA and as you know.. that was that.