Formica Blues Tour

infobox concert tour
concert_tour_name = Formica Blues Tour (name not specified)


caption =
artist = Mono
location =
locations = North America
Europe
start_date = 1 April 1998
end_date = 9 May 1998
number_of_legs = 2
number_of_shows = 21

Mono's 1998 tour, promoting the album "Formica Blues", was the only tour undertaken by the UK band, which formed in 1996 and broke up in the years following the tour.

The inclusion of the single "Life in Mono" in the soundtrack to the 1998 film "Great Expectations" may have been responsible for an influx of radio requests for the song following the film's release.cite web | author = Molineaux, Sam | month = June | year = 1998 | url = http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jun98/articles/mono.html | title = Blue Notes: Martin Virgo Of Mono; Recording Formica Blues | format = | work = | publisher = Sound on Sound | accessdate = 2006-10-08 | accessyear = ] At the same time, however, Mono remained virtually unknown in their home country; the tour's destinations balanced out accordingly, with a dedicated U.S. leg but no dates in the UK at all. This was to be followed afterwards by additional U.S. concerts, with the band scheduled to join the 1998 Lilith Fair lineup during part of the U.S. leg of the traveling music festival.cite web | author = Flohimont, Clarisse | year = 1998 | url = http://www.impulsionfm.net/altintvw-mono.htm | title = Interviews - Mono | format = | work = Alternative | publisher = Impulsion fr icon | accessdate = 2006-09-21 | accessyear = ]

In order to recreate the sounds of the "Formica Blues" songs in live performances, ADAT recordings were used alongside the musicians: guitarist, bassist, and drummer, plus band keyboardist, programmer, and producer Martin Virgo on keyboards and samplers. In particular, the drum parts were a combination of pre-recorded tracks and the live drummer.

Tour Dates

The itinerary of the tour, as announced on 11 March, 1998 on the band's official website, follows (with an amendment from other sources):

North America

*01/04/1998 flagicon|United States Double Door - Chicago, IL
*03/04/1998 flagicon|United States Bimbo's - San Francisco, CA
*04/04/1998 flagicon|United States ARO Space - Seattle, WA
*05/04/1998 flagicon|United States Cactus Club - San Jose, CAcite web | author = Reardanz, Karen | date = April 9, 1998 | url =

http://www.metroactive.com/papers/cruz/04.09.98/nighthowl-9814.html | title = Mono y Mono | format = | work = Night Howl | publisher = "Metro Santa Cruz" | accessdate =

2006-09-21 | accessyear = ]
*08/04/1998 flagicon|United States El Rey Theatre - Los Angeles, CA
*10/04/1998 flagicon|United States Cotton Club - Atlanta, GA
*11/04/1998 flagicon|United States - Washington, DC
*13/04/1998 flagicon|United States Paradise Rock Club - Boston, MA
*14/04/1998 flagicon|United States Shine - New York, NY
*17/04/1998 flagicon|Canada Lee's Palace - Toronto, ON

Europe

*23/04/1998 flagicon|France Divan du Monde - Paris, France
*24/04/1998 flagicon|Belgium Ancienne Belgique - Brussels, Belgium
*25/04/1998 flagicon|Netherlands Melkweg - Amsterdam, Netherlands
*27/04/1998 flagicon|Germany Prime Club - Cologne, Germany
*28/04/1998 flagicon|Germany Logo - Hamburg, Germany
*01/05/1998 flagicon|Denmark Hyperstate @ Forum - Copenhagen, Denmark
*02/05/1998 flagicon|Norway Hyperstate @ Spektrum - Oslo, Norway
*04/05/1998 flagicon|Sweden Studion - Stockholm, Sweden
*05/05/1998 flagicon|Sweden Palladium - Lund, Sweden
*08/05/1998 flagicon|Greece Net - Athens, Greece
*09/05/1998 flagicon|Greece Net - Athens, GreeceHyperstate was a two-date electronic music festival with live music and DJs running for ten hours each night. The lineup also featured artists such as Norway's D'Sound, Stuart Price (as Les Rythmes Digitales), and Sunscreem, as well as Laurent Garnier, Run-D.M.C., Armand Van Helden, BT, and Oliver Lieb.cite web | author = | year = | url = http://www.dagbladet.no/hyperstate/ | title = Hyperstate 1998 official website | format = | work = | publisher = | accessdate = 2007-01-19 | accessyear = ] "Slimcea Girl" (The Danmass Remix) was later compiled on "Hyperstate - The Album", a compilation of music featured at the festival.cite web | author = | year = | url = http://www.discogs.com/release/241108 | title = Various - Hyperstate - The Album: 1998 | format = | work = | publisher = Discogs | accessdate = 2007-01-19 | accessyear = ]

The Los Angeles concert was attended by Madonna and Mark Hamill.Harvard reference | last=Bell | first=Carrie | authorlink= | year=April 25, 1998 | title=The modern age | periodical=Billboard | volume=110 | issue=17 | page=77 | id=ISSN 0006-2510 | url= ] It was later webcast on May 14 at the now-defunct Rockopolis.com.cite web | author = | year = | url = http://web.archive.org/web/19990508190657/http://members.theglobe.com/formicablues/514trans.html | title = Rockopolis Chat Transcript 5/14/98 | format = | work = | publisher = Live for Today (retrieved from the Internet Archive) | accessdate = 2007-01-19 | accessyear = ]

hows

Concert reviews mention video projections being used, playing "pseudo-psychedelic background pictures" on "two 1-metre by 1-metre screens", flanked by "faux-Corinthian half-columns" that supported the projectors.cite web | author = Lee, Henry | year = 1998 | url = http://aries.phys.yorku.ca/~lee/conc/mono_rev.html | title = MONO : Lee's Palace, Toronto - 1998 April 17 | format = | work = | publisher = T.O. music for HLee 1997-2001 | accessdate = 2007-01-19 | accessyear = ] The set ran 40-45 minutes, with up to two encores (reprising songs from the main set). Opening acts were sometimes present: The Devlins opened in San Francisco,cite web | author = Hellweg, Eric | date = April 6, 1998 | url = http://web.archive.org/web/19990908070310/http://rl.sonicnet.com/news/archive/singlestory.jhtml?id=151314 | title = Mono-tonous Night Out With Mono | format = | work = | publisher = Sonicnet Music News of the World | accessdate = 2007-01-19 | accessyear = ] while no band opened in Toronto. Attendance varied: the Toronto show was reportedly nearly sold out, while the Amsterdam show was reportedly underattended (beaten out by a simultaneous Björn Again concert in the adjacent hall).cite web | author = "Luc", "Marie" | date = January 8, 2000 | url = http://www.xs4all.nl/~jeroenva/Mono/Index.htm | title = Mono In Concert | format = | work = | publisher = Heavy J's Hot Spot | accessdate = 2007-01-19 | accessyear = ] "Life in Mono" was the main focus, being used in a "sing-along session" at the Toronto concert, as well as being played again during one of the encores.

Reviewers complained about poor sound quality (including an inaudible guitarist) and singer Siobhan de Maré's speaking voice (including a "Cockney patter", and overly enthusiastic shouting described as more appropriate for arena rock). At the San Francisco show, audience members were reported walking out after "Life in Mono" had been played. The band members recalled more enthusiastic experiences, describing in a chat transcript audience members jumping onstage and dancing at the Seattle show.

etlist

This setlist is from the April 25 Amsterdam concert. Nine out of ten songs from "Formica Blues" are played, leaving out "Hello Cleveland!", the only instrumental.
# "Silicone"
#* sample
# "The Blind Man"
# "Disney Town"
# "The Outsider"
#* sample
# "Slimcea Girl"
# "Life in Mono"
# "Penguin Freud"
#* sample
# "High Life"
# "Playboys"

Encore:
# "Life in Mono"
# "High Life"

(However, the second encore was not played at this particular concert.)

Personnel

* Siobhan de Maré: vocals
* Martin Virgo: keyboards/programming
* James Thorp: electric/acoustic guitar
* Magnus Boggs: bass guitar
* "Mikey (from Bristol)": drumscite web | author = | year = | url = http://web.archive.org/web/19990421200556/http://members.theglobe.com/formicablues/live.html | title = Tour Archive | format = | work = | publisher = Live for Today (retrieved from the Internet Archive) | accessdate = 2007-01-19 | accessyear = ]

Electronic equipment used consisted of a Fender Rhodes electric piano, a Roland A-33 MIDI controller, and two digital samplers: a Roland S-760, and an Akai S3000.

Other promotion

The band played a handful of other promotional performances: a "Rolling Stone" event" in New York City on March 26, "The RuPaul Show" on April 6, "Loveline" on April 7, KCRW's "Morning Becomes Eclectic" on April 9, "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" on April 14, and "Modern Rock Live" on April 19.

References