The beloved Edward Ka-Spel, frontman/songwriter of the Legendary Pink Dots, embodies the free spirit of a progressive, acid-laced and psychedelic society with a natural bent for self-determination. The personality fits, since the Dots have called Amsterdam, the European hub of libertarian attitudes (as well as a solidly positive drug culture) home since 1984.
Musically, the Legendary Pink Dots not only bring to mind some fun (if a little involved) Euro-pop, they also embody the very idea behind psychedelic, ambient, electronic, hippy-based trip rock in both sound and aura. Their show last night at the Gothic Theatre promised to take a sadly anemic-sized audience on a Wonka-esque boat ride through the band’s three-plus decades of composition — most of which turned out to be on the more ambient side — as they wound through nearly two hours on stage. Every song was a resplendent example of the many undercurrents of pop to which the Dots play forefather, or at least prolific progenitors.
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The Legendary Pink Dots and Munly and the Lupercalians brought psychedelia to the Gothic Theatre on Tuesday night. Photos by Tina Hagerling, heyreverb.com.
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The Legendary Pink Dots and Munly and the Lupercalians brought psychedelia to the Gothic Theatre on Tuesday night. Photos by Tina Hagerling, heyreverb.com.
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The Legendary Pink Dots and Munly and the Lupercalians brought psychedelia to the Gothic Theatre on Tuesday night. Photos by Tina Hagerling, heyreverb.com.
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The Legendary Pink Dots and Munly and the Lupercalians brought psychedelia to the Gothic Theatre on Tuesday night. Photos by Tina Hagerling, heyreverb.com.
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The Legendary Pink Dots and Munly and the Lupercalians brought psychedelia to the Gothic Theatre on Tuesday night. Photos by Tina Hagerling, heyreverb.com.
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The Legendary Pink Dots and Munly and the Lupercalians brought psychedelia to the Gothic Theatre on Tuesday night. Photos by Tina Hagerling, heyreverb.com.
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The Legendary Pink Dots and Munly and the Lupercalians brought psychedelia to the Gothic Theatre on Tuesday night. Photos by Tina Hagerling, heyreverb.com.
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The Legendary Pink Dots and Munly and the Lupercalians brought psychedelia to the Gothic Theatre on Tuesday night. Photos by Tina Hagerling, heyreverb.com.
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The Legendary Pink Dots and Munly and the Lupercalians brought psychedelia to the Gothic Theatre on Tuesday night. Photos by Tina Hagerling, heyreverb.com.
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The Legendary Pink Dots and Munly and the Lupercalians brought psychedelia to the Gothic Theatre on Tuesday night. Photos by Tina Hagerling, heyreverb.com.
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The Legendary Pink Dots and Munly and the Lupercalians brought psychedelia to the Gothic Theatre on Tuesday night. Photos by Tina Hagerling, heyreverb.com.
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The Legendary Pink Dots and Munly and the Lupercalians brought psychedelia to the Gothic Theatre on Tuesday night. Photos by Tina Hagerling, heyreverb.com.
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The Legendary Pink Dots and Munly and the Lupercalians brought psychedelia to the Gothic Theatre on Tuesday night. Photos by Tina Hagerling, heyreverb.com.
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The Legendary Pink Dots and Munly and the Lupercalians brought psychedelia to the Gothic Theatre on Tuesday night. Photos by Tina Hagerling, heyreverb.com.
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The Legendary Pink Dots and Munly and the Lupercalians brought psychedelia to the Gothic Theatre on Tuesday night. Photos by Tina Hagerling, heyreverb.com.
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The Legendary Pink Dots and Munly and the Lupercalians brought psychedelia to the Gothic Theatre on Tuesday night. Photos by Tina Hagerling, heyreverb.com.
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The Legendary Pink Dots and Munly and the Lupercalians brought psychedelia to the Gothic Theatre on Tuesday night. Photos by Tina Hagerling, heyreverb.com.
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The Legendary Pink Dots and Munly and the Lupercalians brought psychedelia to the Gothic Theatre on Tuesday night. Photos by Tina Hagerling, heyreverb.com.
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The Legendary Pink Dots and Munly and the Lupercalians brought psychedelia to the Gothic Theatre on Tuesday night. Photos by Tina Hagerling, heyreverb.com.
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The Legendary Pink Dots and Munly and the Lupercalians brought psychedelia to the Gothic Theatre on Tuesday night. Photos by Tina Hagerling, heyreverb.com.
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The Legendary Pink Dots and Munly and the Lupercalians brought psychedelia to the Gothic Theatre on Tuesday night. Photos by Tina Hagerling, heyreverb.com.
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The Legendary Pink Dots and Munly and the Lupercalians brought psychedelia to the Gothic Theatre on Tuesday night. Photos by Tina Hagerling, heyreverb.com.
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The Legendary Pink Dots and Munly and the Lupercalians brought psychedelia to the Gothic Theatre on Tuesday night. Photos by Tina Hagerling, heyreverb.com.
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The Legendary Pink Dots and Munly and the Lupercalians brought psychedelia to the Gothic Theatre on Tuesday night. Photos by Tina Hagerling, heyreverb.com.
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The Legendary Pink Dots and Munly and the Lupercalians brought psychedelia to the Gothic Theatre on Tuesday night. Photos by Tina Hagerling, heyreverb.com.
Throughout the band’s history, Legendary Pink Dots has burned through a roster totaling more than 35 musicians and artists, and has benefited from the inclusion of all of them. Currently the lineup is a four piece including Ka-Spel on vocals and keyboards, Phil Knight on keyboards and other electronics, Erik Drost on guitars and Raymond Steeg, who performs sound engineering offstage. They flooded the Gothic last night with music from bands like Bubble Puppy, Love, and the 13th Floor Elevators, all of it steeped in the feel and theory of kraut rock bands like Can. They also presented more accessible brands of psychedelic pop as well, recalling Brian Jonestown Massacre (with none of the “ass-holier than thou” attitude of Anton Newcombe), that led into heavier compositions, songs that would easily soundtrack poetry slams, art museum tours or underwater films.
Thanks to Ka-Spel’s ridiculously fervent and prolific imagination, and his seeming ability to completely avoid aging (at least in the mind) each song formed elaborate stories, microscopically specific observations, brain-flexing imagery, and all contained exhaustive wordplay. His singing style recalled the Stranglers’ Hugh Cornwell, while the background psychedelia often pulled stylistically from Stranglers’ “Men In Black” era and electronic scientists Matmos. And yet, these compositions seemed perfectly unique, completely independent.
In fact, one of the most endearing aspects of the Pink Dots’ discography is a seemingly complete lack of regard for outside, contemporary influence. It often appears that the band is content to ignore what may be going on outside of their own world in favor of pure creativity and consistency. They’re completely conscious of their tendency to relax in an often dated version of psychedelia, one they embraced as masters last night.
There was no indication of influence from current, popular sounds; no hip hop, no screamo, no candy-punk. These narratives from the psychedelic world, following the same musical ideas of Can and The Bevis Frond, are perfect fits into the Pink Dot universe.
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Billy Thieme is a Denver-based writer, an old-school punk and a huge follower of Denver’s vibrant local music scene. Follow Billy’s explorations at DenverThread.com, and his giglist at Gigbot.
Tina Hagerling is a Denver photographer and regular contributor to Reverb. Check out more of her concert photography.
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