M U S I C IA N P RO F I LE ALL THEM WITCHES Words by Daniel Cochrane
Photos by Paul Bundy
T h e S t a t e R o o m - S a l t L a k e C i t y, U T
F u j i F i l m X-T 3
A s Na shv i l le ba sed A l l T hem Witche s pu l led into tow n to s u p p o r t t h e i r f i f t h a n d n e w e s t a l b u m , AT W, t h e r e w a s a b i t o f trepidation a mongst ma ny long time fa ns. Founding member a nd m u l t i - i n s t r u m e n t a l i s t A l l a n Va n C l e a v e h a d d e p a r t e d t h e b a n d i n M a y a n d w a s r e p l a c e d m y n e w e s t m e m b e r J o n a t h a n D r a p e r. H o w e v e r, D r a p e r h i m s e l f w i t h d r e w f r o m t h e b a n d w e e k s b e f o r e t h e S L C s h o w, a n d r a t h e r t h a n r e p l a c e h i m t h e g r o u p d e c i d e d t o c ont inue a s a t h ree-piec e more or le ss eli m inat ing t he org a n /ke y s a n d a c c o m p a n y i n g p e r c u s s i o n f r o m t h e i r l i v e s h o w. A s w e s t o o d o u t s i d e S a l t L a k e's T h e S t a t e R o o m , w e w o n d e r e d w h a t t h e n i g h t would hold.
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Ta k i n g t h e s t a g e , A l l T h e m W i t c h e s o p e n e d w i t h " F u n e r a l F o r A Great Dr u n ken Bird " of f of t heir second a lbu m Lig htning at t h e D o o r, a t r a c k t h a t e v e n w h e n r e c o r d e d w a s n o t i c e a b l y b e r e f t o f t h e a f o r e m e n t i o n e d a c c o m p a n y i n g k e y s . H o w e v e r, a s D r u n k e n B i r d s u b s i d e d t h e b a n d l a u n c h e d i n t o 3 -5 -7, w h i c h d o e s f e a t u r e t h e b a n d 's u s e o f s u p p l e m e n t a l k e y s t o f i l l u p t h e s o u n d . A s t h e trio chu rned t hroug h t he de veloping rif fs t he lack of ke ys wa s m o r e o r l e s s u n n o t i c e a b l e . AT W m a d e l i t t l e t o n o e f f o r t t o r e v i s e t he mu sic to compensate instead t he y d irect ly cha rged on, a nd t hu s t he t heme of t he show wa s set. Cha nge happens, somet ime s it is by choic e, somet ime s it is t hr u st upon u s, a nd oc c a siona l ly it is a m i x t u re of t he t wo. T he o n l y t h i n g c o n t r o l l a b l e i s h o w o n e r e a c t s w h e n i t h a p p e n s . AT W s i m p l y c h o o s e t o s o l d i e r o n , a t l e a s t a s a s h o r t- t e r m s o l u t i o n . T h rou g hout t he nig ht, a s t he ba nd c ont inued to play f rom across t heir grow ing c ata log , t he exclu sion of t heir four t h member beca me less a nd less of a distraction. The meat of t he set list featured a r u n of si x songs of f of t he ne w a lbu m includ ing p e r s o n a l f a v o r i t e s C h a r l e s W i l l i a m , 1s t v s . 2 n d , a n d t h e a l b u m's f irst single, Dia mond. L ead singer a nd ba ssist Cha rles Michael Pa r k s' s i g n a t u r e Te n n e s s e e t w a n g a n d t h u n d e r i n g l o w e n d p a i r e d well, a s t hey a lways have especia lly on t he ba nds slower ef for ts l i k e D i a m o n d . B e n M c L e o d 's g u i t a r s e e m e d e s p e c i a l l y o u t f r o n t , perhaps consciously or not, to compensate for t he loss of t heir f o u r t h m e m b e r, a n d a l w a y s d r u m m e r R o b b y S t a e b l e r w a s i n c onst a nt d a nger of ste a ling t he show f rom h is ba nd mate s. C onclud ing t he ma in set w it h t he ne w t rack " W hen God C ome s B a c k " t h e b a n d r e t u r n e d f o r a n e n c o r e o f t h e r a u c o u s " D o n't B r i n g M e C o f f e e" a n d l e f t a l a s t i n g i m p r e s s i o n w i t h a r o u s i n g rend it ion of t he ele ven m inute plu s fac e melter "Blood a nd Sa nd / M i l k a n d E n d l e s s Wa t e r s" w h i c h r u n s t h e g a m b i t f r o m p s y c h e slud ge to blue s-in f u sed a nt hem. A l l in a l l it wa s a g loriou s evening t hat successf u lly appea sed long time fa ns a nd new c o n v e r t s a l i k e . AT W c o n t i n u e s t o t o u r, a n d w i l l p r e s u m a b l y ret u rn to t he st ud io to e vent u a l ly rec ord t heir si x t h a lbu m. No of f icia l word ha s come from the ba nd rega rding how they will add re ss t he lineup, if at a l l. Vo l . 1 3
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Issue 2
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