Space Goats

This is a recording of a live concert by the Space Goats at Glastonbury Town Hall on 18th December 1999. Also on the bill that day were Gandiva and The Ripple Effect. Space Goat personnel were Pok (guitar, vocals), Clive (vocals, percussion), Ruth (flute, vocals), Dave (drums) and George (bass).

Somewhere between Track #8 (Broken Eagle) and Track #9 (The Freaks) there were several other tracks, including Centre of the Cyclone, but due to some absent-mindedness on the part of the sound engineer the tape was not flipped over and some of the recording of the performance was forever lost. Similarly, the end of Broken Eagle and the start of The Freaks are missing.

The Space Goats had had just one rehearsal, earlier that same day, and then taken the songs out live. It was freezing cold and there was snow on the ground which made driving rather hazardous for those who came to the show. George had been kept awake for the whole of the previous night and was somewhat shattered by the end of the gig.

This particular combination of Space Goat personnel never played together again after this night, although the band with a different drummer to Dave and a variety of extra singers managed one more show at the Art College in Exeter. Also included in this line-up were Jim on keys and vocals and Hills on guitar and vocals.

Several of the songs in this performance came from the early Laughing Sun set and many also lived on to become incorporated in Alchemeon’s repertoire. This performance represented a new direction for the Space Goats and Pok described the metamorphosis as being akin to “electric elves”.