EXETER Phoenix is delighted to present Damo Suzuki, the
legendary Japanese/German front man of pioneering
kraut-rock band Can, on the only Devon date of his world
tour on Sunday November 11. Supporting him will be
renowned Exeter/Devon based improvisational jazz rock
collective Tynder , which pulls together some of the
region?s most wanted musicians. Damo Suzuki and his
very distinctive style, grounded in the art rock of bands
such as The Velvet Underground with strong experimental
and world music influences, shot to fame with his band
Can in the 1970s. Formed in Germany in 1968, Can
broke the mould of the music scene at the time by
insisting on constructing music through live improvisation
on stage only, making each concert a new experience for
audiences. Can only ever recorded live albums, consisting
of what was referred to by the band as ?instant
compositions? and thereby creating a concept which was
hugely influential in the development of avant-garde,
experimental, ambient, New Wave and electronic music.
After leaving Can, Damo Suzuki re-entered the world of
music with what is referred to as the Damo Suzuki
Network in the 1980s. As he tours around the world, he
performs live improvisational music with various local
likeminded musicians, building up a ?network?. Among
the musicians in his live shows have been Acid Mothers
Temple, Do Make Say Think and Broken Social Scene
amongst many others. On his Exeter Phoenix date,
several regionally based artists will become Damo Suzuki?
s Sound Carriers for the night. The goal of the Damo
Suzuki Network is simple; musicians come together to
communicate with each other and with the audience.
Damo selects musicians who are able to communicate
freely and who are able to respond honestly to each other
in the here and now. There are no egos involved and
there is a lot of respect for and dynamic communication
with the audience. There are never any rehearsals.
Mistakes are moments of opportunity. For the musician,
this process is in equal parts exciting and terrifying.
Damo records every show and has released several
albums which document the process described in a more
coherent way than one can hope to do with words. The
Network continues to grow. More musicians are involved
in changing permutations. Box office: 01392 667 080.
The event is part of Exeter Autumn Festival, November 2
to 19. For more information, visit