Living Force Energy and Devotion

Rip It Up, Issue 3, 1 August 1977, Page 3

Living Force Energy and Devotion

Ray Castle

Living Force are rocking out. Those who experience them are interacting enthusiastically with the warm, motivating energy they make; this is evident on their album, to be released this month. The album, recorded locally at Mascot Studios and backed by WEA, comes after 2 1 /2 years of trial and error for the band, which was founded by Harvey Mann, Glen Absolum and Eddie Hansen, all of whom have played roles in milestone bands on the local scene. Mann and Absolum together in The Underdogs and Spacefarm, with Hansen out of Ticket. "Eddie left halfway through the album to do his own thing. The players in the band haven't been on "the scene.’ Replacing Ed is Matt Matopi. He is a talented guy, plays bass, guitar, percussion, sings and we are combining well writing lots of songs,” says Harvey. “Glen is a real musician, not just a guy who sits behind the drums. He and Mike Fisher, who plays congas and percussion, are combining well, giving strong and creative rhythms.” John Pepper works out on keyboards. Prior to Living Force he ambled around the country playing a beat-up, old guitar in communes. He sees the purpose of the band as, interaction. “We want to feel off one

another, get people involved where they are getting off on the vibes that we generate from our feelings, instead of the band and crowd segregated; us up here and them down there. We are doing a concert-come-dance sort of thing.” Matt notes, “One guy who came to see us danced till his feet blistered.” There is inner purpose in the band, not because all members are Krishna devotees. Harvey explains: “We want Living Force to be a loose vehicle for the people in it to express themselves, for the music to be tight, with the themes to be clean and clear. We are into getting the mood of the music across and it saying something the words, melody, rhythm and it all saying the same thing with full intensity, so that it has a powerful impact. People are going to be surprised when they hear us, there will be a time when this music will make an impression on people. We’re ambitious and want to do it.” What about saleability of their new album. “Anything will sell, or appeal to the mass public, if you are right into if and the vibe is really nice. We are aiming for the lowest common denominator, playing simple music,” Mann states with forthright conviction. “I hear all these bands, even with

talented guys in them, who have all these flowery arrangements, effects and zoned-out words, but it is nothing. It is like listening to a couple of old ladies talking, they talk for hours and hours, not managing to say anything, yet a lot of people think what they are saying is so hip, ’cause that's where they’re at. If they could step back and look at themselves, they would laugh. “We are not following the rock scene; we are not there just to entertain, nor are we ramming Krishna down people's throats. We are treading our own path, having a ball doing our thing and if people can relate to that, we all have a good time. Mann’s soft, sincere nature comes through and he readily confesses that Krishna consciousness has given him spiritual direction and a central point and dedication to his art. “We have so much original material coming forth all the time. We are perfectionists by nature. I’m very self critical of my playing. Only 10% of what I play is worth anything, but I am enlarging that 10%.” Reflecting on his 12 years of playing guitar, and the feeling of being pretty broke, he gives off an agonising sigh. “Shit, it has been a constant battle and struggle with costs. Playing music is a richman’s luxury you’ve got to play your own stuff. If you don’t it is like being a painter and painting someone elses picture. I can’t put on any act. I just love playing music.” A listen to the album, on Harvey’s car cassette, reveals well shaped tracks with richness and plenty of mood variance hard riffy rocking, funk; gospel soul; soaring melodies and an eastern influence skillfully executed on one track, with the use of a sitar type guitar called a tameoura. Pockets of emotional jamming make it an album of dynamic energy. The songs to be released as singles don’t downgrade the album at all with their commercial palatability. The only reason why Living Force’s album shouldn’t sell well, without inflated hype or a succession of hits behind them, will be because of New Zealanders indifference to their artists.