Peter Hammill & K Group – Live at Rockpalast (Hamburg 1981) [DVD+2CDs, MIG]

There is hardly any official live material from Peter Hammill, the former frontman of the progressive rock band Van der Graaf Generator. This gap is filled by the complex digital CD release “Live At The Rockpalast,” released by the MIG label (Hanover). This CD contains—in addition to numerous photos and professional liner notes—the legendary 1981 concert by Peter Hammill and the K Group at Hamburg’s Markthalle, thankfully in picture and sound. With a running time of 105 minutes, the tracklisting on the DVD and both CDs is identical. During the concert, the band primarily played material from Hammill’s last albums, his 1973 classic “Modern” and the two VdGG songs “The Sphinx In The Face” and “My Room.” Since Hammill & Co. had already been on tour for some time, they were extremely well-rehearsed, providing the audience with an outstanding concert experience. The fact that this can still be enjoyed in first-class quality today is thanks to the production team at “Rockpalast”, who ensured highly professional audiovisual recordings.