Roadworks 98

Last friday I went to see a photo retrospective of influential fashion photographer Martin Munkácsi together with my dearest upon her suggestion. While we were browsing the art- & bookshop afterwards I was somehow drawn to the postcard pictured above, picked it up & flipped it around only to see this shot by Wolfgang Tillmans (1998) is called "roadworks 98"! Couldn't help but buying it & sticking it to the wall above my desk.

Incidentally I was clearing my harddisc today & found an interesting TV-feature about the release of "Roadworks I" which has been provided to me by Ola A. Eggen from Trondheim quite some time ago! Thank you very much Ola! The ~8 minute long special features a full band interview as well as excerpts of "Vortex surfer", "California dreaming" & "The witch", recorded at Rockefeller, April 10, 1999! Now here for you to watch on YouTube:

For more "roadworks 98"-era stuff you can also download the "1998 compilation" from Dime! This 5-CD set has been carefully compiled from a variety of fan-made audience recordings, as well as some high-quality radio & TV-sources in order to assemble every recorded & available song performed in 1998. There is no duplication to material released on "Roadworks I" but sure enough the compilation includes more highlights from the shows from which the record was compiled, namely epic & mindblowing versions of "Mad sun", "Superstooge -> Funk '99", "Flick of the wrist" & "Heartattack Mac" from Utrecht as well as a hard-driven & fully articulated "Waiting for the man"-jam from Berlin! More highlights include a definite version of "S.T.G." from Copenhagen, the first ever "K9" with a noise-jam from Bergen & a five-song-excerpt of the secret acoustic gig in Köln to name but a few! This download is well worth the patience & time.

In the light of this great compilation, which provides just a little peak of what might be in the band's vault, as well as the most recent playful & successful tour it is impossible to comprehend why the band hasn't released more "Roadworks", particularly since "Roadworks I" remains their only proper live-album to date. But oh boy, don't get me started! I will be forever dreaming of "roadworks 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 99, 00, 01, 02, 03, 04, 06..."