– Cocteau Twins – In concert At Meervaart, Amsterdam – January 29, 1983 – VPRO, Netherlands –
No one is going to convict the 80s of being a dull decade. The 80s were a fertile ground for experimenting and trying different directions.
The Cocteau Twins neatly filled that bill. Attracting audiences mostly for the ethereal, almost non-verbal vocals of Elizabeth Fraser, the Scottish Trio laid the groundwork for many shoegaze/dreamscape/experimental bands to follow suit from the early 1980’s all the way into the 90s, when further mixing/mashups of sounds and genres took place.
But above all, Cocteau Twins were unique and original – and even though they may not have had the huge commercial success many lesser bands did, they were still a very successful band whose influence has been inescapable over the years.
As a reminder of their earlier endeavors, here is a concert from January 29, 1983 with, it’s presumed the original lineup. Changes would be in the offing shortly after this gig. But here they are as they originally were. Recorded for posterity by the inimitable VPRO Radio network in the Netherlands.
Enjoy.
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