Is it just me, or are Zappa fans weird ? Or is it just German Zappa fans ? There was weirdness aplenty at Fabrik, for the Frank Zappa tribute band « The Grandmothers of Invention ». Perhaps tribute band sells them a little short. Two of the band members actually did play with Zappa back in the day, and the Grandmothers did so much more than just rehash the material and try to sound just like Zappa.

Sax player Napoleon Murphy Brock leads the Grandmothers, and on this occasion brought them to Hamburg for the « Roxy and Elsewhere and More » tour. Brock has built up what you could call a « concept band », each tour doing one of the Zappa albums on which he played. And there were a few of those. Between 1974 and 1986, Brock played on ten studio albums, probably the better known in Frank Zappa’s extensive discography.

For more videos and other bands check out the Zasph! YouTube channel

© CCC