Memory:Marc Girard
I want to give you a couple of details from the show in Montreal, oct 7 1972 (I was 21 years old, I didn't remember the date, I picked it up on your site, but I have seen all their shows in Montreal and one in Québec).
1- In the middle of “Nothing at all” (thanks to Jack Skelly for remembering the song), the whole band was doing percussion that led from regular drums to drumming on the microphone cables on the floor of the stage, back to percussions, and to ending of the song. The sequence was drums – side of the drums - drums stands - microphone stands - microphone cables on the floor - microphone stands - drums stands – side of the drums - drums.
It blew up everyone’s mind in the audience, who like us were seeing Gentle Giant for the first time, and who were already flabergasted by the virtuosity of the band members on so many different instruments. Remember that rock fans in the Province of Quebec (especially Quebec City) were great supporters of progressive rock.
2- I had also the pleasure to see Phil Shulman for the first and last time. The three brothers voices blended marvelously. Phil always held up one hand to his ear while singing harmonies. We nicknamed him “La grand-mère”, “The grandmother”, because of the bizarre look it gave him. Also he played the trumpet with Ray in the middle of Funny Ways, his part being replaced in subsequent shows by a synthesizer, probably Minimoog. He was also great on saxophone, if my memory is OK.
3- We called John Weathers “L’araignée”, “The Spider”, because of the way he waved his long legs and arms when he got up from the drum.