Memory:Jay King
Experienced Gentle Giant in Austin, Texas at Armadillo World Headquarters (RIP) in 1976. As I recall, the show started with the coin flip trick and it was all magic from then on. What I remember most about the concert was having the distinct feeling that the music was a physical thing, and it was being "tossed" from player to player. Derek was master of ceremonies. He knew where the sound was coming from and he knew where it was going. His gestures - especially his hand gestures - directed the flow and kept the intricate rhythms that Kerry and the rest of the band were laying down. Sometimes he would fool the audience by seeming to throw the music in one direction, but no - a fake! And off it'd go in another direction. It was weirdly wonderful guessing who would be in the spotlight next, and for how long. That was the only time I ever caught GG live and it was quite possibly the best concert I'd ever been to. Surely the best sleight of hand.