THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, September 7, 1996 TAG: 9609070234
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Concert Review
SOURCE: BY ERIC FEBER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: 45 lines
Friday night, the Mothership was not fully operational.
Although the anticipated arrival of funk to the amphitheater stage went on as scheduled, despite Hurricane Fran, the killer storm still ruined the party.
The main man, the eye of the cosmic funk storm - George Clinton - was left stranded in Atlanta, thanks to Fran.
Too bad. Although the bulk of the P-Funk Allstars made it to the amphitheater, it still wasn't the same. It was like going to a James Brown show featuring the Fabulous Flames, Maceo Parker and the JB Horns - but no godfather of soul.
For the past 10 to 15 years, countless urban, soul, rap and hip-hop acts such as Dr. Dre, Snoop Doggy Dogg, Warren G., Ice Cube and 2Pac have either borrowed, stolen or sampled Clinton's unique excursions into rock, soul and funk.
It was time for him to take it back, reclaim the Planet Funk and promote his newest disk, ``T.A.P.O.A.F.O.M.'' (an acronym meaning ``The Awesome Power of a Fully Operational Mothership.'')
But with no feathered and funky Clinton, the show lacked that awesome spark.
The concert opened with a core of P-Funkers droning out a Black Sabbath meets Robin Trower meets the Isley Brothers bout of metal guitar pyrotechnics.
The Mothership finally did land, and in a flash of smoke, sub-star of the evening, the king of funky base, Bootsy Collins, emerged.
He brought along his Rubber Band and got the half-capacity crowd moving with songs like ``Stretching Out,'' where he invoked to the audience to ``turn this mutha out.'' It worked some; he got the crowd to dance and chant along.
Give the Funksters an A for effort. They landed, they rocked, they offered guitar solos, chants, vocal harmonies and some effective dance grooves. But it just wasn't awesome.
Bootsy, you and the rest of the outrageous rappers, musicians and singers did put a crack or two in the ceiling.
But sorry, without George, you just couldn't tear the roof off the sucker. MEMO: MUSIC REVIEW
The P-Funk Allstars
Friday night at the Virginia Beach Amphitheater. by CNB