Van der Graaf Generator was a progressive band that felt uncomfortable with the `label-' progressive. They were characterized by Peter Hammill's extreme singing and heavy use of organ and highly intelligent and powerful lyrics; yet their influences included classical, electronic, jazz, blues and even soul. Eclectic could be just as good a definition of their music as progressive.
At Manchester, student: Peter, Christopher Smith and Nick Pearn met and formed a band, adopting the name- Van der Graaff Generator from the electrostatic accelerator.
Tony Stratton-Smith began to manage the band as Robert Banton replaced Nick Pearn and after picking up Guy Evans (drums) and bass player- Keith Ian Ellis
In 1969, they supported Jimi Hendrix at the Royal Albert Hall. After a few single releases, Nic Porter replaced Ellis and saxophonist David Jackson auditioned and joined the band. In 1970 `The Least We Can Do Is Wave To Each Other' album was released on the Charisma label with an intensive British tour.
With Porter leaving, `H To He Who Am The Only One,' was released (with Robert Fripp as guest guitarist).
After a tour of Britain and Europe, Hammill recorded his first solo album- `Fool's Mate,'
After `Pawn Hearts' was released, poor sales (except for Italy), Van der Graaf disbanded.
Peter Hammill resumed his solo career, releasing `Chameleon in the Shadow of the Night.' VDGG members sessioned on the album and some toured with him. Nic, Guy, David and Hugh collaborated in the project and some of them toured with Peter. Hammill then released a book of lyrics and poetry- `Angels, Killers, Refugees,' was published in London by Charisma Books.
After more solo albums, Van der Graaf Generator reformed again with their 'classical' line-up - Peter, Hugh, Guy and Dave - and released `Godbluff.' The band toured extensively in Europe and even appeared for the first time in America (for a few shows).
`Still Life,' a wonderful VDGG album full characteristic strong emotion continued the busy activity of Hammill solo and VDGG albums.
In 1977, Hugh and David quit and the band found replacements and shortened the name to- Van der Graaf.
During a gig at the Marquee, London, January 16, 1978, the band recorded and released a live album- `as Vital / Van der Graaf Live' (Hammill released `The Future Now)' and after a two month European tour Van der Graaf, with little money to show for all their labor- broke up for the final time.
Hammill has published a number of books based on his powerful lyrics and emotional poetry, he has created well over 30 solo albums of various styles and ambitions. His intensity in concert is always honest, powerful and emotional.
In 1991, a private reunion of the band's classic lineup was created at Sue Jackson's birthday party. The band played "House With No Door", Sleepwalkers", "Still Life", "Refugees" and "Arrow".
On November 3, 1996, another reunion of VDGG at the Union Chapel in London. The concert was recorded and released in 1997.
Following the Queen Elizabeth Hall performance, the band members discussed working together. In mid-2004, they began to write and rehearse new material. The result was a double CD, Present, released in April 2005. Critical response was favourable; BBC Music's Peter Marsh said the group was "willing to push the envelope a little, and bless them for that", while AllMusic' Dave Thompson said the group "never made a less than fabulous album in their lives. And they're not about to start now." A reunion concert took place at the Royal Festival Hall, London, on 6 May 2005, which was released as Real Time in March 2007. The Festival Hall concert was followed by several European dates in the summer and autumn. The concert in Leverkusen, Germany on 5 November was filmed for the Westdeutscher Rundfunk TV show Rockpalast, which was broadcast on 16 January 2006.
Hammill stated in a December 2005 newsletter that there were no plans for further recordings or performances by the "classic" Van der Graaf Generator line-up of himself, Banton, Evans and Jackson. Hammill subsequently announced that the band would be continuing as a trio, for live and studio work, without Jackson. He later stated that the reason for Jackson's departure was that he "seemed to have difficulty in understanding what we had mutually agreed" and that he clashed with the other band members. Relationships between Jackson and the others become strained, and Hammill, Banton and Evans realised that the only way the group could continue was without him.
Hugh Banton on stage with Van der Graaf Generator in 2010
The group began touring as a trio in April and July 2007 over Europe. A concert on 14 April 2007 in the Paradiso in Amsterdam was recorded and streamed on the FabChannel website until March 2009, and was released on DVD and CD in June 2009.
The first trio recording, Trisector, was released on 17 March 2008. Live concerts were played in Europe in March and April, and in Japan in June, among them, one at the Gouveia Art Rock Festival. There were further concerts in January 2009 in Europe, and the band played several concerts in Canada and the United States in the summer of 2009, among them a performance at NEARfest in Bethlehem PA. It was only the second time Van der Graaf Generator had visited the United States (their first being in New York City in 1976).
In spring 2010, the group recorded a new album in Devon. A Grounding in Numbers was released on 14 March 2011. Live at Metropolis Studios 2010 was released as a 2CD/1DVD set by Salvo/Union Square Music on 4 June 2012. The band then toured the eastern part of the United States and Canada during June and July 2012, including an appearance at NEARfest Apocalypse in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania on 22 June.
An album of out-takes and in-studio jams, similar to the second disc of Present, called ALT was released in June 2012. Hammill has stated that he has enjoyed the current reunion, as "the activity has reinvigorated me. Going from one thing to another is an energizing thing."
Hammill revealed via his website that the band's former bassist Nic Potter died on the night of 16 January 2013, aged 61. The group continued to tour in 2013, including the first live performance of "A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers". In 2014, the group collaborated with Soviet dissident artist Vladislav Shabalin for an art venture titled the Earlybird Project. The title comes from the track of the same name on ALT. In 2015, the group released the live album, Merlin Atmos featuring tracks recorded during the 2013 tour, and After the Flood, an album of BBC recordings from 1968–1977] A new album, Do Not Disturb was released in September 2016
Updates courtesy of the VDGG Wiki Page
Discography
The Aerosol Grey Machine (1969)
The Least We Can Do Is Wave to Each Other (1970)
H to He, Who Am the Only One (1970)
Pawn Hearts (1971)
Godbluff (1975)
Still Life (1976)
World Record (1976)
The Quiet Zone/The Pleasure Dome (1977)
Present (2005)
Trisector (2008)
A Grounding in Numbers (2011)
ALT (2012)
Do Not Disturb (2016)
