Matching Mole on Rockenstock (7-1-1972) 

What is the most striking isn't even the music, but the fact that this stuff was on a TV show. Totally impossible today

Fucking hell I love Robert's drumming... His accident was so tragic, but he created such an amazing body of work afterwards. He's just a wonderful musician in general.

My all-time favourite drummer, legend.

Matching Mole = machine molle = Soft Machine

This version of Gloria Gloom scared me a lot. I listen this on 2a.m, no lights in my room, damn what a strange feeling. But the bass is so good

Once again Phil Miller singlehandedly maintains the tradition of performing live in knitwear.

This is pure holy grail video. I've been waiting to see a proper video of MM for years, and this captures them in all of their rawness. You can see how this band is running on pure drive, zero cash and most likely, alcohol or other substances, which does not detract from the music, but gives a glimpse into their collective psyche at the time.

Holy shit Robert is awesome

I was lucky enough to see them live as they were - bizarrely - booked for Weymouth grammer school end of term dance!! I enjoyed it but some of the other kids were looking slightly confused and bewildered!

Timeless - this just stands alone as a unique piece of creative genius that will be just as astonishing and relevant in 100 years

Definitely one of the essential videos of the 70's: absolutely brilliant stuff: Robert's vocal improvisations at the beginning are stunning and the band's performance is awesome throughout: Wyatt/Mac Cormick/Miller/Mac Rae were pre-R.I.O. wonders... this is only a "little red gig" after all...!

robert Wyatt is insanely good this whole sequence is amazing

Brilliant! It never seems to get old.

The drummer leads the band, the beat, the beat, the lovely beat. . . .

Impresionante video historico los mejores los maxsimos creadores del canterbury mejor grupo fel mundo.

Everything about Robert’s music makes so much sense to me. Always has. Not just him & his melodies on drums or other instruments, but what the others are doing too & their fills & constant attention to complement each other. When I first found Soft Machine is was Bundles & I went backwards to Seven & then did one through everything so when I found Robert Wyatt soft machine & matching mole, I was so deeply satisfied to have this musical void of mine filled with his & his bands contributions. I could hear the a lot of the fills or ideas when first getting exposed to the albums while listening to them especially during the jam sections or during live performances live this & to then hear the vast majority of those things come out as which ever song continued was simply amazing & mind blowing to me & gave me more hope as a dummer for creating music of my own or for wanting to learn bass or relearn trumpet. My old band used to cover facelift live. I would have loved to do this & things like Frob or Magma too.

Great stuff. I love the Frenchies sitting around and looking like they're thinking 'What the fuck is this?'

Prog Rock superstars Wyatt and friends are so under appreciated

Everything about this video is totally unique. It captures one of the greatest and rarest bands in an unusually intimate live in studio setting. Surrounded by a scant few lucky Euro-hipsters smoking and helping out with falling microphones. Robert Wyatt in a ski mask, possibly to keep his wild hair in control. You get Bill MacCormick's groovy pants, Phil Miller's unique facial expressions and marvelous playing, Dave MacRae's nearly impossible standing organ posture. For gear hounds, I have no idea what kind of road-case mini-organ he's playing or what's on top of it. Packs of smokes everywhere. Other Rockenstock clips show a much larger space than this one, everything is close-miked but you can't see them.

Wyatt forever ! His last records are just exactly so inspired. Thx Rockenstock and thx BassLuderman

I love MacCormick's bass work and that sound!

I've never seen my ears glow in such a magical light - thanks for providing the music to match tout ça!

This is amazing. Surely Brian Chippendale of Lightning Bolt saw this performance. The conceptual similarities are uncanny.

They were around for such a short time, too, less than a year I think. Fortunately they came along at a time when I was so ready for something like it that they have always been with me. There was due to be a third album with a different lineup (including Francis Monkman from Curved Air) but sadly Robert had his accident which put paid to that. Robert has now retired from recording and performing but what an amazing collection of music he has made in his life! A beautiful soul, I'm sure.

Robert Wyats french accent is the best thing ever.

Amo la voz de Robert Wyatt cuando improvisa.....un genio de la experientacion.

I love this! One of my favourite bands - Robert is (was) a phenomenal drummer, but Phil Bill and Dave are all brilliant too. No wonder Phil Miller can play those tricksy guitar runs, d'ya see the size of his hands?

What remarkable footage. Thanks for putting it up, whoever you are!

McCrae did play organ on Matching Mole's Little Red Record, along with piano and electric piano (and VCS 3 keyboard). As a matter of fact, you can hear it if you listen carefully on Gloria Gloom and Nan True's Hole. And Wyatt was an amazing drummer. His post-accident material is terrific, but I love his work and playing before his accident to that after his accident. He was amazing!

Gloria Gloom is scary, perhaps a bit disturbed. Robert Wyatt is a pioneer in both drumming and vocal techniques. Superb performance from Matching Mole. Probably not for Abba fans though.

mucho mole que feliz estoy oyendo esta cosa

Nice n crazy just the way i like things. Robert is a Gift to this World.

Wow merci d'avoir partager cette prestation ! !.Je suis un fan de ce groupe fantastique et imaginatif .Wyatt est toute un drummer ! !.

Come mai Robert Wyatt si presentò così incappucciato praticamente mascherato a questa esibizione dei Matching Mole ? i brani presentati in questa esibizione erano molto interessanti tratti dall'album Matching Mole il loro primo lp Peccato che il gruppo non poté andare avanti causa il grave incidente capitato a Robert Wyatt che lo costrinse sulla sedia a rotelle causa paralisi delle gambe Situazione che purtroppo per lui ancora oggi sta vivendo all' età credo di 75 anni I Matching Mole sono stati un gruppo veramente d avanguardia musicale infatti non so come catalogarli se nel Progressive rock quello più classico del termine oppure nell'avanguardia più estrema detta RIO Ad ogni modo Band FANTASTICA !!!!!!!!!!!!

After years playing shirtless, Mr. Wyatt puts a t-shirt on and a sock over his head. To do that he must have been half mad, or absolutely shattered by some upset in his life. But Christ couldn't he play the drums. Best I've ever seen, the creativity is just overwhelming. And Matching Mole strikes me now as less self-indulgent here than it did all those years ago.

Absolutely Outstanding. Thanks for Uploading!

Awesome. Many thanks for this. I have the vinyl but no player so, good to hear.

Fucking amazing! I never tire of watching this.

I've seen them twice in Holland, both times wonderful, one of them with Lol Coxhill on soprano sax. We will miss him

great video, allways loved the bass well and everything else about this song

I wouldn't be surprised. I love both their work, each totally unique, actually.

This makes me happy.

Did anyone else think of Lightning Bolt when they saw Robert at the drums wearing his mask?

The Best side of RU-vid.

Потрясающе , завидую тем , кто мог слышать и видеть это в живую .

... I have no words to say ... one of da most important bands there were > ROBERT! ... just only for ROBERT! ... thx (wid a huge smile on me face) for ul diz gem! thank you so so so ... ya!

stupendo grazie

For me I feel that Robert Wyatt is the best drummer (ever) to come out of the U.K. He peaks like the great jazz fusion drummers of the 1970s. Check out his drumming on sugar cane harris's (Liz Pineapple wonderful) and you will know what I mean.

La Machine Molle de Robert Wyatt!

I saw Matching Mole at The Queen Elizabeth Hall (in 72) before Robert Wyatt’s accident. God Song was the highlight!

still love it!

Incredible!

Et en plus ce jeu de mot pour francophone. Robert

I bet FZ would’ve loved this!

awesome!

The host choofing away on a ciggie. Gold.

Very good!

McCrae did play organ on certain Matching Mole songs, although it was mostly as an addition to his electric piano work. . You can hear it on Nan True's Hole, Gloria Gloom, and Starting in the Middle of the Day We Can Drink Our Politics Away.

That's one of the reasons that makes me love youtube :)

Only the French could feign such cool indifference.

gooood it's so good!

Wow!

documento magnifico

Robert making sure he is the centre of attention, as usual!

Roberto wyatt y gilmour son los dos mejores del mundo.

Saw them live twice: Reading Festival 1972. Queen Elizabeth Hall September 1972.

excellent!

L'intro en français ! C'est cool ! x)

Awesome!

What's brown, lives in the ground, and it's myopic? It's the Mole!

brilliant

40 anni dopo sono ancora avanti di altri 40

Muy buen video, muy en el estilo de Soft Machine, muy en el estilo de Robert Wyatt!!

ÉNORME!! 🙏🙏

Next to Daevid Allen and Pye Hastings, Wyatt is the third musician I've seen (either live or in footage) perform vocals by "bibbling" themselves. It must have been a secret dictum of the Canterbury scene that each frontman had to do that at some point, alongside the rule that all bands had to use Lowrey organs rather than Hammonds.

Awesome Band

HAUNTING DISTURBING BRILLIANT!!

rim shots on 4 time and triplets on 3 time @ 10:42. . that"s why he's a good drummer.

broken crash, oughtta love him

in an alternative universe, louis balfour of jazz club is a real person and either djs or hosts this music live 24-7 for all eternity

Musique pour descendre les escaliers de la cave mal éclairée !!!!

if you like this, check out the tony williams albums "Emergency" and "Turn It Over"... similar vibe but maybe even more intense IMO. Love both groups tho.

@10:51, Phil quotes YES "Close to the Edge" (down by the river- in a van, with Matt Foley. Seasons WILL pass you by.....)

какой энергетичный чувак!

Great music.

Con soft machine ❤❤❤❤❤

i bet it got hot under that ol rottenhat

Robert Wyatt 💙💙💙

Love the head gear!😂

ENORME !!!!

Matching Mole (a pun, "machine molle" being French for 'Soft Machine'),

trés forts les gaillards!!!

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS CRAP?! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" -- My dad entering my room, circa 1974

Robert Wyatt, Dave Sinclair etc, excellent musicians. Love MM but they all went on to better things.

Robert wyatt you are a fucking rock star. All this surrealistic stuff. And rock bottom genius. Shipbuilding Say no more

Anyone remember the gigs at King Cross Cinema. The steak and Kidney pies at 3am were awesome.

Here in 2022

Holy shit this is what inspired lightning bolt

I remember seeing them around this time,and being disappointed that robert wyatt had left soft machine, or " machine moule " as the french called them. I think the stuff is very good in the progressive absurdist mould and was a precursor to hatfield and the north in a way. maybe some commentators prefer more straightforward music, and cant understand structured improvisation that takes a bit of thought and concentration ?

wHOLLY CRapoliiiiiiIe!! Did I just have a flashback? Wait... the walls aren't melting....oh, it's just MM.