Although I
am an old Residentologist who has spent hours, years and decades
thinking about
this band, interpreting their work and listening to their music, I
could never
imagine that one day I would meet them, without masks as well…
Still, throughout
the years, in various countries and cities I met their associates
and friends,
among whom some were coming form the world of comics. Some
of them would
say something like: “You’ll meet them one day”, but even the
possibility
to meet my teenage idols (even if they’re under their masks!), in person,
sounded a
bit unreal.
Anyway, when
it finally happened, it occurred at the place that looked so far
remote from
a place where such a meeting has to take place. Under the ellegant
hall of the
venue where the band performed that night, just by taking the stairs to
the basement,
one can descend a few worlds underground, right into something
that ebars
a name of a Bar, while in fact it is just a seedy inn, complete with
a “hotel wave”
band, tough morons with short hair waiting for some hot girls,
while they
gather in herds in front of the mirror in the hallway in order to fix their
make-up… So,
under the instructions by the promoter, at such place I met
members of
one of the most avant garde bands in contemporary non-popular
music! And
not only that, they were the heroes from my youth!
The inn was
filed with the sound of the popular hits, while a synth player with
well-greased
hair was trying to keep up with boosomy singer… It seemed that
even the Residents
(who, after the very succesfull gig picked the spot for meeting
themselves)
were not so mesmerised by the current environment. However,
at the table
in front of me I didn’t have bizarre creatures under masks, but
a handful
of human beings. But this is where I have to stop this writing. Don’t tell
me you think
that I would be the one to destroy carefully created illusion which this
band nurtured
for years.