Musicians of TarkusLive

Christian is first and foremost an electric and acoustic guitarist influenced by Steve Howe of Yes. He is also a fan of Allan Holdsworth's (UK) and of Greg Lake's. Christian accepted his brother Stéphane's challenge to play and sing Greg Lake.

What he thinks about Greg Lake: Lake is surely an excellent guitarist known for his great ballads and also a strong bass player. I really think that his reputation comes from his sincere golden voice. Obviously it reflects all of his personality and charisma, and shows how deep the soul of the man is.

Stéphane is the instigator of TarkusLive. The masterpieces of Keith Emerson are no longer a secret to him. No one can recreate the high sounding textures unique to ELP on the Hammond organ or the analog and modular synths like him. A self-taught keyboard player from the age of 15, he is 13 years old when he discovers ELP.

"The first time I heard ELP I was 13 years old. The piece was Tarkus from the same album. To put us in context, another kid and I were making an animated movie about space, so we needed music to fit with this project, a little like the main musical theme for Space 1999. After listening to Eruption, the opening track, I was flabbergasted and never the same kid again."

"...and no, finally, the movie was never made !"

What he thinks about Keith Emerson: Keith Emerson is a man before his time on many levels. He pushed the use of the synthesizer and the Hammond organ way beyond what anybody else was doing at the time. I think that he is also the bridge between two worlds, the universe of classical music, where the autors have vanished, and the living world of rock music. I believe that he's a real pioneer.

Eric is the kind of drummer that always seeks challenging music. He enjoys all that connects with Jazz, Prog or anything that carries odd time signatures or intricate rhythm patterns. Éric's drumming influence list would be too long to enumerate, but here's a short summary: Dave Weckl, Steve Smith, Mike Portnoy (ex Dream Theater), Buddy Rich, Carl Palmer etc. Eric is an enthousiastic man, and a little like Carl Palmer, always smiling and ready to play.

What he thinks about Carl Palmer: Palmer is a very strong and spectacular drummer. He was already a leading drummer at age 20 on ELP's first album (1970), with his famous drum solo on Tank. Palmer is also a pioneer. His work with Emerson on Alberto Ginastera's piece Toccata on Brain Salad Surgery (1972-73), makes him the first drummer to use synthesizer percussions.

A music lover with eclectic taste, François particularly appreciates rich soundscapes combined with virtuosity and uplifting melodies. As such, he has always enjoyed prog rock, and the opportunity of recreating ELP’s work on stage was too good to pass. His bass influences are quite diverse, but Geddy Lee, Billy Sheehan, Doug Pinnick and Jeff Berlin are among his favorites.

What he thinks about Greg Lake: I had never had the chance to play any ELP before joining TarkusLive. Learning the repertoire gave me a new appreciation for Greg Lake’s ability, both as bassist and producer, to find the right balance and bridging the gaps without overloading the songs.