Robert "Bobby" Martin, who as lead singer shaped the sound of Frank Zappa's band from 1981 to the farewell tour in 1988, is going on tour again. Together with the Swiss tribute band FidoPlaysZappa, the musicians will present a snotty, rocking live show on Monday, October 14, 2024 in the Maschinenhaus at the Kulturbrauerei.
As on the three well-attended tours in 2022/23, Robert Martin - now not as the guest of honor, but as the lead singer of the full-length program - will also climb into the nightliner with the FiDOs in 2024 to show that Frank Zappa's music is not dead, it doesn't even smell funny.
He was tied to the torture stake with dental floss, he visited the City of Small Lights, he was amazed by love - and he always soared to the top vocally: We're talking about Robert "Bobby" Martin, who as lead singer shaped the sound of Frank Zappa's band from 1981 until their farewell tour in 1988. He also worked on a long list of productions with big names (Bette Middler, Paul McCartney, Michael McDonald, Prince, Etta James, Patti Labelle, The Moody Blues and many others).
It took two songs at Zappanale 2022 for the spark to ignite between the US American, who neither looks nor sounds his 74 years, and the Swiss tribute band FiDOplaysZAPPA, which celebrated its 20th anniversary last year. And it was clear from the last few bars of "Montana", which Martin sang as special guest at the Fidos' gig, that this couldn't be it.
The Swiss tribute orchestra knows how to captivate every audience with the fearless mixture of snotty, rocking live show paired with virtuoso Swiss precision craftsmanship with which the stage-experienced professionals live out their passion for the music of the Great American Composer. The six musicians celebrate obscure stories of modified dogs, smelly feet, sad Eskimos and all sorts of other curiosities of life in many voices and with verve. FiDO shamelessly exploit improvisational freedom, break stylistic boundaries with virtuosity and make full use of the musical diversity and compositional humor of Zappa's work. With numerous inspiring live shows throughout Europe and six recordings, the Swiss tribute orchestra has earned a place in the Olympus of the worldwide Zappa community over the last two decades: stylish, virtuosic, humorous and with their very own approach, FiDO continue to intoxicate themselves and their audience with the great work of Frank Zappa even after 20 years.