"There are so many elements I never expected to see or hear!" New Van der Graaf Generator film shines light on only US gig from the 1970s

A brand new film highlighting Van der Graaf Generator's only live show in the US from the 1970s, is to air this evening (UK time) on YouTube.

Van der Graaf Generator - NYC '76 has been created by band biographer Jim Christopulos and is a deep dive into the band's show at New York's Beacon Theater on October 18, 1976, and has been collated from film footage of the show from various sources, synced with audio from the concert, during which the band performed the likes of Lemmings, Killer and Man-Erg, alongside Still Life and La Rossa from that year's Still Life album.

"Earlier this year, I put together the Toronto ’76 film of Van der Graaf Generator performing at Massey Hall," Christopulos explains. "That film was very popular with the band’s worldwide fanbase and was also the first live concert footage ever seen of Van der Graaf during the World Record era. I’d been in touch with Peter and the rest of the band throughout the making of that short video. Impressed, Peter gave me some silent footage of VdGG’s one and only U.S. concert of the 70’s – NYC’s Beacon Theater, October 18, 1976.

"This was given to him by an anonymous fan years ago (we still don’t know who it was) and comprised short clips of the group performing on stage, ranging from a few seconds to about 20 seconds per shot. In discussion with Phil Smart, my co-author of Van der Graaf Generator – The Book, we decided it would be nice for me to make a short film of those clips fleshed out with commentary from the band (which I had recordings of from my The Book sessions) – a sort of mini-documentary."

"When the footage of the Massey Hall [Toronto] concert showed up and Jim did such a good job of matching it up to existing audio, my mind turned back to a couple of reels of super 8 which I’d been given many, many years ago - of the NYC Beacon Theatre show," adds Peter Hammill. "I’d never known quite what to do with it. If it was sent out into, say, the Web without sound it would be just some kind of a curio. Historical artefact as it clearly was, it also didn’t seem right to put it up for private collectors. In the end, I got it transferred digitally and sent the resultant footage off to Jim."

Prog has seen the finished 88-minute film, which mixes live footage with interview clips with all four members of the band and fan insights as well.

"Jim Christopulos’ film is brilliantly researched and put together, with such great editing and production," enthuses David Jackson. "There are wonderful images and some rare footage and surprisingly great sound throughout. It is a great balance of revealing contributions and secret revelations from everyone thrown together by this epic event in VdGG history: the record companies and management; the media and journalists; the devoted young fans and audience from far and wide; and, of course, thoughts from the band members themselves and their crew - and a lot from close to that time, never before reaching the light of day! There are so many elements I never expected to see or hear. And above all, there is a chance to experience the music expressed at that time and so beautifully illustrated - and to savour the astonishing performances by the band in a multi-sensory way. It is astonishing, moving, revealing and touching - and it delivers unimaginable insights into lost moments in the musical past of everyone involved."

Van der Graaf Generator - NYC '76 will be available to watch this evening at 6pm (GMT), 7pm (CET), 1pm (EDT) and 10am (PT) from this location.