Concert Reviews

[Echoes]

(besides Rush of course)

 

Roger Waters "Dark Side of the Moon" tour. This show absolutley blew me away. One of the best shows I have ever been to.

 

Heart two times. One in LA for the taping of "Dreamboat Annie" live. They never fail to put on a good show.

 

Def Leppard/Styx/Foreigner. For $20, you can't go wrong with those three legends. Plus you get to see the son of the late John Bonham.

 

Tori Amos. Two nights in a row at the Garden. Spectacular.

[asp324]

 

Well, it was finally the day. The concert had been postponed from the 3rd due to Ozzy being sick. But the wait was over. Would it be worth

it?

 

Hell yes.

 

I bought a sweet shirt, a sticker, and a pin to give to a teacher who had been giving me a lot of shit about ozzy. In the stands, i bought another cool shirt for a lower price. About 20 minutes after the opening band (Twisted Roots, they weren't that bad) left the stage, spoofs of TV shows with Ozzy in them starting playing on a big curtain in front of the stage. He was put into shows and movies such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Lost, The Sopranos, The Office, Entourage, and Wedding Crashers, which were all hilarious. They end, and the curtain goes black with a bunch of crosses, as some intense music plays. Right before the music got started (which dragged on), you could hear ozzy scream something incomprehensible. I sat by the side of the stage, so we could see the man behind the curtain. Before it dropped, he pointed over to our side and got us going. This was during an extended intro to I Don't Wanna Stop. The riff kicks in, and the curtain drops. Crowd goes batshit insane. Perfect opener, amazing song. IDWS ends, and ozzy yells "ARE YOU READY TO GO f***ing CRAZY!? I CANT f***ing HEAR YOU!!!!!! ALL ABOARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" and the band starts up Crazy Train. Possibly the best song of the night, everyone in the band and crowd were mental. Incredible 1-2 punch to kick things off. Quick break, and Ozzy tells us about how the next song got him in a lot of trouble back in the day, and how he doesn't give a f**k. The song was suicide solution, which was a slower song but kept up the energy in a fine way. Great song. Up next was Mr. Crowley. Awesome song with a ton of pyro, I could feel it all the way up where I was sitting, or standing if you want to call it that. Before Crowley, Ozzy apologized for cancelling the first time around. Following was Not Going Away, a song of his new album. One of my favorites of the night. Ozzy did this hilarious robot dance during the intro. After NGA was Road to Nowhere, the first of two power ballads of the night. Ozzy is the master of a great power ballad. He lead us through a great singalong on a fantastic song accented by an amazing solo by Zakk Wylde. The next song was Bark at the Moon, one i'd been looking foward to. Before this one Ozzy introduced the band, getting us to yell louder than we originally did for each member. After, they went right into BATM. Fantastic song, another favorite of the night. The band then left the stage. What the f**k? A 7 song set? But no! Zakk Wylde was still up there and we were treated to a 8-10 minute guitar solo! Shredded, made sweet effects with the whammy bar, played behind his back, played with his teeth. For the last two minutes, he came to our side of the stage and sat down at the edge. He played some more, and oh shit, his guitar stopped working. He fiddled with it a bit, got nothing, unplugged it, and tossed it into the crowd. About 10 people grabbed it, but security intervened and gave it to a roadie before anything broke out. It was not what anyone wanted to happen, but tossing the guitar was still really cool. The band comes bck out and starts playing I Don't Know, a favorite of mine. A powerful song to get back in to the main set. Following IDK was I Don't Want To Change The World. Fantastic song to end the set. The band went off, but ozzy stayed by the side of the stage, and got us to scream as loud as we f***ing could. He started a chant of One More Song, and we finally got the band to come back out. They started up Mama I'm Coming Home, which got a huge response from the crowd. Another great song, Zakk used a double neck SG for this one. The last song followed. What better to close with than Paranoid? Everyone went f***ing mental. Great closer to a fantastic show. Zakk played the solo behind his back. The band went to the middle and gave a final bow as Ozzy told us to scream louder and louder, when finally zakk grabbed the mic and yelled "IS THAT HOW YOU PUSSIES TALK!?" I felt honored to be insulted by Zakk Wylde. They set off about 50 fireworks/explosions in a row, LOUD. And hot. What a night. Worth the wait, every minute.

 

NOTES:

- During Crazy Train and Suicide Solution, Ozzy assaulted the first few rows on the floor with water and foam, respectively.

- Lots and lots and lots of pyro!

- Very loud

- 9.5/10, amazing show, but ozzy missed a few notes and it couldve been a bit longer.

 

 

GO SEE HIM IF YOU GET THE CHANCE, HE WON'T BE AROUND MUCH LONGER!

 

Pics of show and merch will be up later.

 

[TheRocinanteKid]

QUOTE (asp324 @ Feb 1 2008, 10:51 PM)

Well, it was finally the day. The concert had been postponed from the 3rd due to Ozzy being sick. But the wait was over. Would it be worth it? Hell yes. I bought a sweet shirt, a sticker, and a pin to give to a teacher who had been giving me a lot of shit about ozzy. In the stands, i bought another cool shirt for a lower price. About 20 minutes after the opening band (Twisted Roots, they weren't that bad) left the stage, spoofs of TV shows with Ozzy in them starting playing on a big curtain in front of the stage. He was put into shows and movies such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Lost, The Sopranos, The Office, Entourage, and Wedding Crashers, which were all hilarious. They end, and the curtain goes black with a bunch of crosses, as some intense music plays. Right before the music got started (which dragged on), you could hear ozzy scream something incomprehensible. I sat by the side of the stage, so we could see the man behind the curtain. Before it dropped, he pointed over to our side and got us going. This was during an extended intro to I Don't Wanna Stop. The riff kicks in, and the curtain drops. Crowd goes batshit insane. Perfect opener, amazing song. IDWS ends, and ozzy yells "ARE YOU READY TO GO f***ing CRAZY!? I CANT f***ing HEAR YOU!!!!!! ALL ABOARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" and the band starts up Crazy Train. Possibly the best song of the night, everyone in the band and crowd were mental. Incredible 1-2 punch to kick things off. Quick break, and Ozzy tells us about how the next song got him in a lot of trouble back in the day, and how he doesn't give a f**k. The song was suicide solution, which was a slower song but kept up the energy in a fine way. Great song. Up next was Mr. Crowley. Awesome song with a ton of pyro, I could feel it all the way up where I was sitting, or standing if you want to call it that. Before Crowley, Ozzy apologized for cancelling the first time around. Following was Not Going Away, a song of his new album. One of my favorites of the night. Ozzy did this hilarious robot dance during the intro. After NGA was Road to Nowhere, the first of two power ballads of the night. Ozzy is the master of a great power ballad. He lead us through a great singalong on a fantastic song accented by an amazing solo by Zakk Wylde. The next song was Bark at the Moon, one i'd been looking foward to. Before this one Ozzy introduced the band, getting us to yell louder than we originally did for each member. After, they went right into BATM. Fantastic song, another favorite of the night. The band then left the stage. What the f**k? A 7 song set? But no! Zakk Wylde was still up there and we were treated to a 8-10 minute guitar solo! Shredded, made sweet effects with the whammy bar, played behind his back, played with his teeth. For the last two minutes, he came to our side of the stage and sat down at the edge. He played some more, and oh shit, his guitar stopped working. He fiddled with it a bit, got nothing, unplugged it, and tossed it into the crowd. About 10 people grabbed it, but security intervened and gave it to a roadie before anything broke out. It was not what anyone wanted to happen, but tossing the guitar was still really cool. The band comes bck out and starts playing I Don't Know, a favorite of mine. A powerful song to get back in to the main set. Following IDK was I Don't Want To Change The World. Fantastic song to end the set. The band went off, but ozzy stayed by the side of the stage, and got us to scream as loud as we f***ing could. He started a chant of One More Song, and we finally got the band to come back out. They started up Mama I'm Coming Home, which got a huge response from the crowd. Another great song, Zakk used a double neck SG for this one. The last song followed. What better to close with than Paranoid? Everyone went f***ing mental. Great closer to a fantastic show. Zakk played the solo behind his back. The band went to the middle and gave a final bow as Ozzy told us to scream louder and louder, when finally zakk grabbed the mic and yelled "IS THAT HOW YOU PUSSIES TALK!?" I felt honored to be insulted by Zakk Wylde. They set off about 50 fireworks/explosions in a row, LOUD. And hot. What a night. Worth the wait, every minute. NOTES: - During Crazy Train and Suicide Solution, Ozzy assaulted the first few rows on the floor with water and foam, respectively. - Lots and lots and lots of pyro! - Very loud - 9.5/10, amazing show, but ozzy missed a few notes and it couldve been a bit longer. GO SEE HIM IF YOU GET THE CHANCE, HE WON'T BE AROUND MUCH LONGER! Pics of show and merch will be up later.

Cool, great review. Personally I can't stomach Ozzy's solo career but glad you had a nice time.

[Maestro]

[asp324]

I can't believe I just read all that!

[Natch]

Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood at Madison Square Garden - February 25, 2008.

 

This was a reunion of sorts, as Clapton and Winwood comprised part of the band Blind Faith back in 1969. They played 4 Blind Faith songs, and the rest were pulled from various parts of their careers. Both musicians were in fine form, playing as though they've been playing together for years. Their voices also showed no signs of strain. They both showed tremendous range, especially Steve Winwood, who has several high notes to hit in his songs. He nailed all of them.

 

I can't say that I'm a big fan of either of these guys. I was invited by a friend. But, I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed the show. Since they have no other shows planned other than the 3 shows at MSG this week, it would be a shame if they didn't release a CD or DVD of the show. I think fans of both guys would be in for a treat.

 

Here is the setlist from last night:

 

01. Had To Cry Today

02. Low Down

03. Forever Man

04. Them Changes

05. Sleeping In The Ground

06. Presence Of The Lord

07. Glad / Well Alright

08. Double Trouble

09. Pearly Queen

10. Tell The Truth

11. No Face

12. After Midnight

13. Split Decision

14. Ramblin On My Mind (EC solo acoustic)

15. Georgia On My Mind (SW solo hammond)

16. Little Wing

17. Voodoo Child

18. Can't Find My Way Home

19. Dear Mr Fantasy

Encore:

20. Crossroads

[fritz44]

Stiff Little Fingers - Carling Newcastle, 16th march 2008.

 

This lot just get better and better! Only the third time I've caught them live and it does get you going. Set was more varied than last year's Inflammable Material anniversary tour, and Jake had some good banter about certain songs. Don't ask for a set list, I'm cr*p at that sort of stuff.

 

Catch them if you can!

[Wartypig]

Neil Young on the 11th....F*****G awsome , he was on fire.

 

Asia on the 12th....Another great night out.The guys were on great form.

[Test4VitalSigns]

Foo Fighters rocked the JLC last night Pretty awesome show

 

 

http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/Today/Columnis...065746-sun.html

[invisibleairwaves]

QUOTE (Test4VitalSigns @ Mar 21 2008, 02:39 AM)

Foo Fighters rocked the JLC last night    Pretty awesome show http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/Today/Columnis...065746-sun.html

Awesome! I want to go see them here on the 30th, but all my money's going to Rush...

 

Nice article, btw...

QUOTE

There were also huge cheers for Hawkins' drum solo, which proves that the Foos don't mind paying tribute to arena rock in all its glories. As usual, this critic felt it only proves there will never be a good drum solo at the John Labatt Centre unless Neil Peart is there to handle the tubs.

 

Edited March 21, 2008 by invisibleairwaves

[Test4VitalSigns]

QUOTE (invisibleairwaves @ Mar 21 2008, 05:49 AM)

QUOTE (Test4VitalSigns @ Mar 21 2008, 02:39 AM) Foo Fighters rocked the JLC last night    Pretty awesome show http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/Today/Columnis...065746-sun.html Awesome! I want to go see them here on the 30th, but all my money's going to Rush...   Nice article, btw... QUOTE There were also huge cheers for Hawkins' drum solo, which proves that the Foos don't mind paying tribute to arena rock in all its glories. As usual, this critic felt it only proves there will never be a good drum solo at the John Labatt Centre unless Neil Peart is there to handle the tubs.   I can understand saving cash for Rush but if you ever get the oppurtunity check out the Foos ....they're a pretty awesome live act.       Yeah the mention of Neil in the article was indeed cool Taylor's drum solo was pretty cool but of course he's no Neil

[Choose/the/light]

I saw this really cool band named "Rush" a while back, they were awesome

[gleamingalloyaircar81]

QUOTE (Choose/the/light @ Mar 21 2008, 06:08 PM)

I saw this really cool band named "Rush" a while back, they were awesome

Yea so did I! They were awesome! I dont think they ever went anywhere though!

[Hatchetaxe&saw]

Edited March 29, 2008 by Hatchetaxe&saw

[Disco]

 

A great review! I doff my hat; it's a real pleasure to read your writing.

 

Love to all

 

Disco

[Wartypig]

Excellent VDGG review......I can't wait for next Wednesday night when I catch up with them in Wolverhampton..

[Hatchetaxe&saw]

QUOTE (Disco @ Mar 29 2008, 12:33 PM)

A great review! I doff my hat; it's a real pleasure to read your writing. Love to all Disco

Thanks Disco!! You're very kind.

Wartypig, enjoy the show!!

[darrenhigh]

My last four concert reviews, Rush in Dallas 2007, Police in Dallas 2007, Eric Johnson in Little Rock 2007, Norah Jones in Little Rock 2007 are here:

 

Strumzilla's Concert Reviews

[Wartypig]

QUOTE (Hatchetaxe&saw @ Apr 1 2008, 01:35 PM)

QUOTE (Disco @ Mar 29 2008, 12:33 PM)   A great review! I doff my hat; it's a real pleasure to read your writing. Love to all Disco Thanks Disco!! You're very kind. Wartypig, enjoy the show!! The show was awsome...   http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g21/leemillward/VDGG%2002-04-08/Img12039.jpg

[TullSkull]

 

April 29th in Albuquerque NM..

 

What a show, the boys did a great job all around ~ IMHO

They ROCKed out with a set list of 28 songs and a solo by Neil.

Light show and vid's for back ground where also great.

Loved the fire balls from behind the set.

They had cams set and zoomed in on them at the right time, Geddy's and Lifeson's fingers and the shots on Neil's solo, outstanding.

Had there been a roof on the place they would of brought it down.

As it was they tore a hole in the sky.

Played many off the new CD Snakes & Arrows.

 

RUSH Rocks..

[Disco]

Steve Reich's 'Music for 19 Musicians'. Royal Festival Hall, London, May 2008

 

The piece is regarded as a seminal minimalist piece. For the modern classical music fan, the concert was an appointment to hear one of the high priest's greatest work. The tweed clad brigade, often with deliberately mad academic style hair, were out in force.

 

The stage set up was this: four beautiful gleaming Steinway grand pianos on stage, five huge xylophones, a vibraphone, a couple of bass bassoons and - well, why not - four female singers. Structurally, the piece has 13 parts. The first and last part are called 'pulses' - based around 11 chords. So, that leaves 11 chords, and 11 other parts. You've got it. That'll be one chord per section, only one chord being played per section.

 

A piano starts with the chord and relentlessly chops out that chord: strictly metronomically and always on beat. The another piano plays on the eigth note with a different voicing. Gradually add in the xylophones. They might play another voicing or break out into a repeating melodies. it doesn't stop for 50 minutes and looks ike a physical ordeal to play, lactic acid builds up in the players' arms until a substitute player has to come over and take over the chord.

 

It's incredible. No individual instrument's rhythmic pattern is complex, but they often they subtly change and develop. As the many different instruments rhythms slowly weave and interlace they create an ever shifting fabric of rhythmic texture. If you watch the players you can pick out the different melodies and rhythms from the visual clues of seeing them being played but when you shut your eyes the sound all becomes one unified, but slowly morphing organism. My strongest emotional memory is of the rhythms coming togerther in my mind as a beautufl shining metalic sphere.

 

It's beautifully trance like. The musicians are on a 50 minute journey and so are you. The power of the reptition takes you from utter euphoric joy to a maddening sensation that 'If they hit that xylophone one more time you'll snatch it out of their hands!' Of course, there's nothing in the music that indicates at what time you'll feel any particular emotion - everyone in the audience can be in diferent mental places: from joy to boredom, distraction or absorbtion.

 

It was in the Royal Festival Hall, which now sounds wonderful. I was struck by the clarity of the sound. In these days of mp3s, CDs etc it's easy to lose sight that the music you hear like that isn't the real thing. The depth. purity and harmonic clarity is a long way from the similcrum of music I hear on my iPod.

 

Disco

[third hand grace]

STP on the lakefront in Chicago 5/22/08

Sound was good, light show was average, guitar issues early on, energy level by band was good, but crowd was freezing so there wasn't a lot of energy in the stands. Looked as though the standing room in front of the stage was more into it.

 

I was a bit disappointed, but I have also seen them blow Metallica off the stage as an opening band.

 

I'd give them one more try.

[Choose/the/light]

Last night I saw Jake Shimabukuro, a ukelele virtuoso, he was absolutlely AMAZING check out some of his vids

 

 

 

While my guitar gently weeps (yea another awesome cover)

 

and two origonals that are awesome

 

 

 

 

this guy is amazing, you'll never believe what he can do with a uke

 

[fritz44]

2 gigs to report and complete contrasts.

 

Black Keys - Leeds University Union, Friday 23rd. Smallish venue, but packed (not unnaturally by students). Powerful f**king show, and possibly the hardest working drummer in the business - what an amazing drum sound. Stand out track - Set Me Free.

 

But are British fans losing the ability to demand more than one encore, or are we just willing to accept house rules?

 

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band - Salford Town Football Ground, Wednesday 28th. Large venue, which seemed packed as well (local rag was expecting 50, 000 plus). 24 years since I last saw the band. Still a top act, although I'm not keen on the walkways into the crowd, and the poses struck. The band was huge - 9 members and the sound was superb. Srtand out tracks - 10th Avenue Freeze Out & Adam Raise A Cain.

 

Nils Lofgren - need I say more?!

 

 

 

 

[Mandalorian Hunter]

Saw Guillemots on thursday night in Bristol Carling Academy.

 

Absolutely incredible. I would recommend anyone to see this band, if only for the percussion breakdown section at the end of the encore, which gets faster, and faster, and faster

 

Probably one of the best bands I've seen.