Billy Idol LIVE!
June 16, 2010 by Publisher
June 5, 2010 at Luzhniki Sports Arena, Moscow
by Rodion Goloshchapov
Guest Staff Writer
He did make it to Moscow, it finally did happen. In mid-Eighties Russia, when subculture tribes were only starting to appear, and were often in confrontation with each other, Billy Idol was loved by everyone – from body-builders to punks and metal heads. His charisma just couldn’t leave anyone indifferent. Even at the time when his videos weren’t shown on Russian TV, everyone knew that here was a true rebel, a real rock macho and an Idol.
The message of his image resonated with personal life stories of young people growing up at the time of big political change which ultimately led to the collapse of the iron curtain. Now everyone called “idle” at school (this is also how Billy’s teachers called him for underachievement) could become an IDOL.
Twenty-seven years after the release of Rebel Yell the relentless rocker Billy Idol together with guitarist Steve Stevens have finally played in Moscow. Given that Idol’s audience is mostly comprised of people over 40 who prefer to spend their weekends at home with beer in front of their TV, Idol has managed to fill 70% of this 7000 seat venue. And younger people were in the audience too, showing that Idol’s music is capable of going over generation lines.
The first part of the show was big hits galore, including “Eyes Without a Face”, “Flesh for Fantasy”, and “Dancing with Myself”. Despite the fact that Idol has seemingly decided to spare his vocal chords during the first part of the show (sometimes simply saying the words as opposed to singing them), the show did happen: the audience was ecstatic, and even people in the VIP seats were dancing.
A group of elderly hippies sitting next to this writer tried to keep their composure during the first 20 minutes, but after that simply couldn’t hold back anymore, getting up and beginning to dance, erratically waving their arms and legs. Fans at the front of the stage could never calm down either – people were throwing paper plates at musicians throughout the show, catching them back autographed.
Toward the middle of the show the crowd was told they couldn’t take alcohol into the arena from the venue’s bar any longer, which was probably the right decision on the part of the organizers, given how volatile and explosive the atmosphere was becoming.
The show went without any glitches or stops, the sound was good, which can’t be said, however, about the light. The light was on a budget – far from the unforgettable light show done at the same venue by Nine Inch Nails just over 3 years ago. That said, Idol’s show was in this respect still better than Ozzy’s, who didn’t bother to do anything in terms of visuals the last time he played in Moscow.
“Hot in the City”, “Sweet 16”, “Shock to the System” – hits tried and tested by decades were continuing to bombard the arena, reducing respectable concert-goers (and most of them were indeed respectable middle-class concert-goes) to the level of giddy teenagers who have just discovered who Billy Idol was.
Steve Stevens did solo extensively at one point, but it wasn’t spectacular: fast passages on an acoustic guitar, an obscure mixture of flamenco, rock and indie. But one thing was special about this number – it was played by the legendary Steve Stevens. Many in the audience didn’t expect any less from him than they expected from Billy Idol. Some, in fact, expected more.
Slowly the atmosphere was going down the way a cell phone battery goes down at the end of the day: elderly hippies are hanging off the barrier rails exhausted by their own marathon dance, teenagers at the back are sliding off their seats; one of them is about to fall asleep. The stalls still kept going, but much less enthusiastically compared to the beginning of the show. People in the VIP seats are all sitting down, some are eating.
And then something happens. It can only be described as the End of the World, Apocalypse and Judgment Day all rolled in one. The band starts playing “Rebel Yell”. And the crowd immediately comes to life again – but this time with double force. In a second it all starts anew – the roaring and jumping stalls, the screams of pure joy, the hot wave of elation, and I feel like I’m 18 again.
Translated by Alissa Ordabai
Puddle of Mudd LIVE!
May 18, 2010 by Publisher
May 15, 2010 at Hampton Beach Casino, Hampton Beach, NH.
by Deb Rao
Staff Writer
The summer concert series at Hampton Beach Casino is kicking into full gear featuring some of the hottest acts in music today. Gracing the stage with a near capacity crowd on May 15 was one of rock’s top acts Puddle Of Mudd. Riding high on the success of current album Volume 4:Songs In The Key Of Love And Hate, Puddle of Mudd is currently burning up the radio airwaves with their second hit single” Stoned and headlining tour.”
Part of the success of the new hit Puddle Of Mudd release is due to the return of guitarist Paul Phillips and his catchy pop riffs. Not since their release of Come Clean in 2001 has the band enjoyed the success that is now flourishing with their current release Volume 4:Songs In The Key Of Love And Hate.
Puddle Of Mudd hit the stage at 10:15 P.M. and performed a 90-minute set that featured songs that spanned their extensive career. Opening with:” Control” lead singer Wes Scantlin took full command of the stage. The band then launched into their first hit single from their current release, “Spaceship.” The all ages’ audience could not get enough of the band as Puddle Of Mudd cranked out hit after hit.
One interesting aspect of the headlining show compared to the recent tour with Shinedown is the longer set in which the band put into great use with an added acoustic portion. Wes Scantlin performed on acoustic guitar on the song “Thinking About You” and a few other songs this evening in which the band showcased their melodic side. The slower part of the set really infused the Nirvana ambiance and strong song structure that has made the band famous. It was very refreshing.
The rhythm section featuring bassist Doug Ardito and drummer Ryan Yerdon was pulverizing. One great aspect of attending a Puddle Of Mudd concert is the impromptu sing-along in which were very strong tonight including on the AC/DC cover “TNT” and “Blurry.” Highlight of the night was the medley of “She Hates Me”, and the Grease hit “Summer Lovin.” That song was perfect for the boardwalk crowd attending tonight’s show.
After the show, the band did a meet and greet and stayed into the wee hours of the morning signing autographs. It was great to see the great repoire between the band and fans. Puddle Of Mudd is all about the music and it in for the long haul. Be sure to check out the band on tour this summer and pick up a copy of Volume 4: Songs In The Key Of Love And Hate today.
Puddle Of Mudd is gearing up for an extremely busy summer. Kicking things off with an appearance at one of the most anticipated festivals of the summer Rock On The Range on May 22. Be advised the band is performing at 2:55 P.M. on the main stage at ROTR.
Also, Puddle of Mudd will be appearing on the Carnival Of Madness Tour this summer .For up to the minute news visit sites listed below. See Press Release in News Section at Hardrock Haven.
Puddle Of Mudd Set List:
Control
Spaceship
Blurry
Thinking About You
Famous
Livin’ On Borrowed Time
Blood on the Table
Away From Me
Out Of My Head
Stoned
Psycho
TNT (AC/DC cover)
Encore:
She Hates Me/Summer Lovin’/The Joker (Steve Miller Band)
Puddle of Mudd on Tour:
518 S. Burlington, VT @Higher Ground
5/19 Watertown, NY @Exhibition Hall
5/21 Buffalo, NY @Town Ballroom
5/22 Columbus, OH Columbus Crew Stadium “Rock on the Range”
5/24 Aberdeen, SD @Ramkota Exhibit Hall
5/25 Minot, ND @Minot Municipal Auditorium
5/26 Sioux Falls, SD @Ramkota Exhibit Hall
5/28 Davenport, IA @Capitol Theatre
5/29 Noblesville, IN Verizon Wireless Center for “X103 Presents May Day”
5/31 Richmond, VA @The National
6/3 Atlanta, GA @The Masquerade
6/30 Milwaukee, WI @Summerfest Grounds for “Summerfest”
Puddle of Mudd on the Carnival of Madness Tour:
7/16 Jacksonville, FL @Jacksonville Arena
7/17 Simpsonville, SC @Heritage Park
7/18 Huntsville, AL @Von Braun Amphitheatre
7/20 Tampa, FL @St. Pete Times Forum
7/ 21 Estero, FL @Germain Arena
7/23 Knoxville, TN @Civic Coliseum
7/24 Charlotte, NC @Verizon Amphitheatre
7/25 Raleigh, NC @Raleigh Boutique Amphitheatre
7/26 Virginia Beach, VA @Virginia Beach Amphitheatre
7/28 Columbia, MD @Merriweather Pavillion
7/30 Philadelphia, PA @Penn’s Landing
8/1 Boston, MA @Comcast Amphitheatre
8/4 Uncasville, CT @Mohegan Sun Arena
8/5 Holmdel, NJ @PNC Amphitheatre
8/6 Canadaguiga, NY @CMAC
8/7 Detroit, MI @DTE Amphitheatre
8/9 Cleveland, OH @Time Warner Amphitheatre
8/10 Pikeville, KY @Eastern Kentucky Expo
8/11 Chicago, IL @Charter One Pavillion
8/17 Southhaven, MS @Snowden Grove Amphitheatre
8/18 Lafayette, LA @Cajun Dome
8/20 Oklahoma City, OK @Zoo Amphitheatre
8/21 Houston, TX @Woodlands Amphitheatre
8/22 Dallas, TX @Nokia Theater
8/24 Casper, WY @Casper Event Center
8/25 Billings, MT @Metropark Center
RATT LIVE!
May 18, 2010 by Publisher
May 10, 2010 at Irving Plaza, New York, NY.
by Trevor Portz
Staff Writer
After a lengthy recording hiatus and a slew of lineup changes that eventually resulted in the core members reconciling, Ratt are finally back in action with an excellent new album, Infestation, and a tour to back it. Still in its early days, stop number five brought the band to NYC, and though they may not have the ’80s power to fill Madison Square Garden, the tightly-packed crowd at Irving Plaza certainly let it be known that there’s no shortage of Ratt-hungry metal fans in the Big Apple.
Opening act September Mourning was a very strange choice for the event, as they are little more than a Hot Topic-swathed, pseudo metal/industrial gang of Marilyn Manson worshipers. Having recently completed a tour with the aforementioned Manson, one would expect them to be, at the very least, a bit tighter as a band, but instead their performance felt more like an outtake from a high school talent show. The only beacon of hope for the band is lead vocalist Emily Lazar, whose presence and talent save the band from being totally forgettable. It would do her well to attempt something a bit more original if she intends to reach true heights of celebrity. Regardless, whoever chose September Mourning as an opening act for Ratt needs some serious therapy.
After a reasonably fast set change, the lights went down, and the main event began. Kicking things off with back-to-back Invasion of Your Privacy tracks “You’re In Love” and “Lay It Down,” it was as if the time machine to the days of metal radio dominance had been turned on. Things continued down the flashback highway with classics from all of Ratt’s classic releases (save 1999’s self-titled error in judgment), though the set tended to stay on the main road, never really diverging into rarely heard, deep album cuts. It would have been great to hear a long unplayed gem such as “Got Me On The Line” or “One Good Lover.” But alas, it was not to be.
The biggest set changes came, unsurprisingly, in the form of tracks from Infestation. Four new songs were played, including single “Best of Me,” and the best track they’ve done in 20 years, “Eat Me Up Alive.” The tracks worked well in the live environment, and easily blended in—stylistically and quality-wise—with the rest of the set list. It was at least nice to see the guys steer clear of the Kiss idea of almost completely avoiding new material live.
Considering the slew of great songs the band chose to include, and the fact that they played them excellently (with the exception of Pearcy avoiding many of the higher vocal parts), it was quite surprising that the show had very little overall energy. The band did not seem exceedingly excited to be there, and most of the time it appeared everyone was just going through the motions rather than giving it their all. Perhaps it was the small stage, or just the band being a little older, but they definitely lacked the power that took them to the top of the charts in their heyday.
As noted, technically, most everything was top-notch. Warren Demartini did a stellar job of bouncing between shred-worthy solos and blues-heavy jamming. Shockingly, however, it was recently-recruited guitarist Carlos Cavazzo that truly stole the show. A true fretboard master, each solo seemed a perfect balance of speed and melody, and on newer tracks, such as the previously noted “Eat Me Up Alive,” it appeared that Warren took a back seat to let Carlos go wild. It was nice to see the solo limelight shared, but also seemed a bit odd for Warren allow himself to be overshadowed.
Overall, Ratt’s performance was solid, albeit little uninspired. Former Hanoi Rocks front-man Michael Monroe had performed in New York the night before, and his performance was incredibly energetic and over-the-top, a far cry from Ratt’s general lethargy. Coming from almost the exact same time period, it seems Ratt have no excuse for not turning up the energy level a few notches. But pumped-up or not, Ratt are clearly still capable of delivering the goods, even they come in a more laid-back package.
Set List (in a rough semblance of order):
You’re In Love
Lay It Down
Lack of Communication
I Want A Woman
Lovin’ You’s A Dirty Job
Slip of the Lip
Nobody Rides For Free
Back For More
Way Cool, Jr.
Wanted Man
Take a Big Bite
Eat Me Up Alive
Last Call
You Think You’re Tough
Best of Me
Round and Round
Sonata Arctica LIVE!
April 12, 2010 by Publisher
April 2, 2010 at the Trocadero Theatre in Philadelphia, Penn.
by Steve Trager
Staff Writer
On the opening night of Sonata Arctica’s tour, which kicked off right here in Philadelphia at the Trocadero, it seemed to be an overwhelming epic live performance. Of course Sonata Arctica is no stranger to Philly, having already performing here with the likes of NightWish and DragonForce last year. Sonata Arctica returned to conquer North American soil with a headlining tour supporting last years release Days of Gray. For the first time we the fans of Power Metal had the opportunity to catch a full headliner set this time out encapsulating the band’s career within 90 minutes spread throughout the evening. Mind you, sitting through a few other bands can be painful enough when the show begins, but was not the case here with all the bands that performed that evening. Even with quick sets designed to keep things moving smoothly, Power Glove played a great set which proves that for a band that surrounds themselves with musical titles of Nintendo games, they can work a Philly crowd into a frenzy.
The next band hailed from Edison, N.J., Mutiny Within, quite a catchy name as they seemed to grip the fans with their explosive live show. Mutiny Within round out a six-piece powerhouse trailing behind with blistering guitar work and voice-shattering lead vocals, all earning this band a “horns up” indeed. Having already been out on the road with Arch Enemy and earning their keep with a major label stinger, Mutiny Within wowed the fans with a great set which is no surprise as their CD sounds exactly like their live set.
One last set change over, as the stage was set for an anticipated show from Finnish power metalers Sonata Arctica, who have some great lengthy songs in their set. Any fan can appreciate breezy melodies and great guitar work, along with the saucy vocals which blend Sonata Arctica’s signature sound as a five piece. Though it’s not often to see some great Euro bands unless you head to the Prog Power festival or count your dollars and grab a passport and head over to Europe, you won’t catch many bands nailing epic shows like Sonata Arctica, who tour often but not in the US frequently, so to catch a great headliner set by these guys is something you should never miss out on, especially if you enjoy Power Metal.
Sonata Arctica’s set list went much like this:
Flag In The Ground
Black Sheep
Vodka
The Last Amazing Grays
Broken
Everything Fades To Gray
Paid in Full
The Dead Skin
8th Commandment
Keyboard / Guitar Solos
As if The World Wasn’t Ending
The Cage
FullMoon
In Black and White
Juliet
Don’t Say A Word
A great set of songs throughout their set in Philadelphia, as voices echoed back and forth in every verse while the band shredded on stage. Perhaps it could very well be a while before this band returns to the US for another great performance. If you weren’t there, you missed a great epic live performance!
Sonata Arctica Photo Gallery
Overkill Killfest LIVE!
April 10, 2010 by Publisher
April 1, 2010 at the Trocadero Theatre in Philadelphia, Penn.
by Steve Trager
Staff Writer
Overkill’s recent opening night of their much anticipated “Killfest” 2010 tour was nothing short of decibel greatness. A fully-loaded six band arsenal of some of the finest Metal was launched right here in Philadelphia at the Trocadero Theatre. This tour alone etched another stone in the musical career for thrash veterans Overkill, who have entered their 25th anniversary as a band. Despite the numerous lineup changes that this band has overcome, Overkill still carries the torch as a touring band with just two original band members in the fold, and still have created that one of a kind blend that only Overkill can.
On this momentous first night of the tour in Philly, fans had the up close and personal opportunity to catch some great sets that had kicked off quite early with Woe of Tyrants, who warmed up the stage for what was to be expected a long evening of straight forward guitar driven metal. The greatest reward of any opening tour is that you can get you ultimate metal fix before the rest of the world that alone is an ear candy overload that can be easily defined as priceless.
The greatest feature of this entire show was the quick set changes, from Woe of Tyrants to UK’s own Evile, who sounded great. You have to love those old school Jackson guitars. In fact almost every band had some sort of nice style guitar, which reminds me of the good old days when metal bands played flying V‘s and uniquely designed guitars.
A quick set change to War Bringer who have great stage persona, especially the front man who runs around like a maniac yelling, “I want to see a nice pit Philly … c’mon … let’s go.” Actually hard to keep track of set lists, some are like maybe 6 to 8 in total rounding each bands set.
Next to grace the Trocadero stage was Holland’s God Dethroned who recently released a new CD called Passiondale with a great concept title. While death or black metal isn’t for everyone, this band actually sounds great live. From a musical perspective, one has to give credit where credit is due with how well they craft their music and write songs.
Many fans looked forward to catching Poland’s’ power-packed Vader, who only played 6 songs. With so many bands and quick set changes, you get what you get. It could be worse, each band could perform 3 songs and then the headliner could play a longer set but it’s a sacrifice a fan has to live with at a club event. Vader is no stranger to Philly as his band has graced the Trocadero with other tours before. Still with those 6 songs, Vader worked the fans with material from their latest release on the Nuclear Blast label.
It’s been five years since Overkill rocked the Trocadero however, still with all the material they have under their belt, it could be quite hard to satisfy ones taste in favorites which have spanned dating back to the late eighties when Thrash Metal was truly built for speed. Overkill has never lost sight of that visual in all their songs throughout every single record, including the popular EP which is their trade mark. As a music fan myself I have always enjoyed their live show, chock full of less talking and more rocking’ as they say in terms of a phrase. It’s not hard to believe that Overkill has been around this long, despite the lineup changes and various labels that have hosted the band’s catalogs; they still pack a punch with their live shows. I can’t remember when I went to a show and wasn’t impressed with the set list. This year with their most recent killer show in Philly — the set list was crammed with some old favorites, new material, and some old school bold Thrash Metal that has kept Overkill at the top of their game all these years as a band.
Overkill Set List:
The Green and Black
Hammerhead
Old School
Rotten to the Core
Bare Bones
Fuck You
Wrecking Crew
Overkill
Sonic Reducer
Battle
Gasoline Dream
Hello from the Gutter
Bring Me The Night
Feel The Fire
Elimination
Ironbound
Necroshine
Overkill Killfest’s Photo Gallery
Hammerfall LIVE!
March 17, 2010 by Publisher
March 9, 2010 at the Trocadero Theatre in Philadelphia, Penn.
by Steve Trager
Staff Writer
There is only one true way to describe Hammerfall’s music and that is both “amazing” and “brilliant” as musicians, and they proved it once again playing live at the Trocadero Theatre in Philadelphia March 9. Hard to believe that this band has been together for more than a decade, has jammed a fist full of CDs down our throats, and hasn’t actually stepped forward to dominate the soil of America until the late ‘90s. Their rip-roaring live performance showcases the finest Swedish Power Metal that one can only imagine as a music fan.
It is a rare performance for the likes of Hammerfall, who don’t actually tour North America as often as one would hope. Sure they put out records time after time, but to see them play these well written pieces of melodic metal is another story altogether for any fan who enjoys Power Metal.
Another new chapter for Hammerfall, who recently launched their third consecutive mini-tour of both America and Canada to support No Sacrifice, No Victory released last year, started their five-week tour in Virgina and slammed into Philly on the fourth night of the tour schedule at the Trocadero Theatre in Philadelphia.
After missing this band five years ago, as a deep rooted music fan who enjoys beyond a core of music in Metal alone, this was a must see performance, to visually see five musicians come together and set the stage a blaze with a tapestry of songs that captures the music of Hammerfall in 90 minutes.
Hammerfall not only has great music but also shares something you don’t often see or hear: amazing harmonies from three other musicians as a whole during such a live performance, matching the band’s true sound on each song note for note. Is 90 minutes enough to get Hammerfalls’ music etched into your brain? By all means, no way. This band could have played more then two hours easily and pulled out some deep tracks spanning their 13-year career as a band but, we had to settle for 17 songs on the set list which is often changed up night after night.
Along with a few hundred fans who like myself long desired to see this band rip Philly a new crack in the ass, definitely got our money’s worth. Hammerfall never lost sight of working the Philly crowd with a few “Lets see what you got Philly” attitude, even a small glimpse of a nice saucy mosh pit going to some of their songs; man you have to love that. Nothing like breaking a sweat and getting your blood moving at a Power Metal show.
Of course like most bands who constantly change guitars in every single song throughout the entire show, Hammerfall does the opposite, with just a change or two still showing their true ability to rock out on stage. Nothing like well-choreographed headbanging, hair swirling moments as Hammerfall nailed Philly in 2010. If you missed this rare opportunity to see this band kick ass, then you might have to wait another five years to see them do it again. With a name like Hammerfall, they do more then just rock, they drop the “Rock Hammer” as heavy as one can only visually see from the naked eye on this amazing spectacle mini-tour.
Philadelphia Hammerfall Set List :
Punish & Enslave
Crimson Thunder
Renegade
Hallowed Be My Name
Last Man Standing
Blood Bound
Life Is Now
Heeding The Call
Rebel Inside
The Metal Age
Between Two Worlds
Any Means Necessary
Stronger Than All
Riders of The Storm
Encores:
Secrets
Let the Hammer Fall
Hearts on Fire
A well-rounded list of amazing songs that truly captured Hammerfall as a live band on this tour. One can only say, “Yeah, that show kicked more than just ass live!”
Sponge LIVE!
March 15, 2010 by Publisher
March 7, 2010 at the Wolf Den Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn.
by Deb Rao
Staff Writer
It may have been Oscar Night at the Academy Awards in Los Angeles, but Sunday night March 7 at the Wolf Den at the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut was rockin’ hard with Detroit rock band Sponge for those fans who chose to go out and support live music. The band is currently on tour in support of their latest EP release Destroy The Boy.
Sponge spent most of that week touring New England with previous shows in Providence and spent the night before playing The Chance in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. The band was ready to rock the patrons of the casino with their punk-edged hard rock set. Opening with title track “Wax Ecstatic”, the band had everyone jumping onto the dance floor with their infectious grooves. Next up Sponge performed “Molly” (Sixteen Candles) and slowed things down only for a moment with the ballad “Have You Seen Mary” in which lead singer Vinny Dombroski showcased his vocal prowness.
Sponge also was filming the show at the Wolf Den and brought up many girls from the audience to dance onstage for the song “Planet Girls.” It is always so great when a band interacts with the audience. The reason why Sponge has survived so many years in the business is because they work hard at their craft and are in for the music. It doesn’t matter the size of the crowd, Sponge always give 100 percent at their shows.
So many great bands hail from the Detroit Rock City area. Vinny Dombroski tells Hardrock Haven that “Detroit may have Kid Rock and Eminem but Sponge paved the way for these rockers. Sponge is a people’s band. Destroy The Boy is some of the best songs that we have ever written.”
Sponge performed a 75 minute set and ended the evening with new song and title track “Destroy The Boy.”
Web:www.myspace.com/spongetheband
Set List:
Wax Ecstatic
Molly “Sixteen Candles”
Have You Seen Mary
Glue
Party Till You Drop
Treat Me Wrong
Raining In My House
I Did It Without The Drugs
Say A Prayer
Planet Girls
Destroy The Boy
Blue Oyster Cult LIVE!
March 6, 2010 at Showcase Live in Foxboro, Mass.
by Deb Rao
Staff Writer
Blue Oyster Cult performed to a sold out capacity crowd of 1,050 at Showcase Live in Foxboro, Mass. on March 6. Blue Oyster Cult has a loyal following of fans that flocked to see this rare, up close and personal appearance of a band that has been performing since the late 1960s.
Blue Oyster Cult hit the stage at 9 p.m. and performed a two-hour set of all of their classic hits ranging from “Burnin For You,” “Don’t Fear The Reaper” and their mega hit “Godzilla,” which received a huge response from the audience. Eric Bloom was pleased to be performing to a sold out crowd in the Boston area as he commented on stage of the band’s legacy and reminisced of performing back in 1969 at the Fillmore East.
Veteran bassist Rudy Sarzo, who has rock and roll accolades that stem back to the early 1980s when he performed with Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Quiet Riot and Dio, was featured in a special bass solo that showcased the classic bass riffs in a medley that spanned his extensive career.
Also at the Showcase Live performance former bassist Danny Miranda filled in on guitar and keyboards for guitarist Richie Castellano. The band sounded very tight and the harmonies of the band were flawless. Showcase Live is located just minutes from Boston in Foxboro, Mass. and fast becoming one of New England’s top venues showcasing national acts.
Special Thanks to Rudy Sarzo for making this review possible.
Set List:
Summer Of Love
Before The Kiss
Burnin For You
Buck’s Boogie
Shooting Shark
The Vigil
Black Blade
Last Days Of May
Godzilla
Don’t Fear The Reaper
The Red And The Black
Eric Clapton & Jeff Beck LIVE!
February 22, 2010 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada
by Chris A.
Staff Writer
It was a brisk winter night at the home of the Montreal Canadiens and the venue was filled to capacity. Tonight however, taking center stage wasn’t the home town National Hockey League team, but rock guitar icons Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton. It was the final stop in a four city tour (London, New York, Toronto and Montreal) that teamed up the prominent guitarists.
Promptly at 7:30, the lights dimmed in the massive stadium and without introduction, the lean figure of Jeff Beck appeared, striding from out of the shadows on stage left as he walked on with his band. With a polite nod, a big smile and a simple wave to the crowd he was met at center stage by his guitar tech and handed a cream-yellow Fender Stratocaster. With his characteristic understatement, Beck’s volume swell transformed into a thick, almost saxophone-like tone as he opened the show with the gentle strains of “Oh Canada,” the beautiful anthem of the land of the scarlet maple leaf.
While certainly aware that nearly 13,000 people were in the building, he appeared content to let his guitar act as his voice. For the thousands of guitar players who were surely in attendance, Beck slipped on his round rim sun glasses and went to work. Simultaneously manipulating the volume and tone controls of his guitar with his unique style he coaxed amazingly diverse sounds and smooth tonal variations from the instrument, demonstrating why many of his fellow players consider him to be the finest, most creative guitarist alive.
His set list included “Eternity’s Breath,” “Stratus,” “Big Block” and more seven more tunes. Acting more like a conductor of a symphony or orchestra versus being the front man for a rock band, Beck maintained control over every aspect of the performance. Accompanied by a small string section, his performance of the Beatles classic “A Day In The Life” was breathtaking as he paid homage to his English friends from the good old days. It was a moving rendition and for many the high point of the entire evening. Strumming, picking, plucking, and scratching his guitar’s strings with his right thumb, he grasped the base of the tremolo bar and deftly used his forefinger to actuate his vibrato during this 10-song set. It was an amazing display of musicianship and creativity so beloved by Beck’s devoted fan base. Supported with exceptional musicians, the 45-minute set was a whirlwind of tone and guitar nuance ala Beck and over far too soon.
25 minutes later the Bell Centre again dimmed its lights. Clapton, dressed in jeans and a blue cotton long-sleeve shirt, nonchalantly walked to the stage, sat down and opened his show with a seated four-song acoustic set using a Martin EC signature model guitar. If Beck’s performance was understated and laid back, Clapton’s seemed, well, downright uninspired. Seemingly more focused on vocals than playing the guitar, the man once decreed as the original guitar god seemed bored and barely acknowledged the thousands in house.
Opening the show with “Driftin’ Blues,” he moved onto an acoustic version of “Layla” that garnered polite applause but one could sense the disappointment that the iconic song wasn’t being performed “plugged in.” Clapton sans acoustic guitar came as a welcome relief when he eventually stood reached for a smoke-gray Stratocaster. Breaking into “Tell The Truth” Clapton reached back to his Derrick and the Dominoes day’s, as he showed off a few flashes of the genius that catapulted him to the pinnacle of rock guitar greatness. During “Little Queen of Spades” Clapton’s finally seemed to settle back and cut loose. He ended his nine-song set with a cheer from the attentive Canadian audience the strains of “Cocaine” filled the massive concrete.
Moments later Beck appeared on stage wearing a white print shirt and silver bands on his upper right arm and wrist as he plugged in a white Telecaster. For nearly 30 minutes Clapton and Beck shared the stage playing a variety of mostly blues tunes. Interestingly, Clapton deferred to Beck during almost every lead guitar break. A mournful, haunting version of “Moon River” with Clapton on vocals clearly dominated the performance by the British guitar heroes.
While many in the audience hoped for more dueling guitars courtesy of the former Yardbird foes, neither man seemed interested in challenging or pushing the other. While performing with Clapton, Beck seemed to tighten his reins, holding back on the esoteric playing, instead opting to stay reasonably “bluesy” in his lead work. The two and a half hour performance closed as both men broke into “Crossroads.”
Overall an enjoyable performance musically from both men. Beck ruled the night with his upbeat performance while Clapton showed up, played a few songs and disappeared backstage.
Jeff Beck & Eric Clapton LIVE!
Dennis DeYoung LIVE!
February 12, 2010 at the Family Arena in St. Charles, Mo.
by Kimberly Shockley & Gary Dean Ash
Staff Writer
The Friday night rock and roll show was more like a “double bill” than an opening band followed by the main attraction. Shooting Star performed only a few less songs than Dennis DeYoung and company. Those who made the trip out on that cold February night, definitely got a two-for-the-price-of-one!
Shooting Star is BACK. If you’ve not seen them in several years, you’ve got to make sure you catch them at an upcoming show. The new lead singer, Ronnie Platt, is from Chicago, as is Dennis DeYoung. Platt was on top of his game during this performance, and his personality and energy pull the band together on stage. Janet Jameson, the new violinist is red hot and can bring the audience to its feet in admiration of her talent. The “dueling” strings performance after “Hang On For Your Life,” which featured founding band member and lead guitarist Van McClain and Jameson, was one of the highlights of their performance. The other founding member, Steve Thomas, delighted the crowd with his solo performance during “You’ve Got Love.” Thomas really showcased his talent and proved he knows how to pound the skins. Shooting Star fans will want to be on the lookout for a new live album, featuring the current lineup.
Shooting Star Set List:
1. Summer sun
2. Bring It On
3. Flesh and Blood
4. You Got Love
5. Hollywood
6. Don’t Stop Me Now
7. Tonight
8. Breakout
9. Hang on For Your Life
10. Guitar Violin duel
11. Last Chance
The Dennis DeYoung and Music of STYX performance was more of rock and roll show than past performances over the last few years. New lead guitarist, August Zadra, took the spotlight in three new STYX classics that were added to this tour: “Blue Collar Man,” “Renegade” and “Too Much Time.” Zarda’s vocals were right on the money, and if you closed your eyes, you might have thought you were hearing Tommy Shaw on stage. As DeYoung put it, “Surprise, surprise!” This was only the second performance for the new band, and although at times Zarda and guitarist Jimmy Leahey appeared to be less than confident on stage, the rest of the time, they played the stage with high energy like they owned it. The energy was contagious, not only for DeYoung and the rest of the band, but you could feel the energy in the crowd, which was on its feet for most of the performance. Singing backup, Suzanne DeYoung showed she still has “it,” not only the voice, but the looks. Dennis DeYoung assured the audience there is no Botox, no face lift, and that “them puppies is real,” which brought cheers from the crowd. All in all, Dennis DeYoung and his new band played a fantastic rock and roll show.
Both bands have new albums out, but surprisingly neither chose to include even one new song in their set list. This fact did not detract one bit from either performance, though. The crowd heard the best of the best from each performance. This was truly a rock concert in every sense of the word.
Dennis DeYoung Set List:
1. Grand Illusion
2. Lady
3. Lorelei
4. Blue Collar Man
5. Desert Moon
6. Light Up
7. Mr. Roboto
8. Too Much Time on My Hand
9. Babe
10. Suite Madam Blue
11. Rockin the Paradise
12. Renegade
13. Best of Times
14. Come Sail Away
