2014 Clumber Park – A Crappy Report
Aug 16, 2014 18:15:08 GMT
quodlibet aka granny, Sam, and 5 more like this
Post by Crapmodem on Aug 16, 2014 18:15:08 GMT
I hate Summer gigs. I hate waiting around for hours with nothing much to do. I hate the bitching I hear from fans about other fans. I hate the inevitable selfish (and usually drunk) ****s, who try to spoil the gig for those who have been waiting patiently by barging towards the front as Status Quo start to play.
Because of this, I have stopped going to Summer shows. However, in this case, it was an opportunity to catch up with pete g (not to be confused with Pete G!), his wife and family, so I got tickets and booked a Premier Inn.
The gates were due to open at 17:30 and we arrived about 20 minutes before that. In a torrential storm. Worrying! The staff/stewards were all polite, friendly and helpful – which made a nice change. On the other hand, the organisers/promoters decreed that for Status Quo, no picnics or other food and drink would be allowed in. Bearing in mind the fact that the average age of Status Quo fans is inevitably higher than the people coming to the 1980s revival event the following night, this is silly. The food stalls were OK, reasonable variety, usual stupid prices but whatever.
We parked right at the front, which meant a very short walk to the entrance and the rain was stopping as we walked in, thank goodness.
I am sure quite a few people stayed away because of the rain and some because Rick Parfitt wasn’t going to play, but there was still a good crowd. Please don’t ask me how many, as I am a terrible judge of numbers of people.
The music being played through the PA was OK but the loop was too short, Black Betty, My White Bicycle, Ballroom Blitz, The Boys are Back in Town, All Right Now etc, 3 or 4 times each. With 60 years of pop/rock music history, I am sure they could have lined up enough music for a whole afternoon!
The first band, Baba Jack (although my ticket confirmation email said Strawbs) were due on at 18:30. It was quite a bit after that when they finally started. They were OK, but it passed me by a bit. Pete was very impressed with them.
A long gap and Toseland took to the stage at about 20:15. They are good musicians and they have some great melodies but, like Airborne, they crank it up so loud that it’s difficult to listen comfortably. Loud does not always mean better.
Bellowing, “HALLO CLUMBER PARK!” is far too Spinal Tap for my liking. You are not headlining at Shea Stadium, you’re playing support to Status Quo in a field somewhere. I think they would have come across much better if they had approached it for what it was instead of (apparently) playing to the 50,000 people at the back who weren’t actually there!
Interestingly, looking at the screens on either side of the stage, it genuinely looked like they were playing a massive stadium show to an enthusiastic crowd. But walking through that crowd there were masses of empty patches and the people were mostly sitting patiently, looking a bit bored…
Unexpectedly, they were given 45 minutes, which meant they didn’t leave the stage until 21:00. We were beginning to worry that we would end up getting a shortened set from Status Quo. The crew, with their usual professionalism, had the stage ready in 20 minutes flat, but then we waited. And waited. And waited!
Finally, at about 21:40, the drone; and then Status Quo walked onto the stage to the usual loud welcoming roar from the audience.
It’s time for me to, ‘come clean’ about how I express my opinions online. I NEVER lie. I always say what I think, with one exception. If I think it was , I never say so. Why upset, insult or demoralise people? Why make enemies? I have enough of them already, thanks very much. So I often say something like, “thanks for an enjoyable evening” or, “that was fun” and leave it there. That kind of tact is not needed this time.
I have seen Freddie Edwards perform on stage many times, starting with one of his very first gigs, when he was about 10. He has plenty of musical talent and is already a much sought after guitarist. I had no doubts that he could deliver and I was correct.
He didn’t attack the guitar with as much aggression as Rick Parfitt does, but his playing was spot on for almost all of the gig. I swear that anyone not looking towards the stage for the first two songs (Caroline and Paper Plane) wouldn’t even have known it wasn’t Rick playing as usual.
Rick’s microphone was there, with the usual red plectrums attached to it. Freddie didn’t go near it all night. (Maybe he was worried it would bite him!)
Francis explained the reason why, “one blond on stage has been replaced with a younger one” but by then, after the first two songs followed by Hold You Back, nobody was even slightly bothered. OF COURSE we would have preferred to see Rick on stage, but this was, without doubt, a genuine Status Quo concert. He also said, “If Freddie’s mother gets any closer to the stage we’ll have to get her thrown out.”
Big Fat Mama, Rain and Juniors were dropped. Don’t Waste My time was in – loud cheer from me! Rhino sang Creeping Up. Why not, he co-wrote it? Andy sang Whatever you Want. Why not, he co-wrote it?
Rhino, Andy and Leon helped out on backing vocals a bit, of course.
Francis struggled a bit, because he had to sing so much more than usual. It would have been nice (and sensible) if they had added Belavista and/or Bad News, so Rhino could have taken on more of the vocal duties, but there it is. At least he got to sing – for a change.
I won’t put the whole set list here, it’s already ‘out there’ anyway.
After Rocking All Over, we went to the back to join the ‘oldies’. The band came back on stage and there was one final and very welcome surprise; Burning Bridges. The place went ape . People who had been on their way to the car park turned round and came back – it was that sort of gig.
They finished with a, ‘longer than usual’ Bye Bye and I drove away while it was finishing, with the car windows open! I didn’t want to get stuck in a queue for ages (as happened last time I went to a concert at Clumber Park) and I could imagine the car parking area turning into a mud bath very quickly.
How many? Easily 8 out of 10. Job done and very professionally too.
Because of this, I have stopped going to Summer shows. However, in this case, it was an opportunity to catch up with pete g (not to be confused with Pete G!), his wife and family, so I got tickets and booked a Premier Inn.
The gates were due to open at 17:30 and we arrived about 20 minutes before that. In a torrential storm. Worrying! The staff/stewards were all polite, friendly and helpful – which made a nice change. On the other hand, the organisers/promoters decreed that for Status Quo, no picnics or other food and drink would be allowed in. Bearing in mind the fact that the average age of Status Quo fans is inevitably higher than the people coming to the 1980s revival event the following night, this is silly. The food stalls were OK, reasonable variety, usual stupid prices but whatever.
We parked right at the front, which meant a very short walk to the entrance and the rain was stopping as we walked in, thank goodness.
I am sure quite a few people stayed away because of the rain and some because Rick Parfitt wasn’t going to play, but there was still a good crowd. Please don’t ask me how many, as I am a terrible judge of numbers of people.
The music being played through the PA was OK but the loop was too short, Black Betty, My White Bicycle, Ballroom Blitz, The Boys are Back in Town, All Right Now etc, 3 or 4 times each. With 60 years of pop/rock music history, I am sure they could have lined up enough music for a whole afternoon!
The first band, Baba Jack (although my ticket confirmation email said Strawbs) were due on at 18:30. It was quite a bit after that when they finally started. They were OK, but it passed me by a bit. Pete was very impressed with them.
A long gap and Toseland took to the stage at about 20:15. They are good musicians and they have some great melodies but, like Airborne, they crank it up so loud that it’s difficult to listen comfortably. Loud does not always mean better.
Bellowing, “HALLO CLUMBER PARK!” is far too Spinal Tap for my liking. You are not headlining at Shea Stadium, you’re playing support to Status Quo in a field somewhere. I think they would have come across much better if they had approached it for what it was instead of (apparently) playing to the 50,000 people at the back who weren’t actually there!
Interestingly, looking at the screens on either side of the stage, it genuinely looked like they were playing a massive stadium show to an enthusiastic crowd. But walking through that crowd there were masses of empty patches and the people were mostly sitting patiently, looking a bit bored…
Unexpectedly, they were given 45 minutes, which meant they didn’t leave the stage until 21:00. We were beginning to worry that we would end up getting a shortened set from Status Quo. The crew, with their usual professionalism, had the stage ready in 20 minutes flat, but then we waited. And waited. And waited!
Finally, at about 21:40, the drone; and then Status Quo walked onto the stage to the usual loud welcoming roar from the audience.
It’s time for me to, ‘come clean’ about how I express my opinions online. I NEVER lie. I always say what I think, with one exception. If I think it was , I never say so. Why upset, insult or demoralise people? Why make enemies? I have enough of them already, thanks very much. So I often say something like, “thanks for an enjoyable evening” or, “that was fun” and leave it there. That kind of tact is not needed this time.
I have seen Freddie Edwards perform on stage many times, starting with one of his very first gigs, when he was about 10. He has plenty of musical talent and is already a much sought after guitarist. I had no doubts that he could deliver and I was correct.
He didn’t attack the guitar with as much aggression as Rick Parfitt does, but his playing was spot on for almost all of the gig. I swear that anyone not looking towards the stage for the first two songs (Caroline and Paper Plane) wouldn’t even have known it wasn’t Rick playing as usual.
Rick’s microphone was there, with the usual red plectrums attached to it. Freddie didn’t go near it all night. (Maybe he was worried it would bite him!)
Francis explained the reason why, “one blond on stage has been replaced with a younger one” but by then, after the first two songs followed by Hold You Back, nobody was even slightly bothered. OF COURSE we would have preferred to see Rick on stage, but this was, without doubt, a genuine Status Quo concert. He also said, “If Freddie’s mother gets any closer to the stage we’ll have to get her thrown out.”
Big Fat Mama, Rain and Juniors were dropped. Don’t Waste My time was in – loud cheer from me! Rhino sang Creeping Up. Why not, he co-wrote it? Andy sang Whatever you Want. Why not, he co-wrote it?
Rhino, Andy and Leon helped out on backing vocals a bit, of course.
Francis struggled a bit, because he had to sing so much more than usual. It would have been nice (and sensible) if they had added Belavista and/or Bad News, so Rhino could have taken on more of the vocal duties, but there it is. At least he got to sing – for a change.
I won’t put the whole set list here, it’s already ‘out there’ anyway.
After Rocking All Over, we went to the back to join the ‘oldies’. The band came back on stage and there was one final and very welcome surprise; Burning Bridges. The place went ape . People who had been on their way to the car park turned round and came back – it was that sort of gig.
They finished with a, ‘longer than usual’ Bye Bye and I drove away while it was finishing, with the car windows open! I didn’t want to get stuck in a queue for ages (as happened last time I went to a concert at Clumber Park) and I could imagine the car parking area turning into a mud bath very quickly.
How many? Easily 8 out of 10. Job done and very professionally too.