frozenhero
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Drop-D beautiful
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Post by frozenhero on Sept 10, 2019 18:39:49 GMT
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frozenhero
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Post by frozenhero on Sept 10, 2019 20:13:53 GMT
snakelady If we want to meet up at the gig, we'll have to make up some meeting spot or otherwise insure we don't miss each other. I'll likely be there before the doors open, as I usually do... so that would be some clue. And I'll probably be wearing my Liberty Lane t-shirt from the box.
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Post by snakelady on Sept 11, 2019 6:35:14 GMT
snakelady If we want to meet up at the gig, we'll have to make up some meeting spot or otherwise insure we don't miss each other. I'll likely be there before the doors open, as I usually do... so that would be some clue. And I'll probably be wearing my Liberty Lane t-shirt from the box. You'd probably not be the only one with a shirt like that .. I'll pm you closer to the date. Never heard of the support act - but then, that's not really surprising. 30 Years does sound like a long time for a band when it actually means around 1990. At the time I certainly was busy with lots of other things and not interested in new bands or charts.
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frozenhero
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Post by frozenhero on Sept 11, 2019 9:25:51 GMT
snakelady If we want to meet up at the gig, we'll have to make up some meeting spot or otherwise insure we don't miss each other. I'll likely be there before the doors open, as I usually do... so that would be some clue. And I'll probably be wearing my Liberty Lane t-shirt from the box. You'd probably not be the only one with a shirt like that .. I'll pm you closer to the date. Never heard of the support act - but then, that's not really surprising. 30 Years does sound like a long time for a band when it actually means around 1990. At the time I certainly was busy with lots of other things and not interested in new bands or charts. Chances are I won't be online again until the date.
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frozenhero
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Post by frozenhero on Sept 19, 2019 8:59:38 GMT
Thought I should mention this to anyone interested... if anybody got some time to kill before the gig, you might want to look at big pumpkins www.kuerbisausstellung-ludwigsburg.de/Never been there but I've heard some ads every year at this time. Don't know if we'll make it, after all you have to pay the usual entry fee to get into the "Blüba" and once you've done that, you'll probably want to spend more than just a few minutes on the areal. I know that because I used to visit the "Blühendes Barock" quite a bit when I was younger. But not when they had pumpkins...
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Isaac Ryan
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Post by Isaac Ryan on Sept 19, 2019 9:49:35 GMT
Thought I should mention this to anyone interested... if anybody got some time to kill before the gig, you might want to look at big pumpkins I do always try to.
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Post by snakelady on Sept 20, 2019 6:54:38 GMT
We had to miss the pumpkin exhibition - but the gig more than made up for it, with Liberty Lane the absolute highlight for me. The band played together very well and I couldn't help but think that Francis is enjoying playing guitar again. There's no drum solo anymore, so the band takes a break during the new extended DD intro - apart from Francis obviously, who never gets to leave the stage. And there's no encore anymore as a rule it seems, because if ever there was an audience who deserved one, it would've been the one last night. Looking around me it seemed every other guy was wearing a Quo shirt. And it really were fans, as they sang along to every single song, apart from the new ones obviously. Which made for a great atmosphere. Would've been a great night out had I been able to move. I really tried to stand still, but this dam music just forces you to move - and every time I moved a little too much, this searing pain shot into my bum. Not funny. I wanna thank Julian again. Had forgotten my ear protection and had it not been for his spare pair, it'd not have been able to hear the Quo, as my hearing would've been gone by the time they hit the stage. The support act was so incredibly loud - the bass that is, because it was nearly the only thing you could hear - and bad they were too. All you could do was hope it was over soon. Usually I'd write a lengthy report in this place, e.g. about the hilarious story Francis told us about the tourbus break down in France , but as no one else can be bothered - see recent Hyde Park gig e.g. - I can't either, sorry.
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mortified
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Post by mortified on Sept 20, 2019 7:08:35 GMT
No idea when I'll manage to catch Quo again but I suspect it will be more than a year away. And it's already been two! I Imagine the set will have been similar to the Hyde Park gig, although presumably longer. Was Cut Me Some Slack still there? I do like that one.
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Post by snakelady on Sept 20, 2019 7:38:24 GMT
No idea when I'll manage to catch Quo again but I suspect it will be more than a year away. And it's already been two! I Imagine the set will have been similar to the Hyde Park gig, although presumably longer. Was Cut Me Some Slack still there? I do like that one. Yes it was, including extended solo at the end. You've been missing out on the best Quo have been for a very long time ..
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frozenhero
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Post by frozenhero on Sept 20, 2019 8:00:16 GMT
Well, what can I say? It was great to finally meet up with someone from the board ( snakelady ), and a lovely time was had by all. OK, I didn't care for the support act either. Maybe I would have if the sound had been better, I dunno. The song on which the singer played some harp was the only one I applauded for But Quo... This is some band! In fact, I wasn't bothered by the lack of Rick anymore. It helped that they had released to DVDs in this line-up so it wasn't like seeing something completely unusual. But they all stepped up to the responsibility. Rhino sang as well as possible, I think, and even Andy didn't annoy me on WYW. His vocals were clearly better than on any live version I'd heard so far. Maybe it was because he played guitar? Yes, you read that right; only at the very end he went back to his keyboards. It seems they have finally found the right amount of keys... And you could see how much the band enjoyed playing, even if large parts of the set were familiar. Funny "formation dances", Francis telling long stories such as the aforementioned bus breakdown or reacting to an audience member's shouts of "Umleitung" ( ). And we got something entirely new sounding in front of Down Down. Genesis of a new song? Minor quibbles aside, it was an energetic gig, and I was jumping around like a mad kangaroo and on one song, I was even moved to headbanging. Might have been Mystery Song (which a great Richie vocal), I can't remember. The two new songs sounded really good as well, although I hope the slightly more reserved reaction from the audience doesn't give the band the impression that they should drop them again. Cut Me Some Slack in particular rocked really well. No, it wasn't the FF, but this is a tight, powerful band that does, after all, do the name and reputation of Status Quo justice, if you ask me. Thanks again to anyone involved
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Post by I Ain't Complaining on Sept 20, 2019 11:35:26 GMT
We had to miss the pumpkin exhibition - but the gig more than made up for it, with Liberty Lane the absolute highlight for me. The band played together very well and I couldn't help but think that Francis is enjoying playing guitar again. There's no drum solo anymore, so the band takes a break during the new extended DD intro - apart from Francis obviously, who never gets to leave the stage. And there's no encore anymore as a rule it seems, because if ever there was an audience who deserved one, it would've been the one last night. Looking around me it seemed every other guy was wearing a Quo shirt. And it really were fans, as they sang along to every single song, apart from the new ones obviously. Which made for a great atmosphere. Would've been a great night out had I been able to move. I really tried to stand still, but this dam music just forces you to move - and every time I moved a little too much, this searing pain shot into my bum. Not funny. I wanna thank Julian again. Had forgotten my ear protection and had it not been for his spare pair, it'd not have been able to hear the Quo, as my hearing would've been gone by the time they hit the stage. The support act was so incredibly loud - the bass that is, because it was nearly the only thing you could hear - and bad they were too. All you could do was hope it was over soon. Usually I'd write a lengthy report in this place, e.g. about the hilarious story Francis told us about the tourbus break down in France , but as no one else can be bothered - see recent Hyde Park gig e.g. - I can't either, sorry. That's a shame. Just tell us the bus story....please! ....when you get time.
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frozenhero
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Post by frozenhero on Sept 20, 2019 13:40:59 GMT
Forgot to mention various extraneous things... some of which were strong deja-vus! Right down to sitting at the Ludwigsburg station and being nearly swept away by this nightmare freight train that came rocketing through all of a sudden (exactly same thing happened after Rock Meets Classic last year too!), or being once again stuck in a train with people coming from the local Weindorf and playing absolutely horrible, hideous music on their stupidphones! (very similar to traveling back from Nick Mason's gig last year...) I was this close to telling them to put on some Quo instead...
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Post by snakelady on Sept 20, 2019 15:18:39 GMT
We had to miss the pumpkin exhibition - but the gig more than made up for it, with Liberty Lane the absolute highlight for me. The band played together very well and I couldn't help but think that Francis is enjoying playing guitar again. There's no drum solo anymore, so the band takes a break during the new extended DD intro - apart from Francis obviously, who never gets to leave the stage. And there's no encore anymore as a rule it seems, because if ever there was an audience who deserved one, it would've been the one last night. Looking around me it seemed every other guy was wearing a Quo shirt. And it really were fans, as they sang along to every single song, apart from the new ones obviously. Which made for a great atmosphere. Would've been a great night out had I been able to move. I really tried to stand still, but this dam music just forces you to move - and every time I moved a little too much, this searing pain shot into my bum. Not funny. I wanna thank Julian again. Had forgotten my ear protection and had it not been for his spare pair, it'd not have been able to hear the Quo, as my hearing would've been gone by the time they hit the stage. The support act was so incredibly loud - the bass that is, because it was nearly the only thing you could hear - and bad they were too. All you could do was hope it was over soon. Usually I'd write a lengthy report in this place, e.g. about the hilarious story Francis told us about the tourbus break down in France , but as no one else can be bothered - see recent Hyde Park gig e.g. - I can't either, sorry. That's a shame. Just tell us the bus story....please! ....when you get time. Sorry, Neil, don't have the time. I'm in the middle of packing - leaving for our hols tomorrow. (ok, it might not be quite so warm on that particular island ). Maybe frozenhero finds the time ..
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frozenhero
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Post by frozenhero on Oct 20, 2019 21:52:36 GMT
So, here's my Ludwigsburg report, sorry for repeating some stuff I already said, but I intend to recycle it for other sites too! Getting to the MHP Arena in Ludwigsburg by train is really as simple as possible. All you have to do is get out of the station (which always has some jazzy background music coming out of - yes, I counted them - eight speakers), cross the street while trying not to get hit by a car, climb the stone steps and there you are. There was already a long queue waiting to get in. Meeting up with snakelady and her two male appendices ;-) proved slightly more difficult than I imagined but it was mainly down to my idiocy... I'd turned off the sound of my phone, because I didn't want to disturb people, but it seems I did not feel it vibrating, and when I remembered to look at my phone I missed the call by about a minute! But eventually we did find each other, went in and occupied a space not too far away from the stage (all the while making sure that Kathrin could sit down to get some rest before the concert), and talked about this and that. I knew a little about the support band Tarot because I'd looked them up online. Turns out they come from Karlsruhe, are heavily involved with things such as "Rock against Racism" (which naturally gets a thumbs up from me) and released an album just a few months ago containing songs they'd written many years ago already. Musically, they were nothing special, just rather average hard rock. What completely ruined their half-hour slot was the horrendous audio mix. I've rarely been happier about my earplugs! Even those couldn't improve what I was hearing though. The bass was completely out of proportion, constantly buzzing and filling up the space, literally pushing out the guitars (the lead guitar, whenever there was a solo, was just sputtering through with half of the notes inaudible). Coupled with the brutal drums, an acoustic nightmare. I did feel a bit sorry for the guys but I can't say Tarot left a positive impression with me. The only song I applauded was the song on which the singer played some blues harp. It was back to background music for the half-hour break but instead of giving our poor ears some rest, it was also running at a pretty high volume, thereby revealing the PA's weaknesses (which I was already familiar with from the Rock Meets Classic gig). It wasn't that the songs (apparently chosen by Quo themselves - which didn't surprise me in the case of Anastasia's "Left Outside Alone", which I know is a favourite of Francis') were bad - can't even recall when I'd last heard "The Seeker" by The Who (who are also releasing a new album soon), but when "Go Your Own Way" by Fleetwood Mac came on, Lindsey Buckingham's voice sounded more like Mickey Mouse! And that's a song I've heard literally a thousand times; I know how it's supposed to sound. Anyway, the drone started, Quo came on. No big curtain, just five guys taking their places, fooling around (the drone seemed to go on longer than usual) before getting ready to play. Immediately the sound was much better than the support act had been, although I still thought it was too loud (but then again I always do) and the guitars had a rather harsh 'digital' sound that was already noticeable at the quick soundcheck in the break, likely to do with the signal chain. Regardless, the atmosphere was electric from the get-go. Lots of Quo t-shirts from all sorts of tours housed people who were clearly not casual fans but could sing every word and riff and clapped along a lot. Francis in particular seemed invigorated and inspired. You could tell he was enjoying himself, all the while trying not to come across as unprofessional. Most of the solos sounded at least acceptable or even good, there were only few slurred vocal lines. As I may have said before, I had gotten used to the look of the new line-up through the last two live DVDs so I did not think about Rick much, if at all. Sounds surprising but I think all the current members really gave their best. Richie played very well, I didn't detect many mistakes (the RAOTW solo still didn't sound as effortless but nonetheless accurate). His vocals were very good; he does bring to mind Rick in his younger days and did an exceptionally good job on "Little Lady" and "Mystery Song" (which I would've liked to hear in a full version). The band should feature him even more - hopefully "Get Out of My Head" does get an airing on the coming tour. Rhino also sang as well as possible, doing a more than acceptable job on "Rain" (though of course it's in a lower key) and "Again and Again". "Something 'Bout You Baby I Like" is a song that I'd really like to see removed, but you can't really argue with the response it got. The set was tightly packed into several subsections; in fact, the first four songs ran virtually without breaks. Andy's role seems to have changed a bit to when I last saw them. He was playing more guitar, which is a smart decision since a lot of Quo songs don't really need keyboards (and I don't think his piano sound has ever been particularly good), and added to the general movement on stage. At one point they were doing a "formation fight", with two guys on the right 'attacking' the two guys on the left with their guitars... yeah, silly, but if you can play the songs you can also do things like that. Regardless, Andy sang "Whatever You Want" pretty well, perhaps because he was wearing a guitar? He only went back to the keys for the last few bars of the song. However, he did have some lapses during the Proposin' Medley, forgetting to get behind his keyboard in time for the piano part of "Down the Dustpipe". Having too much fun, or what? There was virtually no misfire as every song was appreciated by the audience; "Softer Ride" was introduced as a song from the "s...." (seventies!) and it went off like a rocket, "Beginning of the End" didn't feel out of place either and rocked heavily, and "Hold You Back" had many of us jumping madly up and down. Francis did talk quite a bit. Before Softer Ride he told the story of what happened the other night: While they were driving through France, the touring bus suddently had a flat tire and broke down. So the band had to be picked up by the French police! And they were left in a picnic area, which amounted to very little, certainly no comfort... while all their equipment was still on the other bus. (I think that was the gist of it. Of course Francis can tell a story like that and make it absolutely hilarious. I can't.) He also said something along the lines of "I'm over fifty, over sixty, over... whatever" and declared being one of the younger guys on stage. Eh, eh! He also reacted to an audience member's shouts of "Umleitung" and told one guy who kept shouting things (including "Backbone"): "This is why they all didn't get to have a drink, because you drank them all up"! There was one moment though when I felt that age was getting the better of him. They had finished "Hold You Back" and he started talking about the new album. But they didn't play the new songs at that point, he was supposed to introduce the Proposin' Medley... which still sounded good and gave way to "The Oriental". We might all be a bit tired of it but again, it sounded like a classic live, and the lights were dazzling as usual. Then was the moment for the two new songs. "Cut Me Some Slack" rocked hardly and sounded wonderful live, even if Francis had some lyrical issues (and so did both Kathrin and I). "Liberty Lane" didn't sound quite as good to me but it's always an issue with new songs that have intricate vocal arrangements that never come across as well live. Quo are not Uriah Heep. It's still a great song. But you did notice that the audience reacted more reserved, and many people clearly weren't familiar with those two tracks. I hope this doesn't discourage the band from trying out more new songs. Not to mention that I'd still like to hear many songs from ISOTFC, QPQ or even Bula (Run and Hide) that were never even tried out! "In the Army Now" was next and although it's a song that's getting hard for Francis' voice due to the high range, it's still effective. The drum solo at the end seems to have been permanently removed. I guess a Quo set is quite demanding for Leon. The very sudden break into "Roll Over Lay Down" was a bit jarring nonetheless. On that song, sadly, Francis did sometimes get off the rails as far as playing solos went, although I've heard far worse interpretations. "Down Down" was preceded by a bit of solo jamming by Francis, which might as well turn into a new song like "Backbone" did. In the middle part, he constantly caught the others off-guard by fooling them into thinking the start-stop part was over, then starting and stopping again. Several times! At one point Rhino also choked one of Leon's cymbals. Not sure what they'd had but I want some of it Other random funny things: Rhino sang "Maybe it's the way you wear my blue jeans so tight" in "Something 'Bout You Baby I Like"). And they still sing about snorting lines in "Rain". I've already talked about "Whatever You Want" but I should mention that the song felt a bit flatter than I remembered - perhaps this is the one moment where Rick was actually missing? Maybe the song should be played earlier in the set, I dunno, but it seemed to be the weak link of the ending quadrilogy. Mind, I've always loved the song so it wasn't down to me. "Rockin' All Over the World" was last and came across well. The stage was set for a great encore, many people must have thought... I was forewarned but I'd still had some hope Quo would honour our appreciation. Nope. Francis made sleeping gestures, the band bowed and went off, never to return. "Backbone" was played over the PA and many fans stood around not knowing quite what to do. A strange, anticlimactic way to end what overall was a great gig... I don't understand it. I was also disappointed by the merch: I'd hoped I could pick up the Rossi/Rickard duo album & the reissue of Andy's "Unfinished Business", but nope, they don't carry any CDs with 'em. Anymore. I don't get it; I'm sure they would've sold lots of copies of Backbone in particular (as many people didn't seem to know of its existence, although I wasn't the only one wearing a Liberty Lane t-shirt). As it is, I already have enough Quo t-shirts. It's not like I don't want to support the band, but what do you do with all those shirts? Can't wear more than one at a time, eh! (And I certainly didn't want to buy a Tarot shirt...!) We had a nice chat afterwards and eventually said goodbye. On the way back I had some unpleasant deja-vus! This included sitting at the Ludwigsburg station and being nearly swept away by this nightmare freight train that came rocketing through all of a sudden (exactly same thing happened after Rock Meets Classic last year too!), or being once again stuck in a train with people coming from the local Weindorf and playing absolutely horrible, hideous music on their stupidphones! (very similar to traveling back from Nick Mason's gig last year...) I was this close to telling them to look up "Liberty Lane" instead... So, what's my verdict? Status Quo are apparently undestroyable. You can weaken them, you can disband them for a while, but you can't beat them, at least not while Francis is still around. The bad publicity stunts, some less than optimal back-and-forths and management ideas... it wasn't good for the band, but they are back in a good place. The new album brought back a lot of credibility, partially (paradoxically) thanks to the new blood being properly integrated, and the live performance left no doubts that Quo are to be taken seriously again. They are a slightly different band now, of course, but the quality is undeniable. No, it wasn't the FF, but this is a tight, powerful band that does, after all, do the name and reputation of Status Quo justice, if you ask me. Minor quibbles aside, it was an energetic gig, and I was jumping around like a mad kangaroo! and on one song, I was even moved to headbanging. Might have been Mystery Song (which a great Richie vocal), I can't remember. It's a shame that the management shenanigans have led to the long touring break happening now that they've really found a groove and that they're back with new material. It's also a shame that the actual Backbone tour next year doesn't seem to stop by anywhere near where I live. Francis' announcement of wanting to play at least five new songs certainly is tempting - I wouldn't travel anywhere too far knowing they're only playing a slightly changed set, so I hope they use the chance to properly shake things up...
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Post by snakelady on Oct 21, 2019 14:30:14 GMT
Brought a smile to my face a few times. Like your mentioning the Tarot bass (although that wasn't the least bit funny and I seriously considered sitting down throughout their stint) or the Cut Me Some Slack lyrics .. With your length of hair, headbanging wouldn't have made much sense anyway, you'd have to grow it my or Rasmus' length. That story in France included sitting in that picnic area wrapped in blankets and still freezing during that night, if I remember correctly. Overall a great night was had by all as you say - only it did end rather abruptly for most. Btw. - we didn't have to leave the venue again, we could walk straight down the stairs to the parking garage. So no freezing for us.
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LOZ
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Post by LOZ on Oct 21, 2019 17:11:22 GMT
So, here's my Ludwigsburg report, sorry for repeating some stuff I already said, but I intend to recycle it for other sites too! Getting to the MHP Arena in Ludwigsburg by train is really as simple as possible. All you have to do is get out of the station (which always has some jazzy background music coming out of - yes, I counted them - eight speakers), cross the street while trying not to get hit by a car, climb the stone steps and there you are. There was already a long queue waiting to get in. Meeting up with snakelady and her two male appendices ;-) proved slightly more difficult than I imagined but it was mainly down to my idiocy... I'd turned off the sound of my phone, because I didn't want to disturb people, but it seems I did not feel it vibrating, and when I remembered to look at my phone I missed the call by about a minute! But eventually we did find each other, went in and occupied a space not too far away from the stage (all the while making sure that Kathrin could sit down to get some rest before the concert), and talked about this and that. I knew a little about the support band Tarot because I'd looked them up online. Turns out they come from Karlsruhe, are heavily involved with things such as "Rock against Racism" (which naturally gets a thumbs up from me) and released an album just a few months ago containing songs they'd written many years ago already. Musically, they were nothing special, just rather average hard rock. What completely ruined their half-hour slot was the horrendous audio mix. I've rarely been happier about my earplugs! Even those couldn't improve what I was hearing though. The bass was completely out of proportion, constantly buzzing and filling up the space, literally pushing out the guitars (the lead guitar, whenever there was a solo, was just sputtering through with half of the notes inaudible). Coupled with the brutal drums, an acoustic nightmare. I did feel a bit sorry for the guys but I can't say Tarot left a positive impression with me. The only song I applauded was the song on which the singer played some blues harp. It was back to background music for the half-hour break but instead of giving our poor ears some rest, it was also running at a pretty high volume, thereby revealing the PA's weaknesses (which I was already familiar with from the Rock Meets Classic gig). It wasn't that the songs (apparently chosen by Quo themselves - which didn't surprise me in the case of Anastasia's "Left Outside Alone", which I know is a favourite of Francis') were bad - can't even recall when I'd last heard "The Seeker" by The Who (who are also releasing a new album soon), but when "Go Your Own Way" by Fleetwood Mac came on, Lindsey Buckingham's voice sounded more like Mickey Mouse! And that's a song I've heard literally a thousand times; I know how it's supposed to sound. Anyway, the drone started, Quo came on. No big curtain, just five guys taking their places, fooling around (the drone seemed to go on longer than usual) before getting ready to play. Immediately the sound was much better than the support act had been, although I still thought it was too loud (but then again I always do) and the guitars had a rather harsh 'digital' sound that was already noticeable at the quick soundcheck in the break, likely to do with the signal chain. Regardless, the atmosphere was electric from the get-go. Lots of Quo t-shirts from all sorts of tours housed people who were clearly not casual fans but could sing every word and riff and clapped along a lot. Francis in particular seemed invigorated and inspired. You could tell he was enjoying himself, all the while trying not to come across as unprofessional. Most of the solos sounded at least acceptable or even good, there were only few slurred vocal lines. As I may have said before, I had gotten used to the look of the new line-up through the last two live DVDs so I did not think about Rick much, if at all. Sounds surprising but I think all the current members really gave their best. Richie played very well, I didn't detect many mistakes (the RAOTW solo still didn't sound as effortless but nonetheless accurate). His vocals were very good; he does bring to mind Rick in his younger days and did an exceptionally good job on "Little Lady" and "Mystery Song" (which I would've liked to hear in a full version). The band should feature him even more - hopefully "Get Out of My Head" does get an airing on the coming tour. Rhino also sang as well as possible, doing a more than acceptable job on "Rain" (though of course it's in a lower key) and "Again and Again". "Something 'Bout You Baby I Like" is a song that I'd really like to see removed, but you can't really argue with the response it got. The set was tightly packed into several subsections; in fact, the first four songs ran virtually without breaks. Andy's role seems to have changed a bit to when I last saw them. He was playing more guitar, which is a smart decision since a lot of Quo songs don't really need keyboards (and I don't think his piano sound has ever been particularly good), and added to the general movement on stage. At one point they were doing a "formation fight", with two guys on the right 'attacking' the two guys on the left with their guitars... yeah, silly, but if you can play the songs you can also do things like that. Regardless, Andy sang "Whatever You Want" pretty well, perhaps because he was wearing a guitar? He only went back to the keys for the last few bars of the song. However, he did have some lapses during the Proposin' Medley, forgetting to get behind his keyboard in time for the piano part of "Down the Dustpipe". Having too much fun, or what? There was virtually no misfire as every song was appreciated by the audience; "Softer Ride" was introduced as a song from the "s...." (seventies!) and it went off like a rocket, "Beginning of the End" didn't feel out of place either and rocked heavily, and "Hold You Back" had many of us jumping madly up and down. Francis did talk quite a bit. Before Softer Ride he told the story of what happened the other night: While they were driving through France, the touring bus suddently had a flat tire and broke down. So the band had to be picked up by the French police! And they were left in a picnic area, which amounted to very little, certainly no comfort... while all their equipment was still on the other bus. (I think that was the gist of it. Of course Francis can tell a story like that and make it absolutely hilarious. I can't.) He also said something along the lines of "I'm over fifty, over sixty, over... whatever" and declared being one of the younger guys on stage. Eh, eh! He also reacted to an audience member's shouts of "Umleitung" and told one guy who kept shouting things (including "Backbone"): "This is why they all didn't get to have a drink, because you drank them all up"! There was one moment though when I felt that age was getting the better of him. They had finished "Hold You Back" and he started talking about the new album. But they didn't play the new songs at that point, he was supposed to introduce the Proposin' Medley... which still sounded good and gave way to "The Oriental". We might all be a bit tired of it but again, it sounded like a classic live, and the lights were dazzling as usual. Then was the moment for the two new songs. "Cut Me Some Slack" rocked hardly and sounded wonderful live, even if Francis had some lyrical issues (and so did both Kathrin and I). "Liberty Lane" didn't sound quite as good to me but it's always an issue with new songs that have intricate vocal arrangements that never come across as well live. Quo are not Uriah Heep. It's still a great song. But you did notice that the audience reacted more reserved, and many people clearly weren't familiar with those two tracks. I hope this doesn't discourage the band from trying out more new songs. Not to mention that I'd still like to hear many songs from ISOTFC, QPQ or even Bula (Run and Hide) that were never even tried out! "In the Army Now" was next and although it's a song that's getting hard for Francis' voice due to the high range, it's still effective. The drum solo at the end seems to have been permanently removed. I guess a Quo set is quite demanding for Leon. The very sudden break into "Roll Over Lay Down" was a bit jarring nonetheless. On that song, sadly, Francis did sometimes get off the rails as far as playing solos went, although I've heard far worse interpretations. "Down Down" was preceded by a bit of solo jamming by Francis, which might as well turn into a new song like "Backbone" did. In the middle part, he constantly caught the others off-guard by fooling them into thinking the start-stop part was over, then starting and stopping again. Several times! At one point Rhino also choked one of Leon's cymbals. Not sure what they'd had but I want some of it Other random funny things: Rhino sang "Maybe it's the way you wear my blue jeans so tight" in "Something 'Bout You Baby I Like"). And they still sing about snorting lines in "Rain". I've already talked about "Whatever You Want" but I should mention that the song felt a bit flatter than I remembered - perhaps this is the one moment where Rick was actually missing? Maybe the song should be played earlier in the set, I dunno, but it seemed to be the weak link of the ending quadrilogy. Mind, I've always loved the song so it wasn't down to me. "Rockin' All Over the World" was last and came across well. The stage was set for a great encore, many people must have thought... I was forewarned but I'd still had some hope Quo would honour our appreciation. Nope. Francis made sleeping gestures, the band bowed and went off, never to return. "Backbone" was played over the PA and many fans stood around not knowing quite what to do. A strange, anticlimactic way to end what overall was a great gig... I don't understand it. I was also disappointed by the merch: I'd hoped I could pick up the Rossi/Rickard duo album & the reissue of Andy's "Unfinished Business", but nope, they don't carry any CDs with 'em. Anymore. I don't get it; I'm sure they would've sold lots of copies of Backbone in particular (as many people didn't seem to know of its existence, although I wasn't the only one wearing a Liberty Lane t-shirt). As it is, I already have enough Quo t-shirts. It's not like I don't want to support the band, but what do you do with all those shirts? Can't wear more than one at a time, eh! (And I certainly didn't want to buy a Tarot shirt...!) We had a nice chat afterwards and eventually said goodbye. On the way back I had some unpleasant deja-vus! This included sitting at the Ludwigsburg station and being nearly swept away by this nightmare freight train that came rocketing through all of a sudden (exactly same thing happened after Rock Meets Classic last year too!), or being once again stuck in a train with people coming from the local Weindorf and playing absolutely horrible, hideous music on their stupidphones! (very similar to traveling back from Nick Mason's gig last year...) I was this close to telling them to look up "Liberty Lane" instead... So, what's my verdict? Status Quo are apparently undestroyable. You can weaken them, you can disband them for a while, but you can't beat them, at least not while Francis is still around. The bad publicity stunts, some less than optimal back-and-forths and management ideas... it wasn't good for the band, but they are back in a good place. The new album brought back a lot of credibility, partially (paradoxically) thanks to the new blood being properly integrated, and the live performance left no doubts that Quo are to be taken seriously again. They are a slightly different band now, of course, but the quality is undeniable. No, it wasn't the FF, but this is a tight, powerful band that does, after all, do the name and reputation of Status Quo justice, if you ask me. Minor quibbles aside, it was an energetic gig, and I was jumping around like a mad kangaroo! and on one song, I was even moved to headbanging. Might have been Mystery Song (which a great Richie vocal), I can't remember. It's a shame that the management shenanigans have led to the long touring break happening now that they've really found a groove and that they're back with new material. It's also a shame that the actual Backbone tour next year doesn't seem to stop by anywhere near where I live. Francis' announcement of wanting to play at least five new songs certainly is tempting - I wouldn't travel anywhere too far knowing they're only playing a slightly changed set, so I hope they use the chance to properly shake things up... ave ya got a short version of that ?
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frozenhero
Administrator
Drop-D beautiful
Posts: 1,420
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Post by frozenhero on Oct 21, 2019 18:17:35 GMT
I thought long gig reports were appreciated? Especially since it's been, what, six years since I saw Quo the last time...
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