Reviews Archiv 12

I don't wanna loose many words this time, because I've just done a review on them in June. So I just wann take a brief retrospective and comparison. Nothing has changed, not even the setlist. But this is no miracle. Thin Lizzy never had any more songs than these one's. And there won't be any more in the future.John Sykes, apparently not well that night, is still enjoying the rockstar myth. And Scott Gorham hods against it. But fortunately Sykes arogance never had an affect on Gorham. Otherwise, everything is the still same. "The Boys Are Back In Town" will be returning to town surely a few more times, if the money is okay, professonally on stage with the experience of old showbiz rabbits. They wanna keep up the spirit, - at least they say so.... And of course they wanna earn their daily life. So if the solo carriere doesn't work out, then we rather rely on never dieing legends, which garanties the salary. And there are still a few nostalgic out there, who help them. And once again, Phil Lynott gives his blessing from above, - or not...?!!! But in the end it's all about .... money... like I said before....

Jesus wept....name the three world best guitarists on this god damned planet, and I tell you for sure, one of them is Marcus Miller. The good man, hasn't only got a had on his head, he's also got wasps in his but, or better in his fingers. Miles Davis has made him famous, and this bassist has risen up to the sky of the jazz olymp like an eagle in the sky. Although you can't deny the impression, that Mr. Miller is the Rock'n'Roller within the circle of fusion and Cross over Jazz-musicians. He's got Rock'n'Roll in his blood, no doubt about that, even it's fusion. But never mind. Playing "Come together" from the Beatles with such an energy, is the same like kastrating "Highway To Hell". He pays tribute to Miles Davis to say thank you for the heritage. But in the end, I can't help the feeling, that Marcus ain't able to decide for a certain style of music. And he's right. Music is Music, no matter what. You always need a bass, maybe not played that well like Marcus Miller does it. Fusion is the future. Marcus Miller as well, and He can leave his head on.
We don't mind it. Miles Davis heritage is safe and god lets Hermes sing halleluja with passion 4 bass strings and - one hat....J

Ricky Warwick, once the frontman of "The Almighty", nowadays tries his best as a soloartist, with soft tunes and intellectual lyrics on a higher level. No boy, it doesn't happen really. "The Almighty" were bad and agressive boys of heavy metal. And it was good. You can't change from one day to the other. You lie to yourself, this is not you. And it lets us hope, that everything is quickly finished here. But lets wait and see. When money gets short, then maybe we're getting a reunion of the Almighty. You never know. And it wouldn't be the first reunion out of these reasons, would it..?!!!

Skid Row, rosen up from the death, but without their jesus - Sebastian Bach. So what can I tell? Bach is and was Skid Row in the Eightees. Admired by all girls, with endless long blonde hair, babyface and an incredible voice. Of course, the songs were written by the others, Snake Sabu and Rachel Bolan. And exactly those two ones have reformed the drowned band again. The building is still there, but the door is missing, if you know, what I mean. And from the traditional Hardrock, they have changed to the socalled New Metal. Probably to be able to cope with the youngsters from nowadays. - But why didn't you stick to your style for christ sake.? You probably would have done better. Snake has changed from a longhaired rocker to a postum punk, who wants to live the old times in the present, and Raches has taken part at the Ozzy Osbourne look a like contest, - at least it seems so. Sorry boys, but this doesn't help. "Remember Yesterday" presented in a brandnew dress, doesn't pull our shoes off. You have to think of something better. What about a new friendship with Sebastian Bach??!!!

Def Leppard, - well.... even in their case, the famous tooth of time has bitten quite a piece outta it. And mainly it's because of an ageing voice volume of Joe Elliott. Musically there's nothing wrong with them, but the vocals are the main focus of a rock performance. And if these ones don't get my grandfather out of the house, - what else then?!! All brilliant guitar solos of Phil Collen are useless, to get a rather good impression of the band's stint. Underlined with the fact, that this venue is imfamous for it's fatal accoustic, it's rather sad, what's going on here, - compared to the absolute supergau three years ago at the Circus Krone. Only maybe "Pure Some Sugar On Me" gets some old passion out again and a little nostalgy. Thanx god, within the audiance there are still a few fans, who don't see things that critical, as we press people do. That's why the band still gets some applause and positive resonance and leaves only a bit bitter taste on us journalists. Maybe we are just too critical, I don't know. Rock'n'Roll should be fun and nothing else. And everybody has a bad day, - or not? - so what???

Now and then the truth is, the less you expect from a concert, sometimes the more you get. Or course, we know, that Pride Of Lions is the new project of Jim Peterik, the guitarist, who once became famous with the band survivor for their hit "Eye Of The Tyger". It happened a long time ago, and Jim was never able to repeat this. Would have been great. But the shadow of the tyger eye will be following him for the rest of his life, that's for sure. But Jim would never think about a reunion of Survivor, or better what's left of it. He still earns some money even it's not that much. Right now, he's trying this project here, together with a real nitingale of a singer called Toby Hitchcock. Toby could easily be his son, and he's got a voice almost like Enrico Caruso. Probably due to financial reasons, the duo appears on it's own, - doing the singing, the guitar and some keyboard. The rest - drums and bass come out of a computer. It's a bit cheaper, - at least for this time.

And because of all this, our expections are up in the sky, exspecially their ain't many people here to check 'em out, looking rather sceptical with their beer in one hand. But like sunshine follows after rain, the athmosphere is changing from one second to the other within the club, like Joseph Hayden's famous bong. Because what's happening here, is simply brilliant. In fact, it is so perfect, that many of us deny to believe, Tobys voice is live. But it is, and he puts Placido Domingo into the shade. The harmony between his voice and Jim's guitar playing is 100% perfect, and you tend to forget, that this is actually just half of a band, playing up there live on stage. Forgotten are all doubts, and the here offered gig sounds like there is a six men group. I ask myself, how does it sound, when there actually are six guys up there? We've got one record already from the Pride Of Lions. And Jim and Toby play the full tracklist for some promotion reasons - of course. Anyway, in this case, it would'nt have mattered, whatever they playing. Evrything would sound heavenly, I presume. And last but not least, what's better than end the whole set with the one and only hmyn "Eye Of The Tyger". Yiipppiieeh - Rocky sends his regards and gets you hopefully soon back to Europe......

How is it said?! All good things are three. But sometimes things are better whten there are just two. Exspecially when it's about Rockconcerts, where three artists in a row easily become a tireing endless session. The first act mostly don't get the audiance out of their sleepy mood. Number two, a little more known, than the first one, wakes 'em up and gets people in the right mood. But when the final headliner eventually comes on stage, the condition of most of the fans has lacked already. That's why, in this case here, it is rather luck, that the first band is forced to cancel their stint due to illness of the frontman. Rage, a continuing Heavy Metal horse in the german scene, - don't ask me since when, - have got the bonus, that they are almost as popular as the following headliner. Nobody gets bored and is waiting for the main act. They are starting right through the middle with an ac/dc speed according to what their physical condition gives away. Rage are three individuals, who work independend from each other, but still building up a unit in some way. The big boss, in the truest sense of the word, what's up to image care, stands visual and acoustically for thrash impressions. Jesus, how did you change within a few days!!! The big hair has gone and exchanged for a Heavy Metal - Up to date Kojak look, which certainly has some advantages concerning Midlife crisis and a getting - respect - stage presence. Got me?! - the whole thing is underlined with a guitarist, who proves, that there are still some esthetic attractive figures in this biz left, at least what's up to us women. But thanx god, he doesn't rely on this fact alone. And he shows, how brilliant he plays his instrument as well. And last but not least, the third one here is the animal within the man at the drums, who mean the world for him. He beats it in a way, that you get the impression, he wants to pull out the whole philosophy of Rock'n'Roll out of his kit. And he does it with a wonderful senitivity.
On the whole, the combination of the threesome with all it's contrere ambitions is so good, that you can feel a certain harmony even in this kind of music. I save names and song titles here, because with this monolog everthing is literately said. Everything else is matter of taste.

Helloween, german institution within this genre, don't need it anymore to profile themselves. They are, who they are, and that's it. There ain't any questions left, no discussions. The motto is.... you can kiss our a.... We do this for the past 2 decades, we don't make any compromises , and we are Helloween. It's as simple as that. Never mind, if there are another line up changes within the next 10 or 20 years. Weiki and Marcus stand up for it. Never mind, if there are some more breaks in style and direction, or we all play "Twinkle Twinkle little Star"... Thanx to the just described institution crab, Helloween enjoy every bonus you can enjoy within this position. The venue is crowded anyway. And the fans from the past, who are still existent, still ask for "Future World" and "I Want Out". Andy shows them with a big voice, it's still going. And it is rounded up via Weiki's incredible sexappeal including the constant cigarette, in the right corner between his sexy lips. But this belongs to him, otherwise he wouldn't be Weiki. Halleluja with all it's energetic stimulance.
However, it#s a solid Heavy Metal evening, truly german, truly loud and truly comfortable. Like we are used to it for the past 20,... or was it 25 years. F... it. We don't get younger anyway.

I wanna get one thing straight right away. Steve Morse will always be the new guy, even after nine years now and thanx to his bright american slang. And he will never substitute Ritchie Blackmore. and also Don Airey will never clean up the holy thrown of Jon Lord with highconcentrate polish. Ian Gillan will never sing "Child In Time" again, because his elderly throat tenor is not reaching the high octaves anymore. And Ian Paice, thanx to his newly grown hairstyle will never compete with Roger Glover again, what's up to the pirate look a likes.

And shall I tell you something, - you Smoke - on - the - Water - Die Hard - Rockfans? F... it and go bananas. Excuse my french. But what we get seved here and now, is simply overdimensional, brilliant and bloody heavenly. The visual prove are 8.000 nutcases, Blackmore admirers and Lord fans, who are throwing their prejustive over board from one second to the other into space, - or to Montreux, or where the hell to, and start forgetting, that Mr. Blackmore ever used to fight the third worldwar on stage with his old enemy Ian Gillan in the past.

Jesus and all Fender-Stratocaster - galactic 3/4 cords. But 8.000 freaky, nostalgic Purple patriots, just can't lie. No eye twinkle stays stiff and dry and there's a gleaming like thousands of christmas trees. Ian Gillan, - about 20 pounds slimmer (how did he do that?) and at least 10 years younger looking, does such an indian rain dance on stage, as if he wants to reach even more fitness for the New York marathon. Ian Paice, also smart and youthful looking, tortures his instrument, as if St Peter plays bowling on cloud 9. He even pulls the very last beat out of the big bass drum, which probably thinks, her last prayer has gone lost. Poor little sod. Also Sir Roger seems in a better shape and much more enthusiastic like ever before. But the centerpoint is definately Steve Morse - with 1.538 percent. He does a stunt, that we all tend to forget, that Jimi Hendrix ever existed. With Ritchie Blackmore, Steve Morse has as much in common as Harry Belafonte has with AC(DC. This here is not sad looking mourning statue, who let's you think, he's not even here and plays only for himself. No, this here is an all american super sunny boy, blonde, blue eyes and very funny and full of energy. Originally Morse comes out of the jazz corner from his roots. And whenever he does solo records, he still tends to go in that direction (by the way, there will be a new one in january or so!) . But true talents can do everything. And Steve is a true talent, honestly. Bloody hell and all good bottle spirits.!! We ain't drunk yet, and the beer gets stuck in our throats, because our enthusiasm looses control. Morse deals with every situation 100% perfectly. Whether it's a exellent arranged "Strange Kind Of Woman" or an overdimensional proportioned "Smoke On The Water". This little lad, who is 49 of age and looks like 25, - okay, at least from a distance, - works on his guitar, as if he wants to reach another record in the Guinessbook.... He's definately the hero of the evening. The Nibelungenring is complete. And Young Siegfried beat the dragon, oh pardon - the audiance of course. Yes that's Deep Purple of the present.

Alright, let's close the chapter of the past tense, let Ritchie Blackmore continue to celebrate barock music and let Jon Lord carry Mozarts's heritage. the legend has pulled it's old skin of. And the Boa Constrictor has developed into a green mamba, which spreads it's poison and bananas around with it's third and american tooth. Let's forget the smoke over Montreux and let's concentrate on the explosion of the now and here and today. Deep Purple forever again and again and once again and over all, or like Roger Glover uses to say:" always say no, when you mean yes." Or not, - or yes or whatsoever?!!! Like I said before..... don't give a fuck....
Ladies & Gentlemen, - "THIS IS DEEP PURPLE!"