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22.10. 2002 Munich Nightclub Hotel Bayr.Hof
Robben Ford

We celebrate ten years of the nightclub at the hotel Bayrischer Hof here in Munich. And there have been quite a few popular events at this place over all this time. Robben Ford is only one among all those artists playing here live. But he was the first one ten years ago, so naturally he's also the first one again to start the next decade. Regularely once a year he shows up at the venue and performs his kind of Blues and fusion. And he really can do it. Unfortunately Ford belongs to those artists, who are appreciated by other musicians and the media, but he's never received the echo of a huge crowd. His set is colourful and bright and includes besides own material also songs of Ray Charles and Willie Dixon. Performed with his own charming charisma with a lotta love for details he transfers his individual style to the audiance. Although most of the crowd probably understood only a tiny bit of what is going on on stage. But never mind, the entertainment is given, and it's the right sound for this club. Bet, that Robben Ford will play another ten years - once a year here?!

19.10.2002 Munich  Olympiahalle
Gary Moore/ZZ-Top

Who thought, Gary Moore has to play support again! If he does mind by himself, nobody knows. And he won't commit that. With a new band and a harder tune, Gary Moore has stated, that there is more coming out of him than just the Blues, at least what's up to the new album SCARS. Playing live, Mr. Moore sticks to the Blues more than ever and give us Pretty Woman 'till Still Got The Blues. But all the guitar acrobatic is useless if 1) it doesn't suit to ZZ-Top and 2) he and his mates seem a bit lost on this huge stage. So giving a little hint to the good man. Stick to the Blues, but next time without Boogie Main act and within a more intimate athmosphere. 

And here we go - the little ol' Band from Texas-  ZZ-Top. The beards have become shorter in the meanwhile, Billy Gibbons thinner and Dusty Hill bigger. And drummer Frank Beard, who's been replaced inbetween by his technician, because of  sudden emergancy surgery has become paler. But they haven't forgotten anything. This Texas Boogie still rocks and lets our tows move and our hips shake. From Sharp Dressed Man 'till Cheap Sunglasses, Tush and I Wanna Thank You. The complete menue is served. Only the average mood in the crowd suffers a bit, thanx to some very soft tunes inbetween. However, it is a success for the Texas-Boys. And I'm sure, the road from Texas is still very long.......



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16.10. 2002 Munich  Colosseum
Status Quo

There aren't many phenomenias left in the music circus. But one of them is certainly Status Quo. At least what's up to - stay with what you've got - Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt are producing the same crap for the past 30 years and are more successful than ever. The sound's still the same, the rhythm's the same, the strategy is the same and the show is also still the same. Without when and but, they never went off their way over all this time, have not taken any experiences or followed any trends. The fans gratefully give 'em the deserved applause and echo. The venue is shaking, the crowd freaks, the band's sweating and everybody is happy. Whatever you want, and you get it - loud, straight and typically Status Quo. Just one chnage within the set, that's the traffic news of Radio BBC 1 - refering to the new album "Heavy Traffic", which is only fairly promoted. But never mind, it sounds the same however. Between you and me, who's interested in english traffic news over here anyway. By the way, those news are the same each show, - recorded only once for beeing presented a 100 times or more. Just one question in the end: is there anything what's not the same with Status Quo? However, I can only say, let's go for the next 30 years....

                                                                                                 

15.10.2002 Munich  Bongo Bar
Yardbirds

Oldies seem to be very trendy right now. Have this been Dr.Feelgood recently, and were this the Oldie-festival last satureday, feat. Suzq Quatro, Leo Sayer and others, so it's the Yardbirds now, who rolled over us. Yeas exactly, those famous Yardbirds, who back in the Sixties featured Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page or Jeff Beck. Okay, these three gentlemen certainly don't need it anymore to bring back old times. But the rest of the members, who never had the pleasure of huge stardom, have got to live on something. So the name is quickly reactivated and with songs like "Shapes Of Things" and most of all "For Your Love" they go on a conquering crash-course. Not too energetic of course, 'cause they're not the youngest anymore as we all know, Chris Dreja and his mates. Only with the part of the lead-singer the Yardbirds employed an american youngster, who surprisingly looks like Jeff Beck in young. If this a lucks coincident or a calculated intention, we don't know. 

N
o friends, you don't convince us Sure, there are some nostalics from the past, who come to the gigs and remember these days. But compared with the above mentioned Dr. Feelgood, who are about the same age like the Yardbirds, there is a hell of a difference between those two. Not even some surprise appearances of Jeff Beck in England gave the whole thing a better standard. Here in Germany we only got the rumors about a might be surprise visit of one or the other former Yardbirds member. But rumors sell, and that's most important, ain't it?!
Over all, they wanna do a new album soon with brandnew songs. Little hint at the end: get your rockin' chair ready and a good cup of english afternoon tea. 

9.10.2002 Munich  Gaertnerplatz Theatre
Billy Cobham

Mirror Mirror on the Wall, who's the best drummer in the hall, sorry - in the land? Steve Gadd, Simon Phillips, Terry Bozzio, or was it Gene Krupa or like here - Billy Cobham. Since yesterday, I'm not quite sure about that anymore. But over all, it doesn't matter. They're all brilliant in their own way.

Billy Cobham is a real cultural mix, refering his individuel kind of jazz, his new album, his band or his attidude. From piano forte 'till bombastic grand' final - Cobham cops with the situation. He does'nt only play drums fantastically, he lives it. There is so much emotion in his beat, - it's like Lovestory meets Gone With The Wind. At one point marked with kitchy sentimentality, on the other hand pushed up with a cheak buzz 'till it hurts. Pushed up through an enthusiastic audiance, Billy-boy climbs up the leather of fusion-improvisation. And you won't find any weakness of condition on the 56 years old musician from Panama. The intermezzo is underlined through a fantastic acoustic within this classical theatre. Not amazing, 'cause usually you can listen in this venue rather to Othello's lovesong or Orpheus and Eurydike's tenor voices. Two small monitorboxes are enough  to give it a volume of sound, which is clear like bells in heaven. 

Short and painless, the halleluja tunes are perfect, the sound is clear, the surrounding rather posh and the audiance rather concervative. Thanx heaven, that I only took my Rock'n'Roll Jeans with the big holes on the knees and the but only with me, and didn't wear 'em, otherwise the pensioner-stuff ot the venue probably would have quardered me and Beethoven  had got sick on tinitus despite his deafness. But as we all know, the world drowns poshly and the only old used pair of jeans  within the sophisticated opera athmosphere are the ones of Billy Cobham. But stage costumes are stage props so - kiss my but and let Aida raise from the Dead.....  What, if Verdi would check this?......

29.9.2002 Munich  Olympiahalle
David Bowie

He is sophisticated and very british. And he's got class. David Bowie has lost nothing of his charisma over all these years. The - over all lying aura is always present, despite the fact of his rather short hight. Also the mastro seems still youthful inspired and top fit. Maybe this is due to the fact, that he recently went into fatherhood. And things like that keep young as we know. Although the public ist still not sure, is he or is he not or only half way - or whatsoever. But despite all these speculation it doesn't  really matter by all this musical quality. Three decades of music history pass the set of David Bowie and leave partly melancholic memories of past days. But today is "Heathen". And "Heathen" is a new chapter in Bowie's carriere. It shows him, what he's like nowadays. Modern, up to date, a bit conventionell, but still egocentric. Bowie is Bowie, and that's it. Perfect put into scene it strenghtens the effect on the audiance, which has grown older with Bowie and this with a rather aprupt final. But even that, you gotta swallow, otherwise it wouldn't be Bowie, - very much indeed....



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