Reviews Archiv 36

Yippiieehhh!!! Europe's second chapter of their carriere inclusively "The Final Countdown" is secured. And this is definately not due to the fact, that their new album sucks in the charts. Why??? - I tell you why. Because an english Punklegend from the late Seventees and early Eightees felt sorry for the swedes, and took the fanfar epos and gave it a fresh polishing in a brandnew style. But I warn you, all you music lovers out there Keep it cool, - I mean very cool. Because, what Michael 'Olga' Alger did here, would be juged by death in the middle age century. The castration of the once upon a time - megaseller is so heavenly broken, that it sounds just hilearious brilliant. And the nicest thing about all this is the fact, that even Die Hard Europe fans do like it in a way. (at least the ones I played it to, including Europe singer Joey Tempest)

click sound for prove

And I can asure you all, you do like the live stint of the Toy Dolls as well. No eye apple stays dry and no safetypin keeps in place on anybody's nose. The suspect, that there will be a half forgotten punkfossil from the past live on stage is destroyed immidiately when arriving at the venue. Jesus wept!!!! .... and make Joey Ramone do a prayer from up there in heaven. - Sold out is the message, and not only in munich. The result is the fact, that at least 150 fans with the typical wallpaper clue hairstyle let their feathers drop down , thanx to already closed doors. And what happens next, not even the holy walls of our all beloved Backstage Club here in Munich have experienced this very often yet. An eruption of the Popocatepetl in Mexico is nothing compared to the explosion within this bowl of sweating noodle soup. Help me - for fuck sake!!! It goes to the limit, and forgotten are all rheumatism backaches. The battle of the titans within the audiance is loveably brutal. And the danger level to get squashed to marmelade is rising to 167.

For 99% it is certain, that the Toy Dolls are holding their pleadge of 3 minutes tunecascades for the last time in front of the mad crowd on this tour. They don't leave anything out, torturing everything in C Dur and F Moll and Johann Sebastian Bach (i mean of course the classical chap) would make mixed meat out of you boys, would he be able to listen to what you did with his Tokata. And the Flight of The Bumblebee from Rimski Korsakov is jumping free and stings without mercy into the harmonies of the blessed punk philosophy. Anyway, the love for classical tunes is clearly to get outta this whole thing.
However, that's our last record and also our last tour, Olga says. Okay, let's wait, look and play chess. The Toy Dolls just have risen up from the dead again like phoenix from the ashes, but without any bit of dust. So what?! Whether it's because of nostalgic reasons or because of reanimation of the punk anatomy, or just simply, because the quit is rolling again, - as we say so over here. And if the last reason is the right one, I'm sure there will be a very last tour as well in a few years time. Olga the I. and certainly the last, who seems like 20 something, by beeing 40 anything really, is as lively as Tarzan the apeman after a turbo diet, and fights against his own high energy level in the typical punkmanier to win the battle of Waterloo. (rubbish, what's got Waterloo to do with Punkmusic? Please excuse me Michael about my little silly word gambling) Never mind, because right now, I'm getting really worried to become a victim of the speed rhythm massacre in here as well. To discribe it straight: the meatmixer is put on double rotation. And to get a little extra goodie from the local circumstances, my right ear is put into position right to the amp. boxes to receive an extra portion of decibel honour. Besides all these nice little extras, the Toy Dolls still keep the control about the scene 'till the bitter end, following their stolid strategy of tunes and melodies, getting crazy within their performance, spiced with a lot of humour and zynical fun.

Yep, that's punkmusic how we love it. And yep, we haven't forgotten about you boys over all these years. And the triumphal march of the Aida, oh sorry, of Olga, can be continued, at least for the next one and a half years, accompanied by a final countdown, - in the truest sense of word.
Come on guys, if not with all your entire backcatalogue including the hits "Spiders In A Dressing Room" and "Nellie The Elephant" from the Eightees, so you can still get yourself an unforgettable most impressing memorium because of the just created castrated version of the Europe hymn.
Long live punk music (hopefully) the magic of these funny horns, - Michael 'Olga' Alger and last but not least a certain pub in Maidervale!

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Sometimes it seems to me, as if time works like the speed of light. It means, the faster weeks and months go by, the more we land in the past. Got me? No? - Okay, I only mean , that it seems like yesterday, that our mastermind bass specialist Victor Bailey has been here in the bavarian capitol. But it's more than a year now, I've seen him last time over here. And so we meet again. Same place, same time, same band, same performance, without Beethoven, but with a baseball hat. But despite all these fact, everytime it's a pleasure and joy to listen to the ex-Weather Report bassist, how he makes love to his instrument with this special passion and affection, compared to Casanova's flirt with women . He has become younger, - seriously, even more energetic and just bloody good as always. Vicky, that's how friends call him, seems to have bought the everlasting youth, seeming half as old as he really is... Okay not quite, - just kiddin'. - But he is, what we call - the perfect musician, who can manage to let his brilliant performance seem like a easy listening session, thrown into the room - light as a feather. Though this kinda music is everything else than easy listening. And I swear at all nine symphonies of Beethoven, you have to have a special favour for this musicstyle, otherwise it's too much for ya'. Fusion jazz has about the same status in modern music, as Richard Strauss works does in the world of operas. Difficult, excentric and sophisticated.

Helping out the wonderchild of 4 strings is Peter Horwarth on keyboards, Bennie Maupin on sax. a legend for himself, where each saxophon must feel honoured to be played by him and Scott Parker on drums. And it's gotta be a brillant musicianship, otherwise the balance wouldn't be right. Victor's own compositions go hand in hand with pieces of Maupin, Weather Report is remembered and Jacko Pastorius is honoured as well as Miles Davies. Not easy to review this performance. The bass is doing salti mortales, and the keyboard is dancing tscha tscha tscha, with a different rhythm of course. But the harmony is absolutely right, no doubt. And the 100 or so fans checking out the Bailey group for one more time is showing their affection and gratefully giving the well deserved applause. Somehow I can't avoid a slight touch of sadness by the thought, that this exeptional musician still doesn't get all the attention from a brought audiance, he would deserve. But that's probably due to the misunderstanding and the missing tolerance for this musicstyle and highly developed fusion structure. and well....I guess for the near future it'll be still a minority who is profiting from the huge talent of a Victor Bailey. But therefore 3times underlined with comas and dots.
I mean, - Richard Strauss operas are also not everybody's cup of tea... or was it Beethoven?!!!
See you next time Vic.... I'll be there...

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also view Diary for aftershow snapshots

Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who's the most busy man in the universal musicland? Yep, of course - it's Mr. Jeff Scott Soto. And my first question at the pre rendevouz before the show, is, if he hadn't lost the overview yet about all these countless activities. The answer is a serious no with a cheek grin on his face and the logical explanation of taking care to earn his daily living. Alright friends! If I counted down all his jobs, he's ever done, it would take the entire space of this review and more in a five dimensional way. Jeff just turned 39 and can look back to more stations in his life than some rock veterans, who are close to there pension.Eyes is the name of one of the stops, Talisman another. He jobbed at Axel Rudi Pell's band and with Yngwie Malmsteen (hey Jeff, - how could you ever cope with Yngwie???) . But also several soloprojects kept the man always occupied and still do - nonstop. Right now, he's doing his own thing again and also sings in a project named "Soulzircus" fronted by none other than Neal Schon of Journey. However, Jeff Scott Soto certainly belongs to the most underrated musicians within this genre, who's name is still unknown to the big crowd. But I can only say: "jesus wept, - this man is sooo good!. No this is not melodicrock for softies, - melodicrock because he's always been put in this draw. No this here, tonight is straight hard rocking Rock'n'Roll, straight between the eyes, without any compromises, but going down as well as a sin. Halleluja, I'm grateful to experience such a thing again. For sure, I went to quite a few well done gigs in the past. But this special something, the aura and the overwhelming sparcle, - all in one, - you don't get that very often.

Combined with this huge enthusiasm and the absolute self capitulation - only then, this individual magic atmosphere is developing and fans start getting crazy. We forget the time and the heat is boiling and we all feel like doped with tons of amphitamins speeding up to the absolute exodus. At this point, it doesn't matter, what the setlist looks like. Never mind, whether it's material of Talisman, soto solo-compositions or a brilliant version of "Long Train Running" of the Doobie Brothers. The routine is turning into a jamsession, which even rapes Madonna's "Like A Virgin". But this is the whole trick which shows the talent of an excellent musician. And a well done acoustic set in themiddle is proving how good they are. Hey man, shoot me dead, - I haven't had that much fun for a long time at a concert. And I don't think, I speak only for myself tonight, but also for the 200 souls in here. Oh yes, before I forget, - Harry Potter is here tonight as well and is actually named Gary Shutt long time collobarator of J.S.Soto. Okay, the glasses he leaves for off stage, because he doesn't wanna be mistaken for this magic boy. Although, he is magic anyway and in every way. - And the magic wand develops a knot. Whether it's the guitar or the bass, Shutt is a multitalent as well who takes the micky outta himself and still plays a great performance. Humour is the answer, and it goes straight into our brains. On the whole doesn't need any perfection solos or too serious professional concentration to be an excellent musician. Long talk - short sense and magic spell.... The fire must burn, and the sparkle must glow nothing else.... And believe me mads, it did, - at least - 5.857 times in the past 2 1/2 hours, - or was it 5.858 times? Come on, who cares and gives a bloody damn. - It's only Rock'n'Roll - nothing else....
PS: ---hey, and Harry Potter is magic, even off stage...but he probaby didn't know at this point...

For the performance together with Tyketto in England please click h e r e