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18.02. 2006 Munich, Olympiahalle
Alice Cooper / Deep Purple

Bad tongues say: now these two acts have to go on tour together, to get the venue still crowded. And to be honest, according to the size of the booked venues, there's something true about it. NO actually it's the brutal truth, that whether Deep Purple nor Alice Cooper would fill this place completely on their own. Asking the artists about this double headliner tour and how come, they keep saying not to have the slightest clue about it. It's up to the promoter.

But actually here and now it doesn't matter, and we shouldn't argue about the ticketprices of about 60 Euros. Because, if we saw Purple or Cooper individually in some smaller venues, we would pay more than half the price of this here for only one. Counted together it'll be certainly more than 60,--
Got me? So I presume, you understand. But on the other hand, when you look at all the upcoming events you maybe wanna go to, the fee hurts of course. However, most of us think, why not catching 2 flies with one hand (as we say so over here) and so all the Alice and Purple fans of Bavaria have come together tonight to celebrate their idols.

                                                                                                  

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or more Alice Cooper Live Pics click  here 

I'm still not sure, what the success recepie of our shockrocker of all grannys and nuns is. Maybe it's because of his haute couture outfit and make up, which is still the same and doesn't let Alice get older. Or is the reason, that he stays with his roots, despite a short trip into heavier fields inbetween and a unmasked time even before that. He's back to the 'School's Out' strategy, and we don't want him any other way.
Another fact keeping him young is the band around him, who most of them could be his kids. It's Ryan Roxy (git), Damon Johnson (git) Chuck Garric (Bass) and Eric Singer (drums). Whereby singer is no unknown to us, due to his job with Kiss and some other wellknown musicians. Though I have to admit, it's not his best day - here tonight. But that's only human. We all got good and bad days. Alice Cooper himself is in an absolute topshape. Like a multicoloured bunch of flowers his many hitsingles dominate the program. Jes... we do luv him our old master of horror, blood and splatter, topped by some funny looking figures to make the show complete.
Yep, time stands still and is more up to date than ever. „Billion Dollar Baby“, “Eighteen”, “School’s Out”, No More Mr.Nice Guy”, "Feed My Frankenstein" and "Poison" found their way on the setlist. And you've gotte give Alice that much, - he's good, very good indeed. Only one is missing, who's got a lenght of about 10 feet and is named a boa constrictor. But like you can see, it also works without the creature.

Alright, now it's getting a bit more difficult. And Deep Purple haven't got an easy stand after Alice Coopers well done show. And after 10 minutes I start asking myself, whether this is a Deep Purple show or a Steve Morse feat. Deep Purple concert. Holy shit, excuse my french, - but I'm  still not 100% sure 'till the very day, whether Morse fits into this band at all. Stylistically its a fist on the eye  compared with original guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, but he's as brilliant as the just mentioned one, just in another way. But anyway, Steve plays the first role now for the past 12 years, which proves, that he keeps himself very well in shape, not just visually. :-))) And I do really hard to decide, whether I should name the guitarist as the dot on the i of the group, taking care of the necessary energy, or is he a just an excellent individual contributing his part and makes Gillan & Co. rather look pale. 
                                                               
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or more Purple Live Pics click  here 


One thing is for sure, would you remove Morse, who is in his fiftees as well now, then even the last chilly pepper would be vanished. Very long solos  of each musicians try to drive away from this fact, musically perfect, but  occassionally boring. Last but not least it's the new album 'Rapture Of The Deep' getting promoted with too many tracks, in my point of view. Because this CD has been adopted by fans just partly. 
First when 'Black Night', Space Truckin’ and Perfect Stranger’ come up, the spirit is getting back alive with full energy. ‚Smoke on The Water’  is the usual grand final of the official set. The band of Alice Cooper is entering the stage again for some jamming - all together now and celebrating the end of a classic rock night on a cultlevel with the conclution: it has been nice, with lots of nostalgic flair, granny and grandson rock and Alice Cooper is god...
Yeah well... maybe Steve Morse feat.....

PS:   in this sense - this review is dedicated to my collegues of the other daily newspaper in munich, who got  the setlist of songs mixed up within their review and even  exchanged 30 years old Cooper guitarist with the Alice himself. - No more comment ...... 

                                                                                                                     
view also Diary for Backstage pics




                                                                                                   
14.02. 2006 Munich, Olympiahalle
Depeche Mode

One thing is for sure- bombast has got a name, which is Depeche Mode. Yeah, there's no eye staying dry in the name of laser and lightshow and special effects. Not very often, the olympiahall has such a sparkle like tonight including 12.000 fans with glory eyes, watching the things on the altar up there.

But actually, there ain't happening an awful lot. Keyboard and percussion are placed in overdimensional soup bowls, which seem to fly above the scenery. The drumkit almost vanishes situated lefthandside in the back. the stage itself is huge including a so called catwalk. But that one is not really used by frontman Dave Gahan exept twice or so. No, he hasn't much changed since the eighties, when the band rose up to the pop olymp. His haircut is short again for a change, and he is still as skinny as he used to be. And the voice hasn't changed, which is the most important fact. But you definately  can' t call him a glammer star. No Dave rather seems a bit lost on this stage here. And maybe that's why they have put up these huge videoscreens. Who knows! It's impressing, that's for sure. apart from that, guitarist Martin Gore draws our attention, beeing dressed in a fancy dress in the beginning. The rest of the band is hidden within those flying saucers. But it's the production, overshining these little weak points. 
                                                                                   

Musically not much has changed as well, and Depeche Mode is still following their individual style, which surely ain't a mistake. The new CD is a hit, the current tour is sold out. What else do you want as a band. And I don't dare to judge the performance, because the act is lead by the magic word - technique. Sound effects are exchanges with light and laser games. Only Gore draws some attention with some quite interesting varieties  on his instrument. And Andy Fletcher, who calls himself the best one finger Keyboardist in the world tunes in a noticable pianoversion of ‚Shake The Desease’. But that's it. Everything else is, like I mentioned before, dominated by the bombastic scenery. Yes, and the sound is crytalclear, which is rather rare in this venue as we all know. 

However, it's working out, and the audiance is singing along with the band. They seem to know every single tune and word. And whatever you might think about the music of Depeche Mode, you've gotta give 'em that much: it can't get any better.  The second spring has started and it'll last for another  while, that's for sure, - better, bigger and more exclusive than ever. 

PS: I just ask myself, how this band would come along in a small club without the show, without the lights and without the videoeffects. - No, we won't get an answer for that for the next time. 


                                                                
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