reviewsarchiv 629

I'll tell you immidiately, that I'm not gonna do an extensive review on that, because I've seen and reviewed Uriah Heep and Nazareth too often in My life so far. And actually I can't think of much more, as their shows are literatually most times the same, as they were last time before.
I have to smile though, as the echo is still huge here in Germany, even after 40 years, exspecially what's up to Uriah Heep. Whatever happens or not, when Heapy, as band boss Mick Box calls his group neatlly, roll along, the place is crowded and get's crazy.- Mind me, the audiance consists mainly of happy go lucky Rock'n'Roll pensoniers. And for them this concert is the event of the year. Thanks to an eternal pre guarantee the fit 50 plus is still satisfied for weeks after such a concert. And the band knows this. - Compared to back home in England, where the cake had been eaten a long time ago, and the generell interest on Easy Livin has gone lost. Not in Germany, where
Heapy and Co are still the non plus ultra in Rock'n'Roll. -
Nazareth who we know as well, do also own a certain potention in cultstatus. And though many people still don't know, that one of the biggest hits 'Love Hurts' is not by them, but written by a gentleman named Boudleaux Bryant in 1960 and first recorded by the Everly Brothers.By the way, also Jim Capaldi of Traffic has recorded a version of this track - same year as Nazareth did in 1975.
That's for the generell musical knowledge for all of you out there.
Well, currently Uriah Heep and also Nazareth are on yet another european tour. And at some occassions inbetween the gather for a double headliner show, as they do here in Munich. Whereby Heapy still got the pole position. Cafferty & Co come first with a 75 minutes set, while Micky Boy and his friends later on play a 90 minutes show and wipe our Muffathalle off.

für die Garderoben Verpflegung ist wie immer gesorgt

Okay, let's start from the beginning, and after Nazareth have shown up up there - by the way, this time without their famous highlands fog (dry ice steam) I soon ask myself whether the band has a bad hair day tonight, or whatever happened to their DNA?!

Well, I won't comment on that too much. The acoustic is clear, but it seems, as that one got stuck in a slow motion sound cloud. Sorry my friends, but somehow the chilly is missing tonight. Nothing against the talents of a Jimmy Murrsion on the 6 strings and the fact, that this group still contains 2 orginal members, who is Dan Cafferty (Voc) und Bassist Pete Agnew. This is not a matter of course in this age. But all that is no excuse for such a sleeping pill. Sorry Boys, but this gig here in Munich rather reminds me on a senior's golf match, but not so much on a energetic rockshow. Well I have to give 'em that much, that the songs of the new album 'Big Dogz' are rather quiet... We get about 5 songs presented of this.

The rest of the program are a biggest hits collection of 4 decades, feat. 'Dream On', 'This Flight Tonight', 'Son Of A Bitch' and the already mentioned 'Love Hurts'. Within the encore we find also 'Razamanaz'. (unfortunately there was no setlist available)

Never mind, we got all the highlights here of tonight anyway, mind me - if you can call 'em highlights at all. And somehow I have the impression that band themselves are somehow relieved, when their 75 minutes are over.
So in the end and very last word: I for my part have experienced Nazareth much better in the past up there. And to repeat myself: either it's slowly about time to call it a day or they have just got up with the left wooden leg tonight.
http://www.nazarethdirect.co.uk/nazareth/

Heapy are next and we don't have to wait for long....

And to make it short and painless, the first gear of Nazareth is now immidiately turned up into a turbo speed gear, though most of Uriah Heep are about the same age as their collegues of Nazareth. So we got the prove, that age hasn't got to be a handycap for fitness.
To be honest, our german house combo has always been a guarantee for energetic entertainment. Michy Boy is still catching imaginary flys during his 6 string thunderstorm. And he is indeed the only left original within this band (at least in that way Nazareth has one point more) And Trevor Bolder's hairy curtain hides his check expression in his eagle eye while torturing his bass. But the real engine is most of all Bernie Shaw, who storms across the stage, just as Steven Tyler in Aerosmith does. Agewise there ain't much difference anyway.
Even Newbe Russel Gilbrook who came into the band in 2007 filling in for Lee Kerslake does a good job. And mind me, after 4 years now, you can't really describe him as new, can you?! On the other hand at a band, who is going now since 1969 - 4 years are nothing...

Good – back to the Action, - and there is indeed one little weakness on our Kings of the Road left to criticice for me. And these are the sound conditions. Compared to Nazareth before they are not a 100% perfect, exspecially what's up to Bernie's voice, which is often drowning within the music. Thanks god, it's not constantly the case, but only now and then.

Heapy also got a new diamond in their luggage, which is named 'Into The Wild'. And we do get some teasers out of that. It's pretty good the new stuff, but like with all those things, we got to get used to first. Most of all we rock along for the 125th time to smashhits such as
Gypsy’, ‚Look At Yourself’ and of course 'Lady In Black'.

And at the encore fans are asked to join the band on stage to headbang away to 'Free And Easy' the very first Heavy Metal song in history - according to Mick Box.

The place is boiling and bursting and heading for the slogan: no Heep concert without 'Easy Livin'... great show, wonderful... and 'till next time and the time after next and ..... open end.....
http://www.uriah-heep.com