| Kasim Sulton's Set List: Don't Hold Me Back Before She Was Gone Sacrifice
Meat Loaf's Set List
Johnny Be Good |
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| Kasim Sulton's Set List: Don't Hold Me Back Before She Was Gone Sacrifice
Meat Loaf's Set List
Johnny Be Good |
|
As this was another standing concert I really doubted that Kasim would be playing his opening set, but on the way back from a late lunch, we passed by the venue and heard Kasim singing part of Don’t Hold Me Back so I crossed my fingers! Our hotel was just the other side of the road to the park so we could hear most of the sound check!
The gates were supposed to open at 6.00pm but when we got to Marlay Park at 5.40, they were already open and loads of people were already in there! Security decided that my camera looked too professional to be used there (!) so they confiscated my battery and I was told to collect it after the show. It was really just as well that I had a fully charged spare battery with me as inside the park they weren’t stopping photography at all!
Without wishing to upset the whole of the Irish nation, generally the Irish are an excitable lot (especially when fuelled by booze) so it wasn’t long into the show before security had to wade in and remove some fans who were dancing rather too enthusiastically without any regard for other people’s safety! I still remember with horror being in a swaying crowd at Mill Street, Cork on the 1996 tour and feeling VERY unsafe so I was glad to see that there were some security guards up the scaffolding around the stage with walkie-talkies, directing the goons in.
The support band were supposed to come on at 7.00pm but instead walked on stage at 6.40 and were Picture House who played at all of Meat Loaf’s gigs on the 1999 Very Best Of Tour. They made a welcome change from The Real People but we thought that their set wasn’t as catchy as on the 1999 tour. Surprisingly they never once said who they were, nor had their names on the drums - the next morning at breakfast people actually asked us what the group’s name was!
I was told by a security guy that Kasim would walk on stage at two minutes to 8.00 and he did walk on stage at 7.58pm! As usual, Kasim introduced himself as playing in Meat Loaf’s band and that he was part of the “and friends” section of the tour (Utopia weren’t really known too much in Europe sadly) and then he launched into Don’t Hold Me Back which always grabs the crowd’s attention - even this crowd of 17,000 who had already been standing for over two hours! (Just a side note that the previous evening, Paul Weller had only managed to draw 5,000!)
During Kasim’s first song, his voice showed a slight sign of strain at just one point but then he was note perfect for the rest of the set! He sang a softer “strong” tonight.
Next Kasim did a nice touch of PR by speaking about his website and Quid Pro Quo being released in August before singing Before She Was Gone. He plays the first verse and chorus by himself before John Miceli joins in on drums and Mark Alexander on the keyboards. Although I knew that they were going to start playing, it wasn’t until the second chorus that I realised that they had started as it’s a gentle lead-in (plus I was concentrating on the front of the stage!).
After his thanks, Kasim then sang his faster song, Sacrifice which is still growing on me each time I hear it….and I’ve heard it about 20 times now! Not only is the tune really catchy but the words are so true to life. I think that’s one of the most amazing things about Kasim’s song writing that he seems to instinctively know how people feel and think!
All too soon for me, it was time for Kasim to leave the stage. A guy standing behind me was asking about Kasim, when I said that he’s been in the music business for over twenty years, he said that he didn’t look old enough for that and that he only looked “about 30”!
Thankfully within about a minute Kasim came back on stage to play Patti Russo’s set. The crowd seemed to like Queen’s Tie Your Mother Down (Kasim spends part of that song in the middle “talking” to Patti!) but by the time she had sung her other two songs they seemed impatient to see Meat Loaf.
After about another minute the drumming tape started and Meat Loaf began his pacing that (eventually!) lead into Life Is A Lemon. It was the usual set list with the largest cheer during the first part of the concert reserved for DeadRinger For Love and All Revved Up as those are the first two known songs. Although several people (including me!) have questioned the wisdom of starting with album tracks, at least it means that when people leave the concert, they remember all the hits that are played nearer the end of the set. During All Revved Up, Kasim walks across to Damon’s side of the stage and they usually stand facing each other playing (and talking) but tonight they did the back-to-back guitarists’ pose!
One of the first thing I noticed when the band came on stage was that they were all wearing ties! (Kasim was wearing a blue tie with some white near the pointed end.) Although this was never really explained, at one point in the set, Meat made all of the band (except John) come to the front of the stage and show their ties to see the audience’s reaction….unfortunately Kasim was one of the people who got booed! The winner was obviously Damon as he was wearing a “green for Irish” tie!
After the usual elongated Anything For Love (thank goodness he hasn’t reinstated that damn blackboard too!) and Paradise, it was time for the stools to make their appearance and for Meat to ask for some bras. Being the excitable Irish crowd, of course dozens were soon removed and thrown on the stage and Kasim was enlisted to tie them to the microphone stand. As he couldn’t cope with the flood of lingerie, Mark, Damon and John were soon drafted in too! I later was told by a crew member that tonight they received the most of the tour - 75! Somebody also threw Meat Loaf an Irish coloured jester’s hat which he wore for almost the rest of the concert! He certainly knows how to make a joke of himself on stage! (There have also been several sightings of Meat Loaf’s girlfriend at the side of the stage on this tour too.) Later someone also throw a Poke Môn on stage which Meat gave to Kasim to put on his microphone stand!
The rest of the set continued as normal (Two Outta Three Ain’t Bad, I’d Lie For You (And That’s The Truth), “what’s that? You want Mony Mony?” and You Took The Words) before they played my favourite Bat Out Of Hell, although I STILL miss the inflatable bat!
After the band bow (Kasim had undone his tie by then) they left the stage and then quickly returned for Johnny Be Good before 17,000 people filed out (to collect their batteries!) after another great concert!
Roll on Cardiff tomorrow….!
Video Clips
These are 15 second video clips which will take about 5 minutes each to download on a normal modem.
Intro
The Applause!
KasimSulton.com
Before She Was Gone - solo
Before She Was Gone - trio
More of Before She Was Gone
"My mind is...."
"It's not what...."
This song was meant to be played as a trio!
Applause and cheers!
Sacrifice
"Take what's good and leave the rest behind..."
Sacrifice - the chorus
"Thank you" - 17,000 people applauding Kasim!
