Before She Was Gone Across The Universe
Meat Loaf's Set List
Johnny Be Good |
 |
Before She Was Gone Across The Universe
Meat Loaf's Set List
Johnny Be Good |
|
The venue - a circus big top (it's nice to know that Meats old shirts have
some use now he's more svelt ;o) ), on the banks of the Mersey, next to
Albert Dock. If you looked carefull you could see the ferry. Liverpool has a
one way system built by the petrol companies. You come off the motorway 2
miles from your destination as the crow flies (or as the Raven gets a cab)
and approximately 30 minutes and 10 miles later, you're half a mile from
your destination, with an emptier fuel tank! The trick in Liverpool is to
keep your car moving at all times, if you so much as stop, your wheels are
gone ;o)
Kasim played his acoustic set to start with, and he really is rather good!! Even taking the risk of playing a Beatles song - always a gamble in Liverpool, which paid off and won the crowd over onto his side no problem. I was sat next to a die hard Liverpudlian (think Ricky Tomlinson in 51st State) who exclaimed "he's a brave man, get this wrong and he's lynched" when Kasim started the Beatles cover, no more than 30 seconds later the same bloke was in awe. I for one will certainly be hunting down Quid Pro Quo when it's released.
After Kas it was Patti's turn, she looked a little tired to me. She may have a great pair of lungs on her, but as a solo artist she's lacked stage presence the two times I've seen her. She needs that foil of Meat to bounce off, and looked far more comfortable once she was playing the role of backing singer or leading lady to Meats leading man. Still, her voice more than makes up for the fact that you find your attention wandering, and I can't fault her vocal performance at all.
At about 9pm Meat appeared, and the main event could begin. I've been desperately trying to find some fault with last nights show to add a little balance to this review, and so far the only one I can think of is ..... it finished! I always like to be objective in what I write, contrary to some of the comments I've received off list about my review of the concert at Leeds last week, I'm not a Meat beater, I'm a huge huge fan of Meats, but in being so, I can also be critical of what I see - and just because I'm critical it doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the show last week, far far from it. So for those of you who did have a a go off list (and I won't name names, you know who you are) butt out!!
From the very first moment Meat came on stage last night, you could sense it was going to be a great show. He looked relaxed, refreshed and raring to go, and boy did he go!! None of the sound problems I heard at Leeds were present, and it pains me to admit it being a Yorkshireman, but, the scousers really responded to him (despite him only getting one bra and a rather large pair of panties - but that apparently according to some wag in the crowd is because the ladies in Liverpool don't wear bra's - - - to which having lived very near there for a couple of years I'll make no comment ;o) ).
The whole band were as tight and slick as I have ever heard them, Damons motorcycle guitar solo during Bat was as good as Todds on the album - but about 4 times as long!! John Micelli got a standing ovation for his drum solo's - depsite Meat urging us not to encourage him. John Golden really rocked the tent with Mony Mony and Pearls blues song about her rabbit that died (you had to be there I guess) was superbly sung - despite the best endeavours of her father to put her off.
The set list was exactly the same as at Leeds, and the wish that I expressed after Leeds remains the same, I'd still like to see Meat perform some other songs from his back catalogue now and again. You can certainly predict 90% of his set list with a fair degree of accuracy these days I reckon, and there's nothing wrong with that as they are all stonking songs (with over 2/3 of the concert devoted to Jimmy tracks what else could they be?), it's just that there are many other stonking songs I'd like to hear too.
The two new tracks (Crazy About A Mercury and Tear Me Down) were very well received by the crowd, the latter being the more instant crowd pleaser I think - with a number of people around me joining in on the chorus - inlcuding a group who I know for a fact hadn't heard the songs before, as they asked me what they were.
Meat finally left the stage at around 11:15, quarter of an hour after the local council imposed curfew, the last night of the UK leg of his tour was over, the band all looked shattered, but then after covering well over 11000 miles in just over a month with pretty much a show a night who wouldn't be? Having said that, last night every single one of them gave 100% and sounded as fresh as if they'd just staredt the tour, partly due I'm sure to the adrenalin kick of knowing they were finished for a month or so, but also proof (if any were needed) after Leeds that everyone can have good nights and bad nights!
I was told that the concert tonight was going to be held in a tent but I didn’t expect a green and yellow stripy one! This was the final night of the Summer Pops 2002 concert series and was a great concert for a finale (especially as it was the final concert of this part of the Meat Loaf tour too).
I had arranged to meet a friend for a drink and when I first arrived outside I heard The Real People sing one of their songs. When we went in (the blue tent was the booze tent) they announced that the opening act would start in ten minutes. As I was concerned that The Real People may have already played their set, I just peeped in to check that their equipment was still on the stage! Thankfully it was so I returned to the blue tent until they finished.
There appeared to be total confusion over the running order of concert! Even the promoter himself was saying that Meat Loaf would next come on stage and that the photographers could stay in the pit for two songs before they had to leave. As I could see Kasim's stool and guitars at the front of the stage, I knew that was wrong. Although IMO a photo of Kasim is far better than photo of Meat, I felt sorry for one poor photographer lady who was there so I pointed out that Kasim Sulton would be on stage first. I then received the amazing comment from security (in the "Todd who?" vein) "Kasim Sulton? Who are they?"! Just wait until Quid Pro Quo is released....!
Eventually the promoter guy asked ME when Meat Loaf would be on stage and which were the first two songs that he'd be playing! Security also asked me for the total set list so I just told them that Bat Out Of Hell and possibly Johnny Be Good would be the last songs!
Finally (it seemed!) Kasim walked on stage and introduced himself as Meat's bass player and launched into Don't Hold Me Back! His voice had a slightly husky tone to it tonight (wonderful!) but he was note perfect throughout the whole set! When he finished his first song there was a split second of silence (when my heart was in my mouth!) before there was loads of applause and some cheers! Kasim then told us about Quid Pro Quo and proceeded to play Before She Was Gone from it. The stage was far lower tonight so I managed to pan in both John Miceli and Mark Alexander on a video clip okay tonight. Again, as much as I like Kasim's solo acoustic version of Before She Was Gone, having the drums and keyboards (or another guitar and keyboards) really takes it to another level!
Kasim next asked us to indulge him as he wanted to play a Beatles song - he opted for John Lennon's wonderful Across The Universe and his version sounded just beautiful! After he'd sung a few bars loads of people started clapping him which was amazing to hear! Kasim sang his louder version of the song (as he used to on his Solo Acoustic Tour) and I can't explain how magical that sounded hearing Kasim sing a Beatles song in Liverpool! It was all I could do to concentrate on videoing him!
When he finished, although there were only about 7,000 people in the tent, Kasim received one of the loudest and longest rounds of applause that he has this tour - it's a shame that he half ran off the stage and missed seeing the people's faces too!
Within a minute, Kasim was back on stage playing bass and singing background vocals for Patti Russo's set and, being as totally unbiast as I can be, she definitely did not receive the same reaction after her set as Kasim had!
Virtually as soon as Kasim had left the stage for the second time, the drumming tape started along with the pacing! Meat walked on stage at the left (as I believe that he has at each of the concerts that I've seen) and stood there for quite a while before he walked across the stage to incite the right hand side of the tent. Tonight I noticed Kasim at the side of the stage ready to launch himself to the front when Meat Loaf decided to do some more crowd-inciting so he had to stand there and wait! Eventually he was at his rightful place at the front of the stage!
The set list was the same as at the other UK gigs. One change in the stage antics was that when Kasim walked across to Damon La Scott tonight they again stood back to back but tonight Damon started pushing against Kasim (if I’d have been Kasim, I would have just walked away so he fell over!). That then turned into a slight tussle…unfortunately the baddie came off better!
I’m convinced that the bra episode in Cadott was genuine (as originally Meat asked for necklaces) but now, for me, it’s beginning to wear a bit thin! It’s interesting seeing the regional differences as tonight he only received about five bras - the Liverpudlian ladies were keeping theirs ON! Eventually Meat picked on a lady at the front and pestered her for just a flash of her bra!
I feel sorry for Mark Alexander on this tour as all the other band members are featured at various points in the set except him and he does an amazing job on the keyboards - I’ve always felt that as good as Tom Brislin was in that role, Mark has a more instinctive feel for the more emotional songs in Meat’s set.
Far too soon for me it was time for them to play Bat Out OF Hell. Tonight the audience took over the singing at one part in the track. Meat then sang the same part again - it’s not surprising that they only played it once at the Night Of The Proms concert as it would have been near impossible to have conducted a whole audience and choir to have done that!
They then left the stage but, as expected, they came back on for Chuck Berry’s Johnny Be Good. Meat Loaf announced during the interval that he’d been told not to sing it as they were going over the curfew - that certainly didn’t stop them!
And that was it! The end of the 25 show first leg of the tour! Although I only got to see seven of the concerts, I thoroughly enjoyed them (even though lots of the tracks they played aren’t my favourites). I’ll freely admit that I was one of the people who complained about the cost of tickets at the beginning of the tour but, as Kasim is on stage for about two and a half hours every night, it IS good value for money (although not as much value or as good as a Kasim Sulton gig!).
Roll on Kasim Sulton's next solo gig.....!
Video Clips
These are 15 second video clips which will take about 5 minutes each to download on a normal modem.
"My name is Kasim...." (just listen to the applause!)
"I gave no promise or guarantee...."
"...stand up and be strong...."
Don't Hold Me Back
Kasim's guitar playing on Before She Was Gone
Kasim's singing on Before She Was Gone
Just listen to this music!
Mark Alexander and Kasim Sulton
Getting close
More of Before She Was Gone
"Thank you!" - Kasim introducing the first version of The Kasim Sulton Trio
"Indulge me please"
Across The Universe in Liverpool
More of Across The Universe
Kasim's voice was made for this song!
"nothing's gonna change...
Kasim singing WITH HIS EYES OPEN!!!
The cheers of the Liverpool audience!
"....Rock and roll is up next"
Back to Kasim Sulton's Meat Loaf Summer 2002 Tour