ELP Digest 01 August 2001 Volume 11 : Issue 8 The "Works, Volume 2" Edition [ Editor's Note: This edition of the ELP Digest contains reviews of the "Palmer" shows in the UK and the early shows of Ringo's All-Starr Band (with Greg Lake on bass/vocals). Please note that these reviews contain "spoilers" - set lists and details that might spoil the surprise. So, if you want to be surprised, perhaps you should set this aside and read it later. Otherwise, read on and enjoy what others have had to say about these concerts. Thanks to all the ELP Digest readers that have passed along pointers to published reviews and/or their own comments on the shows. - John - ] Published Reviews - Toronto Star (July 27, 2001) - Toronto Sun (July 27, 2001) - CP (wire service) (July 27, 2001) Digest Reader Reviews - Carl Palmer Back on Top (July 20, 2001) - Carl Palmer in Concert (July 21, 2001) - A review of the Carl Palmer Band Show (July 21, 2001) - An evening with Carl Palmer - Review (July 24, 2001) - Re: Carl Palmer Band (July 24, 2001) - "Palmer" gig, Bar Cuba, Macclesfield (UK) 27.07.01 (July 28, 2001) - Posting to Abbey Road Beatles site (July 28, 2001) - All Starr Band at Casino Rama July 27th (July 28, 2001) - Greg & Ringo list/review from Detroit (July 29, 2001) Other Website Reviews =========================== Published Reviews =========================== Toronto Star Jul. 27, 02:00 EDT With a little help from his friends Ringo thrills Casino Rama audience with good-time show Vit Wagner POP MUSIC CRITIC RAMA, Ont. - He has spent most of his very public life determined to convince us it's no big deal being Ringo Starr. And there he was again last night, one of the three surviving members of the Fab Four, talking to a sold out audience of 5,200 at Casino Rama as if he were addressing an informal gathering of friends. "It's part of the rock 'n' roll myth that we have to wait until you scream your heads off before we can come back," said Ringo, when he and his six-member All Star Band returned for the encore, having already briskly ripped through two dozen songs in less than two hours. "We don't have anywhere to go," he continued. "It's either here, or back to Ian's room." Ian being Ian Hunter of Mott the Hoople fame, part of an All Star entourage that also included Supertramp's Roger Hodgson, Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Prince percussionist Sheila E., keyboardist Howard Jones and multi-instrumentalist Mark Rivera. Earlier in the program, when Ringo moved out from behind the kit to sing "You're Sixteen," he stared up at the microphone and quipped, "I just have one question for the crew: How tall do you think I am?" Not once did Ringo, 61, trade on the B-word, even when launching into "Yellow Submarine" or the show-ending "With A Little Help From My Friends." He didn't need to, of course. By the time "Yellow Submarine" had concluded, the apron of the stage was beset by a latter-day outbreak of Beatlemania, with fans shrieking and holding up LP jackets and other memorabilia. Ringo told the adoring throngs to "shut up" every once in a while, just to keep them in line. All in good fun. After all, "good music and fun, "that's what it's all about," he reminded us. And he was as good as his word. The concert, the first in a 28-date North American tour, did not yield any mind-bending takes on "Photograph," "The No, No Song," "It Don't Come Easy" or "I Wanna Be Your Man," but the combination of congeniality and skill was enough. After Ringo, the greatest cheers went to Hodgson's trio of Supertramp numbers, "Logical Song," "Give A Little Bit" and "Take The Long Way Home," with Hunter's "All The Young Dudes" also scoring big on the nostalgia register. Even Lake's rendition of "In The Court Of The Crimson King" sent cheers of recognition through the house. Sheila E.'s acrobatic drum-work on "Glamorous Life" also had the audience on its feet. Ringo threw his sticks into the air, as if to say, "How can I top that?" To which the obvious answer is: "Oh, right, I'm Ringo." -------------------------------------------------------------- Ringo and his All Starr Band shine brightly at Casino Rama By JANE STEVENSON -- Toronto Sun Rama, ONT. -- When Ringo Starr chose the lineup for his latest All Starr Band he wanted to reflect music from the '60s, '70s and '80s. Thus the former Beatles drummer, who turned 61 years old just three weeks ago, was joined last night at Casino Rama by Ian Hunter of Mott The Hoople and Roger Hodgson of Supertramp -- both alternating on guitar and piano -- bassist Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & Palmer and King Crimson, percussionist Sheila E -- the first female to grace the stage with the All Starr Band -- keyboardist Howard Jones and multi-instrumentalist Mark Rivera. The North American launch of his latest All Starr tour, his seventh in 12 years, saw the impressive group easily navigate Starr's solo hits, four Beatles songs -- Boys, Yellow Submarine, I Wanna Be Your Man and With A Little Help From My Friends -- and classics from the other members. In other words, it was hard to go wrong with a 26-song, hit-heavy set list although after two hours and 10 minutes, it wouldn't have been so bad to leave the audience of 5,000 wanting more. Starr and his All Starrs arrived in this Central Ontario town just under two weeks ago to begin 10-hour-a-day rehearsals for their pending tour. And the drummer certainly acknowledged his rural setting early on by asking: "Are there any cowboys in the audience?" Starr seemed eager to share the spotlight, which meant no one performer had to carry the entertaining load for very long. Instead, they all seemed pleased to pass the baton, as it were, opening the evening with Starr's own solo hits Photograph and Act Naturally, before moving easily into King Crimson's Court Of The Crimson King, then Supertramp's Logical Song followed by Jones' No One Is To Blame, Hunter's Drew Carey show theme, Cleveland Rocks and Sheila E's A Love Bizarre. And so it went for the rest of the night. Hodgson, in particular, has aged well as a singer, his clear voice ringing out over everyone else's on such fan favourites as Logical Song, Give A Little Bit and Take The Long Way Home. Hunter, meanwhile, was the resident hambone, making up for his croaky voice with overwhelming enthusiasm on Cleveland Rocks and one of the set's standouts All The Young Dudes, not to mention his dry wit. He pointed out that while Sheila E was wearing sunglasses because she had gotten mascara in one of her eyes earlier in the day, he had on his big gold-rimmed darkened frames for another reason: "I'm a poser." As for the rest, Lake and Jones blandly blended into the background more often than not while Sheila E had her moment during a rousing version of The Glamorous Life, which saw her playing at the front of the stage for too short a time. No mention was made by Starr last night of the other two surviving Beatles, despite this being a big news week for both of them. Paul McCartney proposed to girlfriend Heather Mills -- the nuptials are planned for next year -- and George Harrison's ongoing battle with cancer had supposedly brought him to death's door -- or not. As Starr himself said at the beginning of the concert: "Good music and fun, that's what it's all about." And, for the most part, he was right. -------------------------------------------------------------- Ringo's All Starr Band brings Ontario fans to their feet in tour kick-off ORILLIA, Ont. (CP) - With the repertoires of six major artists to choose from, Ringo Starr and his 2001 All Starr Band continually surprised a full house Thursday when he kicked off a 28-city North American tour at a central Ontario casino. The show rocked through some of the biggest hits of the '60s, '70s and '80s, with a lineup including Supertramp's Roger Hodgson; Emerson, Lake and Palmer's Greg Lake; Mott the Hoople's Ian Hunter; British pop singer Howard Jones; former Prince protege Sheila E. and horn player Mark Rivera of Billy Joel's band. The 5,000-person audience spanned all ages, including some that would only know Ringo Starr from his Shining Time Station TV character, Mr. Conductor. Opening with Starr's pop song Photograph and closing with The Beatles' A Little Help From My Friends, the band also played such hits as Lake's Lucky Man, Jones' No One Is to Blame, Hunter's Cleveland Rocks, Sheila E.'s Love Bizarre and Hodgson's Give a Little Bit. "We are so blessed we could go out this summer and have some fun," Starr said as the audience cheered the second tune of the night, The Beatles' Act Naturally, which the band hammed up in a country and western fashion. Hodgson was obviously the crowd favourite, earning cheers as the opening chords of his tunes Logical Song and Take the Long Way Home were played. He also earned the first standing ovation of several given during the evening. "We're all having the most fun we've ever had," Hodgson said. "It's a brilliant, brilliant concept Ringo's come up with." Since 1989, Starr has toured with five incarnations of the All Starr Band, featuring performers like Jack Bruce, Paul Rodgers, Billy Preston, Joe Walsh and Burton Cummings. The band, which played Casino Rama's new entertainment centre 130 kilometres north of Toronto, is to appear in only one other Canadian city - Montreal - Friday at the Molson Centre. =========================== Digest Reader Reviews =========================== From: david.gooding1 [david.gooding1@ntlworld.com] Sent: Friday, July 20, 2001 2:19 PM To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Carl Palmer Back on Top Palmer Back On Top 20/7/01 Last night I had the privileged to witness Carl Palmers' new outfit 'Palmer' at the Robbin club near Birmingham (England). On the way to the gig I was sceptical because I had read that the band did not include a keyboard player but that they did play several ELP classics! Having rendezvoused with several ELP 'die-hards' from the 74 tour days we waited curiously for the set to begin. The band opened with 'Hoedown' and to my great surprise played a totally convincing and energetic version of the number in which all the keyboard and synth parts were effectively handled by Messers Baxter and Marks (the only exception being the intro portamento which needed the synth - perhaps a pedal triggered sample might be better). I was suitably impressed but, during the next number ('Barbarian'), I was more than impressed; I had my breath taken away. The band faithfully reproduced this classic, including Piano right hand parts (Shaun Baxter - Guitar) and Piano left hand parts (Dave Marks - Bass) to an astonishing level of accuracy including all dynamics. In particular Dave Marks technique of playing fluid chord sequences over a moving bass line pushed the mastery of the bass guitar to the limits. I have not witnessed such technical proficiency since seeing Stanley Clarke on the RTF tours. The set included 'Tank', 'L.A. Nights', 'Canario', 'Enemy God Dances With The Black Spirits' and many more. One highlight was 'Tocatta' during which (again) all parts were faithfully reproduced and in which Shaun Baxter exhibited astonishing agility shooting back and forwards along the fretboard between bass and lead synth lines. The evening concluded with an encore (Fanfare For The Common Man) in which Carl played a six-minute drum solo with a vigour not present during either the Quango dates or during the ELP tours of the nineties. When the band hits the States I would strongly encourage all ELP fans to see them - they are spectacular. Dave Gooding Birmingham England. --------------------------------------------- From: PADEMARSH@aol.com Sent: Saturday, July 21, 2001 5:03 AM To: ELP-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Carl Palmer in Concert Last night I was in the sleepy Kentish seaside town of Deal to watch the master perform - WOW ! Carl appeared extremely relaxed and looked as though he was thoroughly enjoying himself. His band members, Shaun Baxter and Dave Marks were also on excellent form. Carl said he got the band together without keyboards on purpose - if Keith wasn't ready yet he would have to start without him ! - a hint of something in the pipeline? The set lasted almost 2 hours and included all of the essential tracks - Hoedown, The Barbarian, LA Nights, Enemy God Dances With The Black Spirits, Toccata, Tank, Bullfrog and Canario from the Love Beach album - (the cover picture of which he said they looked like the BeeGees)! The set finished to a standing ovation and then they were back to the encore with Fanfare with of course Carls drum solo which absolutely brought the house down - he hasn't lost any of stamina, speed or accuracy. At the end of the night I was able to shake the masters hand - an ambition fulfilled. PS - It was through the details in the ELP Digest that I was able to see my hero, a million thanks. regards Paul --------------------------------------------- From: gig leventis [changingstatesagain@yahoo.co.uk] Sent: Saturday, July 21, 2001 6:07 AM To: elp-digest-web@reluctant.com Subject: A review of the Carl Palmer Band Show A Review-(sort of )of Carl Palmer`s show at the Royal Festival Hall- 18th July-2001- "An Evening With Carl Palmer". I felt strongly about going to see the show, mainly because I have never seen them - ELP - live except for the odd T.V. appearance. Sorry for not supplying a track listing - I`ll try and remember the tracks I heard and describe what it was like in the Purcell Room where the show took place. First of all the show started exactly 7.30pm (the listed time and finished around 9.00pm) - Carl Palmer walked through the musicians entrance with his two younger members of the band (the base guitar player was 27 I think). He welcomed everyone and told us that he couldn`t decide on what to play for the night - so he chose to play mostly ELP music which wasn`t played that much when they toured - this was good news for a variety of reasons. The hall was very very quiet for the whole show -except for the clapping between music. It was all instrumental- so it was a lot like a classical concert - with people looking and listening very quietly and carefully - with some people tapping their feet or tapping their hands on their knee. The sound/music was crisp, sharp, quite loud and very enjoyable to listen to. Imagine having the equivalent/alternative version of ELP in your front room playing for you! That's the kind of feeling I got from watching this show. Carl Palmer himself was amazing - a charming bloke with amazing talent/skill whatever you would call it - with a great amount of enthusiasm for what he does and definitely on form - you could hardly see his arms move when he was playing the faster parts of the drumming. I could see why ELP were the top Prog-Rock band as far as drumming/ keyboard enthusiasts were concerned. Anyone who says/ or said Carl Palmer`s drumming has gone downhill may have seen him on an off day because he certainly was on top of the hill tonight. He did mention ( after someone commented on ELP getting together ) that "I think we will actually" which will be good news to all fans if it takes place. The electric guitarist- Shaun Baxter played well - I guess he played the parts that Keith would have played and he did it well ( there was some improvising by each member of the band during parts of each piece of music ). Dave Marks - the bass guitar player was impressive as well - he played the bass with both hands- by this I mean he was playing two different parts of music at the same time on different parts of his guitar - a bit like Keith would do with two different synths on either side of him. I really hope Keith does a show like this in the future as this was a very worthwhile event ( I`d gladly sit thorough Keith Emerson simply playing a Steinway/Keyboard for two hours ). I reckon its even a good idea that the two of them - Carl and Keith get together and play a show at the Purcell Room or elsewhere - you really did feel that the personality and spirit of ELP was there in that room. It's clear that Carl, Keith and Greg are still playing great music or writing/composing it so I hope its not too long before they get together in some form because we are all getting older and not younger. Some of the tracks I remember played tonight were - "Barbarian", "Enemy God", "Toccata", "Tank", "Fanfare for the Common Man" (the conclusion of the show), a new track written by all three musicians (can`t remember the title ), and a track in progress "Whales" played by Shaun Baxter and Dave Marks, and a few other tracks - Carl also played a snare-drum as an example of how he started out in drums as a kid. Everyone really enjoyed the show - and Carl showed his appreciation for this too. It was also nice to see Keith there at the event - supporting Carl - if only as a member of the audience. Slight change of subject - I really hope that Keith gets around to finishing his orchestral projects (Tarkas/Karneval 9) etc because it would be great to hear them, as well as the album with Rick Wakeman - and any other solo pieces/album work - and a recommendation to anyone who hasn't heard the "Inferno" Soundtrack - it is very much like Ginastera`s work but a bit darker/moodier - the soundtrack has some most interesting orchestral/keyboard/piano playing I`ve ever heard. I cant think of anything else to write - never written a review before so forgive me if it's a bit plain/simple. If the guys read this - you made my evening/month/year - keep playin` for keeps. Gigs. --------------------------------------------- From: Shanne Roberts [shanne.roberts@virgin.net] Sent: Tuesday, July 24, 2001 3:06 PM To: elp-digest-web@reluctant.com Subject: An evening with Carl Palmer - Review I went along to the Purcel Room at London's South Bank to see Carl and his tour band last week. Carl appeared, looking perhaps a little apprehensive - perhaps the setting was a little unsettling - the house lights remained full on all the way through the performance. Or was it something else that was troubling him...? So how was it? Well....er.... needless to say, Carl was tremendous - the guy still has all the power and speed, even if the solo is toned down a little these days. As for the rest of it...Hmmm looked to me rather like a genuine star attraction in need of a couple of other star names on stage. In short, the sound was terrible - the constant, screeching lead guitar bordering on the monotonous and the bass lines inaudible. This sounded more like Thrash music. The lead guitarist had a serious charisma by-pass and the bass player looked like he was on day release from school having borrowed his dad's ill-fitting suit. Frankly, both guitarists left me cold and very uninspired. They were plain boring. In terms of the ELP music played, it didn't work to go for such a narrow sound with no keyboards/synths at all. By comparison, the Qango concerts last year were several leagues above this. My only hope is that Carl is using this tour to stay sharp in the hope that Keith and Greg bury the hatchet once more and have a final shot at producing that elusive new ELP album. Do I recommend you see it - YES. I would never miss an opportunity to see Carl in action - it was worth it just for that. Regards Bryan Roberts London. --------------------------------------------- From: John Hughes [john@pureneasy.fsnet.co.uk] Sent: Tuesday, July 24, 2001 5:39 PM To: ELP-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Re: Carl Palmer Band I went to see Carl Palmer's latest band last thursday 19th July at the Robin Hood club in Bilston West Midlands, sister club to the Robin Hood where I saw Carl with Quango last year. Carl's band are a "power trio", Sean Baxter on guitar, David Marks on 6 string bass, and Carl on drums. A voluble Carl explained he didn't want to go out with a keyboard player, as it was too reminiscent... and "anyway, Keith wasn't ready"! (Carl's joke) The set was completely instrumental, no vocals at all during the 90 minutes or so the band were on stage. The show was also allegedly recorded for a live album. The set list was (not in exact order) Hoedown Barbarian The enemy God dances with the black spirits a solo piece for the guitar and bassist LA nights Canario (from Love Beach) Toccata (from Brain Salad surgery) Bullfrog a piece written by the guitarist Fanfare. The overall feel was very jazzy, almost experimental at times. The emphasis was very much on Carl's drumming, and it was once again a joy to watch a wonderful musician play just breathtaking drums. His kit was a double bass set up, and I found myself absolutely amazed at times by his sheer speed, precision, delicate yet powerful drumming. I did feel though that it wasn't really necessary to do the "It's my solo and I'll take my t shirt off" routine again; Carl, we know you're in amazing physical shape! Carl spoke to the audience at length, reminding us of tracks from various albums, why he was playing them, and just joking around with the band and audience. The guitarist and bassist were very, very good. They complemented Carl excellently, and he paid tribute to their skills, saying it wasn't easy to perform many of the pieces without keyboard, but they were excellent. All in all an enjoyable night, marred only be the sad fact that the club was less than sold out. Cheers, John --------------------------------------------- From: Phil Blakeney [phil.blakeney@cwcom.net] Sent: Saturday, July 28, 2001 6:58 AM To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: "Palmer" gig, Bar Cuba, Macclesfield (UK) 27.07.01 An excellent gig in a small and intimate club. Palmer, as fit as ever in black zip-up sweatshirt, gave "it" and his Remo kit his very best (Noddy was, sadly, absent), ably assisted by two incredible fretsmiths Shaun Baxter (Fender Stratocaster) and Dave Marks (six-string carbon fibre bass, make unknown), guys about half his age. Carl engaged with the small crowd (about 150) with a real friendly banter and contact, and not a hint of arrogance; a real gent! His (implied) admission that "Works II" and "Love Beach" were less-than-perfect studio projects, was explained as he introduced "Bullfrog" and "Canario". Baxter and Marks played ELP pieces with such panache and "statistical density" as to captivate one's attention throughout, the former being able to "Emo-ulate" the great Hammond-ravager with startling credibility. The set was: 1. Hoedown (Copeland) 2. The Barbarian (Bartok / ELP) 3. Enemy God (Prokofiev / Palmer) 4. L. A. Nights (Palmer / Emerson) 5. M4 Goes Into Wales (guitar and bass pieces by Shaun Baxter & Dave Marks respectively) 6. Tank (Emerson / Palmer) 7. Bullfrog (Palmer / Aspery / Hodgkinson) 8. Strike Up the Band (various, arr. Palmer / Baxter / Marks) 9. Toccata (Ginastera, arr. Emerson) 10. Canario (Rodriguez) 11. (Encore) Fanfare for the Common Man (Copeland, arr. Emerson) No vocals, and not enough space anyway for gongs, bells or timpani, but sheer musical virtuosity with crowd-pleasing delivery nevertheless. "Palmer" is a force to be witnessed! Phil Blakeney Ashton under Lyne, UK PS UK residents MUST also catch tribute band "Noddy's Puncture", albeit on their somewhat sparse gig schedule, for the closest thing to a total ELP experience. See www.noddyspuncture.co.uk. --------------------------------------------- From: John Arnold [e.achorn@worldnet.att.net] Sent: Saturday, July 28, 2001 To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: Posting to Abbey Road Beatles site From the Abbey Road Beatles site, passed on to the Digest by a friend: A report on the opening night show, from Dan Courtemanche: Hi Steve, I was at the opening show of the tour last night and had a great time. Judging from the reaction of the sold-out audience I'd say that most everyone else did too. The band was terrific, tight and vocally right-on...particularly Roger Hodgson. Sheila E. is one great drummer/percussionist. Ringo was in fine form, amazingly fit for a 61 year old. His drumming hardly changed at all since the old days in terms of his energy level, and I think he did even more fills than he did during his Beatles touring days. (probably because he can actually hear himself play this time around) There was an interesting mix in the audience, people of all ages. I saw a child probably around 2 yrs old and also people in their 70's. Security was a little sparse probably because they expected everyone to stay in their seats. Initially turning back a few people who walked up to the stage to take pictures, they gave up after the first 3 or 4 songs when a couple of hundred people rushed the stage, Beatlemania screams in tow. I think this surprised Ringo a bit because he said, "We were told you'd be a quiet audience". But he hasn't lost his sense of humor or charisma at all, and he handled it all in stride. The two highlights of the evening for me were (1) when Ringo introduced "I'm The Greatest" saying that (and I'm paraphrasing) "this song was written for me by a dear friend of mine, God rest his soul" (obviously talking about John) and (2) the last song of the encore "With a Little Help From My Friends" Greg Lake put down the bass he had been using all night, went off stage and came back with a Hofner fiddle bass (a la McCartney) ...very cool! Dan --------------------------------------------- From: bjorn-are.davidsen@telenor.com Sent: Saturday, July 28, 2001 5:26 AM To: elp-digest@reluctant.com Subject: All Starr Band at Casino Rama July 27th From: dean User ID: 0972444 Jul 27th 1:20 AM Well here it is - There was a long line up to get in the venue parking and then a shuttle to the theatre itself which meant we were 10 minutes late! AAARG Missed Photograph Act Naturally (Came in during) Court of the Crimson King - Greg Lake must have surprised a lot of people with this one. Earlier than ELP this is an early KING CRIMSON FM staple Logical Song (The crowd loved Roger Hodgson and was up on their feet for each of his songs. From Crime of The Century on Supertramp were very big here in Canada) No One is To Blame (Howard Jones was effective on this number. Not really my taste - one of the few All Starrs who I never got into - but it was alright) Cleveland Rocks (Ian was at his cheeky best with this classic. Lots of off the cuff remarks) A Love Bizarre (Sheila E - not a great tune - but she is a terrific performer) Boys (Who else? The band really rocked out on this one) Give A Little Bit (Roger again) You're 16 (By this point the crowd were all up on their feet and were crowding the stage) Yellow Submarine (the crowd went bonkers! It seemed that they just rushed the stage. I think Ringo was thrown and lost his place in the song - which he acknowledged. Lots of fun!) Karn Evil aka Welcome Back (I Love this ELP number - didn't think Jones was up to Emerson's work though. This was the first sign that there wouldn't be an intermission as it's an ideal set opener) I'm The Greatest (Lovely intro by Ringo) Back Off Boogaloo (great concert number - with as during other recent performances has Ringo moving from front and centre to the drum kit) Things can only get better (Howard Jones - a very up number) Still Love Rock'n'Roll (Ian - this must be the newest number in the set. It's on Ian's great new cd. Tonight was not quite as good as the record. The tempo seemed a bit unsure. This is one to work on! A great song that with a bit more force and confidence will put forward one of the messages of these tours.) The Glamourous Life (Sheila E came front and centre with a stand up drum kit for this one. She really shines on this number. Lots of fun from the Prince era) I Wanna Be Your Man (This and Boys!! wow!) Lucky Man (Maybe Greg Lake's best moment of the night. Wonderful!) Everlasting Love (Howard Jones - with all the others saving their strongest till the end - this one came off limp. Seems like one of his other two would be better in this slot - or is it just me) Long Way Home (Roger again - Boy does this song ever hold up! Lovely) All The Young Dudes (Another great performance by Ian and the band) It Don't Come Easy Ringo came back on with the band for Don't go where the road don't go and With A Little Help From My Friends. And that was it. A very generous 25 tunes. I didn't hear the earlier posters "Rain" - did anyone else? There were a few opening night things to work out. I was surprised after the encore that the band did not line up for a bow. They deserve it. For a band that has been together for a week and a half it's pretty impressive! Lots of energy. All in all a very entertaining evening. This concept is foolproof. This was an eclectic band but that's half the fun with the all-starrs. Unlike other "Oldies" tours where people come on with a house band and do there 2 or 3 hits - this is a band of all-starrs. This was my third tour and I would check it out again. The venue itself sounded great but wasn't what I had imagined. I thought it would be a vegas-y showroom. It's more like a big convention centre. Not really a concert hall. The place was packed though and very responsive. Didn't intend to write so much - hope it's of interest. --------------------------------------------- From: M. Lechkun [Huron77@hotmail.com] Sent: Sunday, July 29, 2001 12:28 PM To: arnold@reluctant.com Subject: Greg & Ringo list/review from Detroit Hey ELP-digestians! Saw the Ringo Starr tour stop in Sterling Heights (Detroit) last night... here's a set list and some of my thoughts. The venue was new and locally controversial (outdoor ampitheater in a public park well in earshot of upper middle class subdivision tends to cheese off the un-hip locals, but I digress). We walked in at 7:15PM and a local folkie had been warming up the crowd since 7:00 or so. What a yawner. He mercifully left at 7:30, when was announced "short intermission". That short intermission lasted until 8:30 PM (starting time on tickets was 7:30). But it was a patient crowd. The boys (and girl!) opened with Ringo's Photograph. Then the surprise (for me at any rate). Having read the digest, I expected Greg to trot out the acoustic stuff, you know, C'est la Vie, From the Beginning, etc. What he opened with was Court of the Crimson King, hardly acoustic! Mark Rivera, from the Billy Joel Band, played flute here and was a solid sax man throughout the show. I have to admit, I'm not up on the other artists, so I'll trust other members of the digest to fill in song names for me. Here's what followed - Roger Hodsgson - The Logical Song Howard Jones - no one is to blame Ian Hunter - Cleveland Rocks (Drew Carey Show theme song) this met with some comical disfavor on this side of Lake Erie (you know the Detroit-Cleveland thing) Sheila E - ???-I think it was one of her "show" pieces she used to do with Prince. And I was impressed - not just another pretty face! Sheila fueled pure energy throughout the show. Ringo - Boys (Beatles song) Roger - Give a Little Bit Ringo - You're 16, followed by Yellow Submarine. Then surprise #2: Greg - KARN EVIL #9! Sheila E. was fantastic, Greg was Greg, and Howard did his best Keith Emerson impression, which is certainly saying something. Although a little muddled in the middle, the band covered well-they stayed close to the original. Even Mark played soprano sax during the song. Ringo - I Am the Greatest, followed by the No-No Song, followed by Back-off Bugaloo. Howard - (???) familiar tune-just don't know title. Ian - (???) "...still love rock and roll..." Sheila E. - (???-...talk too much...?) ...again the energy! Ringo - I wanna be your Man (Beatles) Greg - Lucky Man. This is the Greg song Ringo fans wanted to hear. They seemed restless during Court and Karn, but were up for Man. Howard was true to the Keith solo, though it could've been louder. Howard - (??? ...Everlasting Love...?) Roger - Take the Long Way Home Ringo - It Don't Come Easy Ian - All the young Dudes Ringo - Don't Go where the Road Don't Go, and in closing, Ringo - Little Help from my Friends - and he needed it! Much to the chagrin of the security, Ringo motioned everyone to come to the stage. Could've been out of control; possibly why there was no encore. Although the Detroit Free Press billed the show as Ringo & the "latest menagerie of has-beens and almost-weres" this show was fun. On a clear and beautiful night, a good mix of solid music and musicians, a good time was had by all. I believe this was their second stop on the tour and were still working out some bugs (Ringo's monitors for one). My apologies for not knowing all the stuff; these days I barely know my own address!! Before I close, I propose this: ELE - Emerson Lake and "E.". Sheila E. is suprisingly (to me) a more than competent percussionist, and would really add some life to what I felt was becoming some pretty stale ELP concerts. Gnaw on that one for a while! Have fun & e-mail me your impressions (Huron77@hotmail.com). Mike Lechkun Warren, MI =========================== Other Website Reviews =========================== Review of the Sterling Heights show Carl Savich (from Beatles Web site) Ringo Starr and the All-Starr Band Concert at Freedom Hill Amphitheater in Sterling Hts.,Michigan on Saturday, July 28,2001 Ringo Starr brought his 7th All-Starr Band line-up to a capacity crowd at the Freedom Hill Amphitheater in Sterling Hts.,Michigan, a city of about 125,000 eight miles north of Detroit. The concert lasted for two hours and fifteen minutes straight. There was no intermission and no encores. The Amphitheater and lawn audience was at full-capacity. As was to be expected, the audience consisted of all ages. Ringo Starr opened with his no.1 hit from 1973, co-written with George Harrison, "Photograph", which was followed by the Beatles version of "Act Naturally". Greg Lake then did "In the Court of the Crimson King", a song from his days with King Crimson. Ian Hunter did "Cleveland Rocks" and later the David Bowie-penned "All the Young Dudes" from when he was with Hott the Hoople in the early 1970s. Howard Jones and Sheila E. also did several numbers. Roger Hodgson of Supertramp played lead guitar and piano, performing "The Logical Song" and "Take the Long Way Home" from the classic 1970s album, BREAKFAST IN AMERICA. He noted as well that the "All-Starr concept" was a "great idea" that he attributed to Ringo Starr. As vocalists, Lake and Hodgson were the most powerful, although all the All-Starrs sang well. Ringo Starr performed "Yellow Submarine", "Boys", "I Wanna Be Your Man", and closed the concert with "With a Little Help From My Friends." Starr did not perform "Octopus's Garden" nor "Don't Pass Me By" which he stated he would perform in announcing the Tour. This was a disappointment. There were no "surprises". Starr did the same songs he did on all the earlier Tours. He did his solo songs, "The No No Song", "You're Sixteen", and a song "written by a dear friend of mine, God bless his soul", "I'm the Greatest", written by John Lennon for the 1973 RINGO album. In short, he repeated almost verbatim the performance at the Rama complex north of Toronto on July 26. Ringo Starr never sounded better on drums.His drumming was excellent, powerful, and innovative. Starr came at you with both barrels flashing. It was remarkable to see and hear. This was the highlight of the concert, the rejuvenated power of Ringo Starr's drumming. Sheila E. was a great addition to the line-up. She got the audience into the songs and added a Latin flavor to the sound. Her percussion and drumming was unbelievable. At one point, Ringo Starr stated, flabergasted and exasperated, "Now follow that, Mr. Starr!" Her singing was also good. Sheila E. and Howard Jones added a more contemporary feel to the concert, both achieving their success in the 1980s. This was an enjoyable concert. Both the band and the audience were having fun and enjoyed the performances. The audience did not want to leave at the end. But no encores were performed. To all those who wondered whether this eclectic group of musicians would gel and be able to coalesce into a viable musical ensemble, the answer is a resounding, "Yes!" This ensemble was a total success. Sheila E. brought a different dimension to the group. Ringo Starr has done it again. The musical result is very enjoyable and a success. Bravo! -------------------------------------------------------------- Three more opening night reviews: Richard L.: I went to this concert last night. I have seen Ringo many ,many times before ( and some up very close). Casino Rama is located about 1.5 hours north of Toronto, Ontario. The concert was held in a brand spanking new 5,000 seat entertainment complex. They did a nice job. I went with my wife and mother in law but they did not want to go to the concert. They stayed in the casino. I did not have a ticket so I started to look for a "high roller" who probably got comped and may not want to go. It was very difficult to find anyone selling! These two girls sold me an extra seat (not the greatest) for $20.00CDN. (below cost, they were comps). I missed the first few songs and came in during Greg Lake's first song. The place looked packed. Ringo was rehearseing here for the past 10 days or so. One thing I never knew was Ringo has two tattoos on each forarm near his arm muscle. The highlights were anything Roger Hodgeskin and Greg Lake did. Sheila E. is one incredible drummer with a lot of energy. She was wearing black shades after apparently hitting herself in the eye with a drum brush! Ringo sang the usual Beatles stuff (Boys, I Wanna Be Your Man, Yellow Sub ) and more solo material than usual it appeared. The fans ran down in front halfway during the show. Ringo did not mention the new release of the All Starr box set. I saw many people from the Toronto area Beatles clique. Someone up front was holding a Beatles drumskin. Overall this was a good show and made up for the one that was cancelled last year (and would have been held in the makeshift tent in the parking lot). The All Starr Band this year is a very good and strong unit and Ringo has made a good choice with these musicians. -------------------------------------------------------------- From Michel, courtesy of the Macca-L mailing list: Just back from Ringo's concert in Montreal tonight. Unfortunately, it was impossible to meet him before or after the concert... Too bad. But it was a lot of fun. My son came with me as my wife couldn't. All the musicians were good and the sound was super - which is not evident in such a big arena (Molson Centre - 25000 seats) But they had closed half of it to make it look like an amphitheatre. There was approx. between 8 to 10,000 people. Here's the set list: Photograph (Ringo) Act Naturally (Ringo) In the Court Of The Crimson King (Greg Lake) Cynical, Quisical, etc. (?) (Rodger Hogson - I know the song but not the title) (Editor's note: "Logical Song") No One Is To Blame (Howard Jones) Cleveland Rocks (Ian Hunter) ? (Sheila E. - don't even know the song) Boys (Ringo) A Little Bit Of My Love (?) (R.H.) You're Sixteen (Ringo) Yellow Submarine (Ringo) ? (Greg Lake - a song from ELP - don't remember the title) I'm The Greatest (Ringo) No No Song (Ringo) Back Off Boogaloo (Ringo) ? (H.J.) She's The One (Sheila E.) I Wanna Be Your Man (Ringo) Lucky Man (G. Lake) Everlasting Love (H.J.) A Long Way Home (R.H.) All The Young Dudes (I.H.) It Don't Come Easy (Ringo) The encore: Don't Go Where The Road Don't Go (Ringo) With A Little Help From My Friends (Ringo) A most enjoyable evening as they all have fun and it really is unpretentious. Howard Jones on keyboard is real good. Sheila E. on drums is 'strong' and to my surprise, Ringo is really tight with her: a very good and clever drummer. The solos on guitar are provided by Hogson, cool; rhythm guitar, Ian Hunter; bass, Greg Lake and there was a saxophonist whom I didn't catch the name. In the audience, mainly old people... like me. My son only knew the ongs from the Beatles era. He had never heard none of all the other songs. Still, he enjoyed the show because the atmosphere was so friendly. Check it out if Ringo performs near you. It's worth every second of it. Oh... and people are still smoking grass. Cheers. Michel PS: Ringo didn't mention anything about George either... -------------------------------------------------------------- From Roger Beaulieu: Starr shines, Hodgson and Lake steal the show Ringo Starr returned to Montreal Friday night after 37 years. The show started with `Photograph` and brought all 4000 fans on their feet. Ringo, aged 61, looked in great shape. Other songs Ringo performed were `Yellow Submarine`, `Boys`, `I wanna be your man`, `Act Naturally`, `It don`t come easy`, `No no song`, `You`re sixteen`, `Back off Boogaloo`, `I`m the greatest`, with `Don`t go where the roads don`t go` and `With a little help from my friends` for the encore. With a little help from his friends, for sure ! Roger Hodgson and Greg Lake were the most applaused during the show up to a point that Ringo got a bit embarrassed and jokingly said after Hodgson`s `Logical song` performance `Hey may I have the spotlight please for this one ?` As Hodgson said earlier in the show, `This is were it all began for us`, Supertramp that was. Ringo also said `I heard that Montreal is a musical town` which turned the place wild. Greg Lake`s performance of `Lucky Man` was fantastic. Both Hodgson and Lake received long ovations after each of their songs. Ian Hunter certainly gave all that he had with energy and great guitar work. Howard Jones on keyboard, Sheila who was amazing on drums especially during a solo performance and Rivera who `played everything else` as Ringo pointed out when introducing members of the band were all a perfect combination to guarantee a splendid time for all. No words of good recovery or mentions about George from Ringo were heard during the show. Thanks Richie and the boys and Sheila! =========================== Digest subscription, mailing address, and administrative stuff to: elp-digest-request@reluctant.com ELP-related info that you want to put in the digest to: elp-digest@reluctant.com Back issues are available from the ELP Digest web site: URL: http://www.brain-salad.com/ Note: The opinions, information, etc. contained in this digest are those of the original message sender listed in each message. They are not necessarily those of the mailing list/digest administrator or those of any institution through whose computers/networks this mail flows. Unless otherwise noted, the individual authors of each entry in the Digest are the copyright holders of that entry. Please respect that copyright and act accordingly. I especially ask that you not redistribute the ELP Digest in whole or in part without acknowledging the original source of the digest and each author. Thanks! End of ELP Digest [Volume 11 Issue 8] *************************************