StyxAnother update to my previous journals.
Part 1 (2006)
Part 2 (2008)
21. Maj Party (IRA, Perfect) – Kraków, Poland 2008
It would have been a sin not to go to any concerts during Juwenalia. That’s why I ended up, totally spontaneously, on a series of concerts featuring Skangur, Alergen, IRA and Perfect headlined by German (allegedly) nu-metal band called H-Blockx. I came to the place of concert too late to hear Alergen (not that I regret it! The lateness was 100% purposeful) and I paid no attention to the second band – Skangur – as I was too busy meeting friends, buying beer, talking and hanging out near barbecue stands to see if they have anything tasty to eat. The only thing that actually stuck in my head was that Skangur used a lot of trumpet – good for them haha. Next, IRA came on stage, so we decided it was high time to leave the ‘beer village’ and come closer to the stage. This, unfortunately, turned out to be more difficult than we expected, because security guys didn’t let us take our beers a step further from special borderline. When you stop to think about it, it was actually a very reasonable rule, as there was no beer flying above the audience’s heads near the stage. So we quickly drank what was left of our beers, grumbled at the security guys (why not) and hurried to the crowd near stage, where IRA was already playing. That was my third IRA show (and I don’t even like them that much, duh!) so I knew what to expect. It was exactly the same as the other 2 shows, not special – but entertaining, though maybe a little less fun due to some unfortunate pogo dancers around us. When IRA finished, Perfect hit the stage. Seeing them live for the 2nd time, was less fun than seeing IRA for the 3rd time. Grzegorz Markowski acted like a clown, thinking he was the king of the world and the greatest rocker on planet Earth. Needless to say, he obviously isn’t one and never will be. When it comes to setlist, I can’t think of any explanation why they play this instrumental bit – entitled, if I remember right, “Honorata in Soho”. It’s boring, repetitive, unimaginative and has a ridiculous title. As a fan of instrumental solos, fusion music, and guitar virtuosity, I was thoroughly disgusted and embarrassed. People around us seemed to think the same, as the crowd went dead. After the encore (“Niepokonani” – invincible – how ironic!) we decided to go home, because we weren’t interested in German nu-metal. Actually, we heard a bit of it (queuing for the worst casseroles I’ve ever tasted in my whole life) and we didn’t like it. Overall I don’t regret going to this Maj Party, it was forgettable, but at least we had some good time.
22. Paul Gilbert – Glasgow, Scotland 2008
After ages of what seemed to be a permanent bad luck, I finally managed to attend a concert in Scotland. Having missed the PG show in Warsaw, I was determined to go to the Glasgow gig, no matter what was going to happen. I arrived at the venue a couple of hours before the show and decided to go in and ask what time the doors opened. When I came inside I was startled to find Paul Gilbert himself, sitting at one of the tables, chatting to some guy. Being the paparazzi as I am, I quickly approached him, took a photo, and asked him to sign my ticket. As he was doing that, I thought it was necessary to mention that I came from Poland and was really unhappy about missing the Warsaw gig. On hearing this, both Paul and the guy burst out laughing and Paul said to me: “You’re lucky. This one will be better”. And it clearly was. I finally ended up front row, between Paul and Emi and the waiting time passed by quickly as I was chatting with a couple of Scottish guys with horrible accents (you know T’zla? Or Wee’snk, aye?). One of them gave me Paul’s red SFBADR guitar pick (THANK YOU!), stating: “You know the shit – you’ve met Paul and he’s the man!”. Finally, after the roadie sellotaped setlists and pedalboard to the ground and checked if the drills worked properly, to almost hysterical applause from the audience, the show has begun. At first they played a couple of Paul’s solo songs, then some Racer X tunes (including the immortal “Technical Difficulties” and “a metal song in the key of F-sharp”-“Scarified”), a couple of Mr. Big songs, including the absolutely rocking version of “Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy” (complete with the electric drill guitar solo), as well as some Hendrix and The Who covers. The backing band sounded very tight and each bandmember had their moments during the show, like the drum solo by Jeff Bowders during “Jackhammer” or keyboards solo by Gilbert’s wife, Emi, during “Red House”. Slightly disappointing was the fact, that Mike Szuter, Paul’s bassist, wasn’t able to tour Europe with him, and Craig Martini was filling in. He was good, but he was no Mike Szuter. Paul played mainly his Ibanez Fireman guitar, changing it only for 3 or 4 songs. To my disappointment, he didn’t bring on tour his white signature Ibanez PGM301 :( Nevertheless, the concert was as jaw-dropping and surreal as it could be. The band didn’t leave the stage after the main set (“What for? We just want to play”) and Paul took a request from audience, playing a Frank Sinatra cover “Fly Me To The Moon”. Highlights of the evening included “Burning Organ”, which has to be the funniest song ever, and “Viking Kong”, beginning with the riff of “Stairway To Heaven” played backwards (no secret hidden messages though, as Paul joked). After 2 hours of solid, virtuosic music, the band waved goodbye and left the stage, while the long-haired roadie Lee gave me another piece of concert memorabilia – Emi’s setlist. All in all, when I left the venue (which by the way looked like the most neglected dungeon ever) I was the happiest person it the world. Pure awesomeness!
23. Nazareth (support: Stevie Agnew Band) – Edinburgh, Scotland 2009
Trying to fulfil the promise of not missing any good shows in the area, which I made to myself after not going to some top-notch gigs in Glasgow, I decided to attend a Nazareth concert in Edinburgh’s Calton Studios, now renamed to Studio 24. Although I’m not a die-hard Nazareth fan, the show turned out to be a kick-ass way to start the 2009 concert season. When I arrived at the venue, I realized I’m one of the youngest people in the crowd, which consisted mainly of middle-aged couples, who to my surprise were rocking harder than most of other audiences I’ve seen in my life. First, the support act – Stevie Agnew Band – hit the stage with their short set of modern pop-rock, a bit Coldplay-ish tunes. Not exactly my cup of tea, the guitar tones were terrible, but kudos for commitment. After roadies prepared the stage for the headliner, we got to hear some intro background music, crowd started to cheer seeing 4 silhouettes entering the stage, lights went up, air was filled with anticipation and.. guitarist’s pedalboard refused to work, leaving everyone in utter confusion. The band had to go off the stage and come up again after a couple of moments – the intro climax was destroyed, but the opening song’s powerful riff left no doubts about the band’s form. After 41 years of playing they can still deliver a solid performance. The highlights of the show included “Hair Of The Dog” with the bagpipe interlude by Dan McCafferty (during which he also played “The Bonnie Banks O’Loch Lommond”, which went down really well with all the Scottish people) and “Hearts Grown Cold”, with some nice bluesy chops on Fender Stratocaster. The audience participation was great, a lot of singing along and rocking to the rhythm – however, some annoying drunk people were spoiling the fun for others, shoving, pushing and spilling their beers – a shame really. After a 4-song encore the band said goodbye, leaving everyone in positive mood (though I felt a bit bitter about not getting to hear “Dream On”). Overall, I have to admit the show was much better than I’d expected – energetic, entertaining and worth recommending.
24. Tesla (support: Stormzone) – Glasgow, Scotland 2009
After weeks of frantic checking of Tesla’s tour schedule, a date in Glasgow made it possible for one of my biggest concert wishes to come true. One of my favourite bands ever, with my favourite guitar duo of Frank Hannon and Dave Rude(of Dave Rude Band), came to Europe to promote their new album “Forever More”. I was checking on the setlists on American leg of their tour, and decided to request my favourite Tesla tune “Song and Emotion” via band’s official website, seeing that some of the requests got noticed by Frank. I arrived in Glasgow a couple of hours before the show, and while I was walking from the bus station towards my hostel, I stepped right into Dave Rude, which made me even more excited about the concert. While we were queuing outside the venue, Jeff, Troy and Brian all came out to say hi to the people, which was very cool. The support act, Stormzone, weren’t bad, but not exactly my cup of tea. They seemed to be having good time onstage, but the sound quality was awful and I couldn’t hear one of the guitar players at all. After 45 minutes they left the stage and technicians quickly prepared it for the headliner. I was standing front row, between Jeff and Frank, which was a really nice spot to enjoy the show. From the moment they came on stage, kicking off with title track off their new album, to the moment they left it, after playing a pretty rare track off “Mechanical Resonance” – “Rock Me To The Top” as an encore, I was in 7th heaven. The setlist was near perfect (however I wish they had also played “Edison’s Medicine”) – highlights included amazing crowd participation in the intro to “Gettin’ Better”, teaser of Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” before “Love Song”, guitar duel between Frank and Dave ending with the riff of Queen’s “We Will Rock You”, smoothly changing into “Comin’ Atcha Live” and.. YES! “Song and Emotion”!! dedicated by Frank to the late Steve Clark of Def Leppard. I was literally on the cloud number nine and now when I think of it, I can vaguely remember what I was thinking at that moment. Later it has turned out, that some people who had VIP tickets, saw my request on the Internet and mentioned it to Jeff Keith and Frank before the show. Pure awesomeness, thanks!! The show was a perfect mix of oldies but goodies, including hits in the vein of “Modern Day Cowboy”, “Signs” and “What You Give” and new stuff like “Breaking Free” or “So What!”. Guys seemed to be having a good time on stage, especially Jeff, who was all smiles and joking, and Frank, generously giving out picks whenever he could. After about 1:45 hours of rock’n’roll, Tesla left the stage. At the very end, I caught the pick Dave tossed me, got Frank’s setlist from a roadie and headed straight to the merch booth where Mr. Hannon himself was signing anything anyone gave him (kudos!). I got Frank’s autograph, and thanks to Josh, whom I met during the show - photos with Frank, Troy and Brian. To sum up – what a day, what a show, what a band!
25. Mr. Big – Prague, Czech Republic 2009
A year ago, if someone had told me Mr. Big would reunite, I’d have laughed out loud. If they’d added I’d get to see them live – I would have taken it as a cruel joke. I saw the ‘better half’ of the band live (Billy Sheehan with Devil’s Slingshot in 2007 and Paul Gilbert’s solo show in 2008) and I was pretty much sure that was it. But miracles DO happen, and Mr. Big got back together in original lineup to tour Europe. Among the dates I found a show in Prague and decided to go. Fighting unbelievable bad luck with the ticket (the original one being torn apart by a horrible mistake, the second one thrown away to the bin and covered with pear leftovers – talk about stupidity!), I arranged a trip to Czech Republic. A few days before the show, the time started to drag mercilessly and I got immensely hyped up by reading excellent reviews of the other shows from the Euro tour (like Koray's). When the BIG day arrived, I started queuing on the venue’s doorstep 8 hours before the show (yes, crazy!). In the queue I met some cool people from all over the world – Poland, Germany, even USA. While we were queuing we met Paul and Billy who said “hello” to us, and talked to Eric Martin, who came out and was hanging out with us for an hour!! He told us some funny Mr. Big stories, road anecdotes etc, posed for pictures, signed our tickets, showed us some of the photos on his mobile phone, answered all our questions. I even requested the Talas song “Shy Boy” and he said they would play it, even though the plans were different. :) Overall, Eric is a really nice, talkative, funny and down-to-earth guy. Being there early and winning a crazy race for a nice spot, I “positioned myself” front row, between Paul and Eric, which was a perfect place to enjoy the show. When the lights went down and the band hit the stage, I was truly electrified by the sheer energy of the opening song – “Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy” (and every other song that followed, for that matter). The setlist was perfect – from rockers like “Colorado Bulldog”, through cover songs like Argent’s “Hold Your Head Up”, to crowd pleasing radio ballads like the mandatory “To Be With You”. Apart from regular songs, each bandmember played a truly amazing solo, topped up with Paul and Billy’s double-neck guitar battle, ending with Eric and Pat acting as human capos for both guitarists respectively. The highlights of the show (though there were actually too many to name) included the electric drill solo, Billy/Paul’s harmonica/microphone slide battle, atmospheric “Just Take My Heart” intro by Paul, amazing vocal harmonies on Lennon/McCartney song “It’s For You”, “Addicted To That Rush”/”Wind Me Up”/”Riff Raff”/”One Way Out” medley, kick-ass version of “Take A Walk”, thrilling rendition of “The Whole World Is Gonna Know” and.. yes! “SHY BOY”!! After the main set, when we were all cheering, hands outstretched, I felt something small being pressed right into my palm, and saw, to my astonishment, Paul Gilbert handing me his guitar pick!! I was so stoked, that before I could register what was going on, tens of sweaty, wet fingers closed on my fist, trying to take the plectrum away from me. Fortunately, I managed to keep it – and so I have another personal souvenir from my beloved guitarist! ;) Needless to say, the show absolutely rocked: Eric sang his ass off, Pat, Billy and Paul were all on fire and the songs stood the test of time. 2 tickets, 19 hours on trains and buses, 4 days in a Czech hostel without hot water, 8 hours of queuing, 4 painkillers in a row, tiredness, hunger and sleeplessness – all well worth it!!
26.Yes – Katowice, Poland 2009
Always happy to snatch the opportunity of going to a live concert, somewhere amidst the hectic schedule of last few days of October, we decided to attended a show by a prog rock band called Yes. The current lineup leaves a lot to be desired – original singer Jon Anderson has been replaced by Benoit David, while the keyboard duties of Rick Wakeman have been taken up by his son, Oliver. However, the band still puts up a good show and has a strong following of two or even three generations of fans. The concert started off a bit wishy-washy, leaving a kind of bland feeling. Fortunately, after 2-3 songs all our doubts disappeared and whatever was lacking from the performance has stopped bothering us as we were treated to numerous complex compositions from the vast back catalogue Yes has to offer. Somewhere between the songs Alan White played a short drum solo, which in my opinion had an unintentional mellow edge to it. Steve Howe’s acoustic performance turned out to be my favourite moment of the evening, while the biggest wave of audience applause was created by first notes of the radio-friendly “Owner Of A Lonely Heart” as well as Mr. David’s attempts at speaking Polish (“Dobri wjecier Katowiska!” xD). As the show progressed, I found his voice more and more irritating and his stage moves a wee bit creepy (to say the least). On the other hand, I liked Oliver Wakeman’s input – he was playing his parts with calm and ease, and he didn’t exaggerate the way his father used to (I can literally see the tomatoes flying at me for saying that). It was a pity he didn’t have a solo spot in the set which would allow to let loose and showcase his skills. I also enjoyed powerful bass lines of Chris Squire and distinctive guitar sound produced by Steve Howe on his ten (!) guitars. We even spotted him using 4 different axes (including steel guitar) during one song! After the encore of “Roundabout” the band left the stage and we realised, to our amazement, that the show lasted 2:10 hours! All in all, the concert was very enjoyable and worth recommending not only to progressive rock fans, but to all music lovers out there!
27. Richie Kotzen (support: Robert Pieculewicz) – Katowice, Poland 2009
Almost (but not quite) at peace with the fact that I wouldn’t go to this concert, because of numerous problems and complications, I was literally ecstatic when it turned out that it was possible for me to see one of the most respected rock/blues/funk/fusion guitarists. I bought my ticket the day before the show, and never regretted this decision. In fact, I still shiver at the thought that I could miss out on this event. When I arrived at the venue, I was shocked to see no more than 100 people on the audience, most of whom were musicians. The supporting act, one of the best Polish guitar players – Robert Pieculewicz and his band, was really good and prepared us nicely for what was yet to come. When Richie came out, he winced seeing the unacceptably poor attendance, but apparently didn’t let it affect him, because he treated us to an amazing, mind-blowing performance. Minimalist when it comes to gear – only one red Fender Telecaster guitar, no huge pedalboard, one amp – he managed to stun us from the very beginning, playing a choice of older songs as well as cuts from his new album “Peace Sign”. In the middle of main set Richie introduced a surprise guest appearance by Atma Anur, who played drums on 2 songs: Four Tops cover “Reach Out I’ll Be There” and “Mother Head’s Family Reunion”. Although the band was having numerous technical difficulties, like bass player not hearing the guitar or Richie’s cable going dead, they managed to create a special atmosphere, heated up by Richie’s stunning vocals, extended soloing and creative improvisations. My personal highlights of main set included, apart from Atma’s appearance, face-melting version of “Faith” and energetic Mr. Big tune called “Shine”. However, it was the encores that were like an icing on a cake for me – “Remember” came out fantastic, “You Can’t Save Me” seemed to be audience’s favourite and Dylan/Hendrix cover “All Along The Watchtower” was the best possible way to end the show. About 5 minutes after going off the stage Richie appeared at the merch booth, signing stuff and posing for photos with fans. Overall, the show was well beyond all expectations. The only complaints would be the TOO freaking LOUD volume, which left my ears ringing for a couple of days, inaudibility of Richie’s vocals (someone should fire the sound technician, hint, hint) and the ridiculously poor turnout, which luckily didn’t stop Richie from coming out for encores THREE times (even after the roadie already turned his amp off) and playing a quality show. If you get a chance – go and see Richie Kotzen!
28. Electric Light Orchestra – Kraków, Poland 2009
As a highlight of their tour around Poland, former members of Electric Light Orchestra joined forces with Polish chamber orchestra called L’autunno, rearranging their songs to give them a more symphonic feel. The new combination of ELO & real orchestra was set to play in one of the newly built lecture rooms of Jagiellonian University and we decided not to miss this opportunity. Curious about the outcome of this peculiar fusion, we disregarded the numerous lineup changes that ELO has recently undergone – particularly evident in the absence of Jeff Lynne and death of the original bass player – instead we got former member of Styx and keyboard player who collaborated with musicians ranging from Celine Dion to KISS. A little worried about the acoustics in the uni hall, we sat in the comfy lecture seats, watching the security guys show people to their seats. The show started almost perfectly on time with a loud boom of “Twilight”. Next, the band, supported by the orchestra, played a collection of hits, including “Do Ya”, “Rock’n’Roll Is King”, “Telephone Line” and “Turn To Stone” performed in a medley with Chuck Berry cover ”Roll Over Beethoven”. Somewhere in-between the songs, the orchestra conductor introduced the band, adding bits and pieces of artists’ bios and sharing personal anecdotes about them, which in my view was unnecessarily long, especially compared to time devoted to playing music. What also deserves a mention was a shocking camera policy – the security people were walking up and down the hall, telling people to turn off their cameras, which was really annoying – firstly because they were obstructing the view and distracting us from the show, and secondly due to the fact that they were provoking a sneaky “snap-a-picture-hide-the-camera-and-pretend-I-didn’t-make-a-photo” behaviours. It would have been much easier to either don’t let people with cameras to the hall or officially announce that taking pictures is prohibited. Not to mention that photography should be allowed at any rate. But back to the show – the orchestra parts were treated as a background to ELO’s music, rather than as a means of taking the spotlight away from the five musicians, which was fine with me. I really enjoyed the violin input of Mik Kaminski and as far as songs go, “Sweet Talkin’ Woman” and “Ticket To The Moon” turned out to be my personal favourites of the evening, followed by a one-song encore of “Don’t Bring Me Down”. The last song was a huge success among the audience, with everyone standing up from their seats, singing along, dancing and clapping. Despite the warm reception ELO got in Cracow, continuous applause and enthusiastic responses from the crowd, the musicians didn’t return for another encore, ending the sold-out show after somewhat short period of 1,5 hours. They left us wanting more, especially considering the ticket prices. But overall, the concert was really enjoyable and everybody had a great time – isn’t it what it’s all about? :)
29. Winger (support: Nutshell, Carrion, Totentanz, Markonee) – Rockołajki - Warszawa, Poland 2009
I have really no idea where to begin here. This concert was a real surprise for me – firstly, because Winger finally came to Poland for the first time ever, and secondly because they were scheduled to play as one of the 5 bands performing that night (three of which had musically nothing in common with Winger, but oh well, that’s Poland, right?). Me and my three new friends “from the Internet” ;) set out early that day, coming to Warsaw from different parts of the country, meeting up and going to Empik music/book store for an autograph session with Winger. This is where all the fun began (or maybe was it a little earlier when we were walking down the streets singing “Miles Away”? haha). We got the boys to sign our tickets and CD booklets and took some pictures. I also talked briefly to Reb, who promised to play my fave Winger song “Junkyard Dog”. The fan meeting was huge fun and all the bandmembers were kind, accommodating and patient with the picture craze going on all the time. Shortly after the guys left the store, we took a bus to the land where the crow flies backwards.. oh, sorry, I mean to the venue. Taking the front row spots, we survived the first three bands, that is Nutshell, Carrion and Totentanz in that order. I say “survived”, because I don’t want to go into detail here. Let’s say it’s not worth it – bottom line is, before Markonee started playing we were completely exhausted and disgusted. Fortunately, Italian rockers made us quickly forget all the pain and suffering of the previous 3 hours. Even though I wasn’t familiar with their songs at all, I had a stellar time – and that says something. Excluding one of the guitar players, who was totally stoned and behaved a tad embarrassing, Markonee rocked the house, leaving us pumped about what we were soon to experience. And sure enough, Winger proved they’re more than just another hair band from the 80s. Kicking off with a track off their brand new record “Karma”, called “Pull Me Under”, they left no doubts about their musicianship, with Reb Beach delivering a jaw-dropping solo. They proceeded to rock through the whole setlist, comprising of songs from all their albums – however, “IV” was represented only by “Your Great Escape”. Whenever they were performing a slower song, during which Kip Winger played keyboards, Markonee’s bassist was covering his bass parts. The setlist can be summed up by the proverbial “all killer, no filler” – we got the hits, from “Seventeen” to “Down Incognito”, ballads like “Miles Away” and fan favourites in the vein of “Rainbow In The Rose”. During a fantastic “Easy Come Easy Go” Reb personally handed me his guitar pick, a bit tattered from his fiery playing, therefore even more precious! Surprisingly, it has Whitesnake logo on it, not Winger’s. The audience was having a wonderful time, also during musicians’ solos – John Roth played a nice solo on his black Fender guitar, Reb charmed us with his ingenious tapping abilities (and sense of humour when he was asking the lightning engineer to turn the lights on so he could actually see his guitar) and Rod Morgenstein played a short drum solo, which in my opinion should have been a bit flashier – the guy’s a Berklee professor after all. Other highlights of the show included Beatles cover “Helter Skelter” played with Markonee as the last encore, Reb’s amazing outro to “Headed For A Heartbreak”, impressive “Blind Revolution Mad” and surprise of the evening – “Hungry”. Unfortunately, I never got to hear the promised “Junkyard Dog” – as Reb explained after the show, due to Kip taking care of his voice after falling ill with laryngitis. Though the concert lasted waaaay to short – only 1h 20min, we were all completely stoked about every aspect of it. Afterwards, we got to take some more pictures and briefly talk with Markonee and Winger members by the merch booth, which was a nice way to end the evening, I for one will never forget. If you still hesitate whether to go, I have one piece of advice for you: Forget what Beavis and Butthead say – Winger does rock!! And check out Markonee’s “See The Thunder”!
Concert wishes for the future: Cinderella, Bon Jovi, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Yngwie Malmsteen, Deep Purple, The Quireboys, Marty Friedman and many many more!
Part 1 (2006)
Part 2 (2008)
21. Maj Party (IRA, Perfect) – Kraków, Poland 2008
It would have been a sin not to go to any concerts during Juwenalia. That’s why I ended up, totally spontaneously, on a series of concerts featuring Skangur, Alergen, IRA and Perfect headlined by German (allegedly) nu-metal band called H-Blockx. I came to the place of concert too late to hear Alergen (not that I regret it! The lateness was 100% purposeful) and I paid no attention to the second band – Skangur – as I was too busy meeting friends, buying beer, talking and hanging out near barbecue stands to see if they have anything tasty to eat. The only thing that actually stuck in my head was that Skangur used a lot of trumpet – good for them haha. Next, IRA came on stage, so we decided it was high time to leave the ‘beer village’ and come closer to the stage. This, unfortunately, turned out to be more difficult than we expected, because security guys didn’t let us take our beers a step further from special borderline. When you stop to think about it, it was actually a very reasonable rule, as there was no beer flying above the audience’s heads near the stage. So we quickly drank what was left of our beers, grumbled at the security guys (why not) and hurried to the crowd near stage, where IRA was already playing. That was my third IRA show (and I don’t even like them that much, duh!) so I knew what to expect. It was exactly the same as the other 2 shows, not special – but entertaining, though maybe a little less fun due to some unfortunate pogo dancers around us. When IRA finished, Perfect hit the stage. Seeing them live for the 2nd time, was less fun than seeing IRA for the 3rd time. Grzegorz Markowski acted like a clown, thinking he was the king of the world and the greatest rocker on planet Earth. Needless to say, he obviously isn’t one and never will be. When it comes to setlist, I can’t think of any explanation why they play this instrumental bit – entitled, if I remember right, “Honorata in Soho”. It’s boring, repetitive, unimaginative and has a ridiculous title. As a fan of instrumental solos, fusion music, and guitar virtuosity, I was thoroughly disgusted and embarrassed. People around us seemed to think the same, as the crowd went dead. After the encore (“Niepokonani” – invincible – how ironic!) we decided to go home, because we weren’t interested in German nu-metal. Actually, we heard a bit of it (queuing for the worst casseroles I’ve ever tasted in my whole life) and we didn’t like it. Overall I don’t regret going to this Maj Party, it was forgettable, but at least we had some good time.
22. Paul Gilbert – Glasgow, Scotland 2008
After ages of what seemed to be a permanent bad luck, I finally managed to attend a concert in Scotland. Having missed the PG show in Warsaw, I was determined to go to the Glasgow gig, no matter what was going to happen. I arrived at the venue a couple of hours before the show and decided to go in and ask what time the doors opened. When I came inside I was startled to find Paul Gilbert himself, sitting at one of the tables, chatting to some guy. Being the paparazzi as I am, I quickly approached him, took a photo, and asked him to sign my ticket. As he was doing that, I thought it was necessary to mention that I came from Poland and was really unhappy about missing the Warsaw gig. On hearing this, both Paul and the guy burst out laughing and Paul said to me: “You’re lucky. This one will be better”. And it clearly was. I finally ended up front row, between Paul and Emi and the waiting time passed by quickly as I was chatting with a couple of Scottish guys with horrible accents (you know T’zla? Or Wee’snk, aye?). One of them gave me Paul’s red SFBADR guitar pick (THANK YOU!), stating: “You know the shit – you’ve met Paul and he’s the man!”. Finally, after the roadie sellotaped setlists and pedalboard to the ground and checked if the drills worked properly, to almost hysterical applause from the audience, the show has begun. At first they played a couple of Paul’s solo songs, then some Racer X tunes (including the immortal “Technical Difficulties” and “a metal song in the key of F-sharp”-“Scarified”), a couple of Mr. Big songs, including the absolutely rocking version of “Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy” (complete with the electric drill guitar solo), as well as some Hendrix and The Who covers. The backing band sounded very tight and each bandmember had their moments during the show, like the drum solo by Jeff Bowders during “Jackhammer” or keyboards solo by Gilbert’s wife, Emi, during “Red House”. Slightly disappointing was the fact, that Mike Szuter, Paul’s bassist, wasn’t able to tour Europe with him, and Craig Martini was filling in. He was good, but he was no Mike Szuter. Paul played mainly his Ibanez Fireman guitar, changing it only for 3 or 4 songs. To my disappointment, he didn’t bring on tour his white signature Ibanez PGM301 :( Nevertheless, the concert was as jaw-dropping and surreal as it could be. The band didn’t leave the stage after the main set (“What for? We just want to play”) and Paul took a request from audience, playing a Frank Sinatra cover “Fly Me To The Moon”. Highlights of the evening included “Burning Organ”, which has to be the funniest song ever, and “Viking Kong”, beginning with the riff of “Stairway To Heaven” played backwards (no secret hidden messages though, as Paul joked). After 2 hours of solid, virtuosic music, the band waved goodbye and left the stage, while the long-haired roadie Lee gave me another piece of concert memorabilia – Emi’s setlist. All in all, when I left the venue (which by the way looked like the most neglected dungeon ever) I was the happiest person it the world. Pure awesomeness!
23. Nazareth (support: Stevie Agnew Band) – Edinburgh, Scotland 2009
Trying to fulfil the promise of not missing any good shows in the area, which I made to myself after not going to some top-notch gigs in Glasgow, I decided to attend a Nazareth concert in Edinburgh’s Calton Studios, now renamed to Studio 24. Although I’m not a die-hard Nazareth fan, the show turned out to be a kick-ass way to start the 2009 concert season. When I arrived at the venue, I realized I’m one of the youngest people in the crowd, which consisted mainly of middle-aged couples, who to my surprise were rocking harder than most of other audiences I’ve seen in my life. First, the support act – Stevie Agnew Band – hit the stage with their short set of modern pop-rock, a bit Coldplay-ish tunes. Not exactly my cup of tea, the guitar tones were terrible, but kudos for commitment. After roadies prepared the stage for the headliner, we got to hear some intro background music, crowd started to cheer seeing 4 silhouettes entering the stage, lights went up, air was filled with anticipation and.. guitarist’s pedalboard refused to work, leaving everyone in utter confusion. The band had to go off the stage and come up again after a couple of moments – the intro climax was destroyed, but the opening song’s powerful riff left no doubts about the band’s form. After 41 years of playing they can still deliver a solid performance. The highlights of the show included “Hair Of The Dog” with the bagpipe interlude by Dan McCafferty (during which he also played “The Bonnie Banks O’Loch Lommond”, which went down really well with all the Scottish people) and “Hearts Grown Cold”, with some nice bluesy chops on Fender Stratocaster. The audience participation was great, a lot of singing along and rocking to the rhythm – however, some annoying drunk people were spoiling the fun for others, shoving, pushing and spilling their beers – a shame really. After a 4-song encore the band said goodbye, leaving everyone in positive mood (though I felt a bit bitter about not getting to hear “Dream On”). Overall, I have to admit the show was much better than I’d expected – energetic, entertaining and worth recommending.
24. Tesla (support: Stormzone) – Glasgow, Scotland 2009
After weeks of frantic checking of Tesla’s tour schedule, a date in Glasgow made it possible for one of my biggest concert wishes to come true. One of my favourite bands ever, with my favourite guitar duo of Frank Hannon and Dave Rude(of Dave Rude Band), came to Europe to promote their new album “Forever More”. I was checking on the setlists on American leg of their tour, and decided to request my favourite Tesla tune “Song and Emotion” via band’s official website, seeing that some of the requests got noticed by Frank. I arrived in Glasgow a couple of hours before the show, and while I was walking from the bus station towards my hostel, I stepped right into Dave Rude, which made me even more excited about the concert. While we were queuing outside the venue, Jeff, Troy and Brian all came out to say hi to the people, which was very cool. The support act, Stormzone, weren’t bad, but not exactly my cup of tea. They seemed to be having good time onstage, but the sound quality was awful and I couldn’t hear one of the guitar players at all. After 45 minutes they left the stage and technicians quickly prepared it for the headliner. I was standing front row, between Jeff and Frank, which was a really nice spot to enjoy the show. From the moment they came on stage, kicking off with title track off their new album, to the moment they left it, after playing a pretty rare track off “Mechanical Resonance” – “Rock Me To The Top” as an encore, I was in 7th heaven. The setlist was near perfect (however I wish they had also played “Edison’s Medicine”) – highlights included amazing crowd participation in the intro to “Gettin’ Better”, teaser of Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” before “Love Song”, guitar duel between Frank and Dave ending with the riff of Queen’s “We Will Rock You”, smoothly changing into “Comin’ Atcha Live” and.. YES! “Song and Emotion”!! dedicated by Frank to the late Steve Clark of Def Leppard. I was literally on the cloud number nine and now when I think of it, I can vaguely remember what I was thinking at that moment. Later it has turned out, that some people who had VIP tickets, saw my request on the Internet and mentioned it to Jeff Keith and Frank before the show. Pure awesomeness, thanks!! The show was a perfect mix of oldies but goodies, including hits in the vein of “Modern Day Cowboy”, “Signs” and “What You Give” and new stuff like “Breaking Free” or “So What!”. Guys seemed to be having a good time on stage, especially Jeff, who was all smiles and joking, and Frank, generously giving out picks whenever he could. After about 1:45 hours of rock’n’roll, Tesla left the stage. At the very end, I caught the pick Dave tossed me, got Frank’s setlist from a roadie and headed straight to the merch booth where Mr. Hannon himself was signing anything anyone gave him (kudos!). I got Frank’s autograph, and thanks to Josh, whom I met during the show - photos with Frank, Troy and Brian. To sum up – what a day, what a show, what a band!
25. Mr. Big – Prague, Czech Republic 2009
A year ago, if someone had told me Mr. Big would reunite, I’d have laughed out loud. If they’d added I’d get to see them live – I would have taken it as a cruel joke. I saw the ‘better half’ of the band live (Billy Sheehan with Devil’s Slingshot in 2007 and Paul Gilbert’s solo show in 2008) and I was pretty much sure that was it. But miracles DO happen, and Mr. Big got back together in original lineup to tour Europe. Among the dates I found a show in Prague and decided to go. Fighting unbelievable bad luck with the ticket (the original one being torn apart by a horrible mistake, the second one thrown away to the bin and covered with pear leftovers – talk about stupidity!), I arranged a trip to Czech Republic. A few days before the show, the time started to drag mercilessly and I got immensely hyped up by reading excellent reviews of the other shows from the Euro tour (like Koray's). When the BIG day arrived, I started queuing on the venue’s doorstep 8 hours before the show (yes, crazy!). In the queue I met some cool people from all over the world – Poland, Germany, even USA. While we were queuing we met Paul and Billy who said “hello” to us, and talked to Eric Martin, who came out and was hanging out with us for an hour!! He told us some funny Mr. Big stories, road anecdotes etc, posed for pictures, signed our tickets, showed us some of the photos on his mobile phone, answered all our questions. I even requested the Talas song “Shy Boy” and he said they would play it, even though the plans were different. :) Overall, Eric is a really nice, talkative, funny and down-to-earth guy. Being there early and winning a crazy race for a nice spot, I “positioned myself” front row, between Paul and Eric, which was a perfect place to enjoy the show. When the lights went down and the band hit the stage, I was truly electrified by the sheer energy of the opening song – “Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy” (and every other song that followed, for that matter). The setlist was perfect – from rockers like “Colorado Bulldog”, through cover songs like Argent’s “Hold Your Head Up”, to crowd pleasing radio ballads like the mandatory “To Be With You”. Apart from regular songs, each bandmember played a truly amazing solo, topped up with Paul and Billy’s double-neck guitar battle, ending with Eric and Pat acting as human capos for both guitarists respectively. The highlights of the show (though there were actually too many to name) included the electric drill solo, Billy/Paul’s harmonica/microphone slide battle, atmospheric “Just Take My Heart” intro by Paul, amazing vocal harmonies on Lennon/McCartney song “It’s For You”, “Addicted To That Rush”/”Wind Me Up”/”Riff Raff”/”One Way Out” medley, kick-ass version of “Take A Walk”, thrilling rendition of “The Whole World Is Gonna Know” and.. yes! “SHY BOY”!! After the main set, when we were all cheering, hands outstretched, I felt something small being pressed right into my palm, and saw, to my astonishment, Paul Gilbert handing me his guitar pick!! I was so stoked, that before I could register what was going on, tens of sweaty, wet fingers closed on my fist, trying to take the plectrum away from me. Fortunately, I managed to keep it – and so I have another personal souvenir from my beloved guitarist! ;) Needless to say, the show absolutely rocked: Eric sang his ass off, Pat, Billy and Paul were all on fire and the songs stood the test of time. 2 tickets, 19 hours on trains and buses, 4 days in a Czech hostel without hot water, 8 hours of queuing, 4 painkillers in a row, tiredness, hunger and sleeplessness – all well worth it!!
26.Yes – Katowice, Poland 2009
Always happy to snatch the opportunity of going to a live concert, somewhere amidst the hectic schedule of last few days of October, we decided to attended a show by a prog rock band called Yes. The current lineup leaves a lot to be desired – original singer Jon Anderson has been replaced by Benoit David, while the keyboard duties of Rick Wakeman have been taken up by his son, Oliver. However, the band still puts up a good show and has a strong following of two or even three generations of fans. The concert started off a bit wishy-washy, leaving a kind of bland feeling. Fortunately, after 2-3 songs all our doubts disappeared and whatever was lacking from the performance has stopped bothering us as we were treated to numerous complex compositions from the vast back catalogue Yes has to offer. Somewhere between the songs Alan White played a short drum solo, which in my opinion had an unintentional mellow edge to it. Steve Howe’s acoustic performance turned out to be my favourite moment of the evening, while the biggest wave of audience applause was created by first notes of the radio-friendly “Owner Of A Lonely Heart” as well as Mr. David’s attempts at speaking Polish (“Dobri wjecier Katowiska!” xD). As the show progressed, I found his voice more and more irritating and his stage moves a wee bit creepy (to say the least). On the other hand, I liked Oliver Wakeman’s input – he was playing his parts with calm and ease, and he didn’t exaggerate the way his father used to (I can literally see the tomatoes flying at me for saying that). It was a pity he didn’t have a solo spot in the set which would allow to let loose and showcase his skills. I also enjoyed powerful bass lines of Chris Squire and distinctive guitar sound produced by Steve Howe on his ten (!) guitars. We even spotted him using 4 different axes (including steel guitar) during one song! After the encore of “Roundabout” the band left the stage and we realised, to our amazement, that the show lasted 2:10 hours! All in all, the concert was very enjoyable and worth recommending not only to progressive rock fans, but to all music lovers out there!
27. Richie Kotzen (support: Robert Pieculewicz) – Katowice, Poland 2009
Almost (but not quite) at peace with the fact that I wouldn’t go to this concert, because of numerous problems and complications, I was literally ecstatic when it turned out that it was possible for me to see one of the most respected rock/blues/funk/fusion guitarists. I bought my ticket the day before the show, and never regretted this decision. In fact, I still shiver at the thought that I could miss out on this event. When I arrived at the venue, I was shocked to see no more than 100 people on the audience, most of whom were musicians. The supporting act, one of the best Polish guitar players – Robert Pieculewicz and his band, was really good and prepared us nicely for what was yet to come. When Richie came out, he winced seeing the unacceptably poor attendance, but apparently didn’t let it affect him, because he treated us to an amazing, mind-blowing performance. Minimalist when it comes to gear – only one red Fender Telecaster guitar, no huge pedalboard, one amp – he managed to stun us from the very beginning, playing a choice of older songs as well as cuts from his new album “Peace Sign”. In the middle of main set Richie introduced a surprise guest appearance by Atma Anur, who played drums on 2 songs: Four Tops cover “Reach Out I’ll Be There” and “Mother Head’s Family Reunion”. Although the band was having numerous technical difficulties, like bass player not hearing the guitar or Richie’s cable going dead, they managed to create a special atmosphere, heated up by Richie’s stunning vocals, extended soloing and creative improvisations. My personal highlights of main set included, apart from Atma’s appearance, face-melting version of “Faith” and energetic Mr. Big tune called “Shine”. However, it was the encores that were like an icing on a cake for me – “Remember” came out fantastic, “You Can’t Save Me” seemed to be audience’s favourite and Dylan/Hendrix cover “All Along The Watchtower” was the best possible way to end the show. About 5 minutes after going off the stage Richie appeared at the merch booth, signing stuff and posing for photos with fans. Overall, the show was well beyond all expectations. The only complaints would be the TOO freaking LOUD volume, which left my ears ringing for a couple of days, inaudibility of Richie’s vocals (someone should fire the sound technician, hint, hint) and the ridiculously poor turnout, which luckily didn’t stop Richie from coming out for encores THREE times (even after the roadie already turned his amp off) and playing a quality show. If you get a chance – go and see Richie Kotzen!
28. Electric Light Orchestra – Kraków, Poland 2009
As a highlight of their tour around Poland, former members of Electric Light Orchestra joined forces with Polish chamber orchestra called L’autunno, rearranging their songs to give them a more symphonic feel. The new combination of ELO & real orchestra was set to play in one of the newly built lecture rooms of Jagiellonian University and we decided not to miss this opportunity. Curious about the outcome of this peculiar fusion, we disregarded the numerous lineup changes that ELO has recently undergone – particularly evident in the absence of Jeff Lynne and death of the original bass player – instead we got former member of Styx and keyboard player who collaborated with musicians ranging from Celine Dion to KISS. A little worried about the acoustics in the uni hall, we sat in the comfy lecture seats, watching the security guys show people to their seats. The show started almost perfectly on time with a loud boom of “Twilight”. Next, the band, supported by the orchestra, played a collection of hits, including “Do Ya”, “Rock’n’Roll Is King”, “Telephone Line” and “Turn To Stone” performed in a medley with Chuck Berry cover ”Roll Over Beethoven”. Somewhere in-between the songs, the orchestra conductor introduced the band, adding bits and pieces of artists’ bios and sharing personal anecdotes about them, which in my view was unnecessarily long, especially compared to time devoted to playing music. What also deserves a mention was a shocking camera policy – the security people were walking up and down the hall, telling people to turn off their cameras, which was really annoying – firstly because they were obstructing the view and distracting us from the show, and secondly due to the fact that they were provoking a sneaky “snap-a-picture-hide-the-camera-and-pretend-I-didn’t-make-a-photo” behaviours. It would have been much easier to either don’t let people with cameras to the hall or officially announce that taking pictures is prohibited. Not to mention that photography should be allowed at any rate. But back to the show – the orchestra parts were treated as a background to ELO’s music, rather than as a means of taking the spotlight away from the five musicians, which was fine with me. I really enjoyed the violin input of Mik Kaminski and as far as songs go, “Sweet Talkin’ Woman” and “Ticket To The Moon” turned out to be my personal favourites of the evening, followed by a one-song encore of “Don’t Bring Me Down”. The last song was a huge success among the audience, with everyone standing up from their seats, singing along, dancing and clapping. Despite the warm reception ELO got in Cracow, continuous applause and enthusiastic responses from the crowd, the musicians didn’t return for another encore, ending the sold-out show after somewhat short period of 1,5 hours. They left us wanting more, especially considering the ticket prices. But overall, the concert was really enjoyable and everybody had a great time – isn’t it what it’s all about? :)
29. Winger (support: Nutshell, Carrion, Totentanz, Markonee) – Rockołajki - Warszawa, Poland 2009
I have really no idea where to begin here. This concert was a real surprise for me – firstly, because Winger finally came to Poland for the first time ever, and secondly because they were scheduled to play as one of the 5 bands performing that night (three of which had musically nothing in common with Winger, but oh well, that’s Poland, right?). Me and my three new friends “from the Internet” ;) set out early that day, coming to Warsaw from different parts of the country, meeting up and going to Empik music/book store for an autograph session with Winger. This is where all the fun began (or maybe was it a little earlier when we were walking down the streets singing “Miles Away”? haha). We got the boys to sign our tickets and CD booklets and took some pictures. I also talked briefly to Reb, who promised to play my fave Winger song “Junkyard Dog”. The fan meeting was huge fun and all the bandmembers were kind, accommodating and patient with the picture craze going on all the time. Shortly after the guys left the store, we took a bus to the land where the crow flies backwards.. oh, sorry, I mean to the venue. Taking the front row spots, we survived the first three bands, that is Nutshell, Carrion and Totentanz in that order. I say “survived”, because I don’t want to go into detail here. Let’s say it’s not worth it – bottom line is, before Markonee started playing we were completely exhausted and disgusted. Fortunately, Italian rockers made us quickly forget all the pain and suffering of the previous 3 hours. Even though I wasn’t familiar with their songs at all, I had a stellar time – and that says something. Excluding one of the guitar players, who was totally stoned and behaved a tad embarrassing, Markonee rocked the house, leaving us pumped about what we were soon to experience. And sure enough, Winger proved they’re more than just another hair band from the 80s. Kicking off with a track off their brand new record “Karma”, called “Pull Me Under”, they left no doubts about their musicianship, with Reb Beach delivering a jaw-dropping solo. They proceeded to rock through the whole setlist, comprising of songs from all their albums – however, “IV” was represented only by “Your Great Escape”. Whenever they were performing a slower song, during which Kip Winger played keyboards, Markonee’s bassist was covering his bass parts. The setlist can be summed up by the proverbial “all killer, no filler” – we got the hits, from “Seventeen” to “Down Incognito”, ballads like “Miles Away” and fan favourites in the vein of “Rainbow In The Rose”. During a fantastic “Easy Come Easy Go” Reb personally handed me his guitar pick, a bit tattered from his fiery playing, therefore even more precious! Surprisingly, it has Whitesnake logo on it, not Winger’s. The audience was having a wonderful time, also during musicians’ solos – John Roth played a nice solo on his black Fender guitar, Reb charmed us with his ingenious tapping abilities (and sense of humour when he was asking the lightning engineer to turn the lights on so he could actually see his guitar) and Rod Morgenstein played a short drum solo, which in my opinion should have been a bit flashier – the guy’s a Berklee professor after all. Other highlights of the show included Beatles cover “Helter Skelter” played with Markonee as the last encore, Reb’s amazing outro to “Headed For A Heartbreak”, impressive “Blind Revolution Mad” and surprise of the evening – “Hungry”. Unfortunately, I never got to hear the promised “Junkyard Dog” – as Reb explained after the show, due to Kip taking care of his voice after falling ill with laryngitis. Though the concert lasted waaaay to short – only 1h 20min, we were all completely stoked about every aspect of it. Afterwards, we got to take some more pictures and briefly talk with Markonee and Winger members by the merch booth, which was a nice way to end the evening, I for one will never forget. If you still hesitate whether to go, I have one piece of advice for you: Forget what Beavis and Butthead say – Winger does rock!! And check out Markonee’s “See The Thunder”!
Concert wishes for the future: Cinderella, Bon Jovi, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Yngwie Malmsteen, Deep Purple, The Quireboys, Marty Friedman and many many more!
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