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Monday 8 November 2010

Cheap Trick - ABC (Glasgow) 7/11/10

How long is it appropriate to wait for a band to appear on stage?
Half an hour seems fine, an hour might be pushing it though, while an hour and a half must be at the outer limits for most peoples patience I would think.
This is probably why the hour mark was the trigger point for the rumblings of discontent from the crowd to start, and then by the hour and a half stage why they began to take on a more mutinous tone.

If Cheap Trick had waited another ten minutes then the balance may have tipped and they would have been playing to a rather less than impressed crowd.

Fortunately they took to the stage just in time, and as the first chords rang out and Robin Zander leaned into the microphone all was forgiven.
I mean c'mon. This is Cheap Trick after all.
Once they started who was honestly going to hold a grudge.
Robin Zander was in fine voice of course.
They might be getting on a bit, with the exception of Ricks son on drums, but the material is evergreen and still sounds every bit as good as it ever has.
In fact songs like Southern Girls sound better.
Faster, rawer, louder and just.......well just better.
Cheap Trick may not have enjoyed the success here in the UK as they have in the states and elsewhere, but there is no accounting for taste and I've always considered that the majority of people here may as well have their ears painted on for all they know about music any way.
The sold out crowd are suitably impressed, but due to the average age are showing their enthusiasm by nodding their heads and tapping their feet to the beat rather than anything more exuberant like actually dancing.
Meanwhile I'm singing myself hoarse.
A couple of times I thought Robin Zander was looking over in my direction, but as my girlfriend and I were about the only ones bopping about it was probably just the movement catching his attention from the periphery of his vision.
Rick Nielsen tells us that he is feeling a bit under the weather with a flu bug, but it isn't slowing him down any. He gurning at the crowd, posing from atop his two toe chequered box and throwing plectrums into the crowd like alms to the poor.
Tom Petersson as usual looks as cool as fuck. In fact he is the elder statesmen of cool.
He is like the matinee idol of rock stars who is ageing gracefully and taking it all in his stride.
He stalks his side of the stage with his 12 string bass and looks every inch the rock star. Midway through the set and Robin slips on his Dream Police hat rock and roll nirvana is reached as everything clicks into place.
The audience should be made up of young bands with pads in their hands taking notes.
This is how it is done.
Rick has his gimmicks, but that's just a nod at the theatrics that are expected because they are largely irrelevant as the music does all the talking.

My enthusiasm for live shows have taken a bit of a dip over the last month or so. It's not been a reflection on the talent that is out there, but more so down to a degree of exhaustion, but Cheap Trick have served to knock me clean out of that fug.
There's another three dates on the UK tour and one with Alice Cooper, although that could be one of the dates.
If you get the chance I would advice anyone who has a passing interest to make the effort to go and see them.
(Click on the pictures for a larger image)

11 comments:

  1. Great Pics and a great review. Saw them last year in Toronto. Have seen them many times over the years and they never disappoint. A fantastic band that I never get tired of.

    Cheers
    Angry (Days of Our Youth)

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  2. The review doesn't really do the gig justice. They were fantastic. We only seen the first encore as we had to head to another venue for another gig. I suspect wee missed Dream Police and maybe The Flame.

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  3. just one point though -the band weren't 1.5 hours late all the sites stated that CT would be on stage at 8pm with no support i think it was about 825-8.30 when they hit the stage and yes still late BUT boy were they great !!!

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  4. I called the ABC on the Saturday asking stage times as I wanted to go to another show in King Tuts after the Cheap Trick gig.
    I was told 7.30 sharp by the venue themselves, but took this with a pinch of salt as the ABC have a habit of rushing the bands on.
    I've known a support band to be ushered on stage 10 minutes before the doors opened and just a few weeks ago the Cock Sparrer show that said 7pm on the tickets for doors opening actually seen a change to 6.30 on the day.
    Henry Cluney who supported The Damned was on and off before people outside had managed to get in the venue one night.
    I could give a few more examples.
    So 7pm doors open and the band hit the stage at 8.34pm.
    I'll split it with you and call it an hour after the venue claimed.
    It actually seemed longer as I had a women standing behind my shoulder bitching loudly from 7.30 onwards. It felt like my ear would fall off by the time Cheap Trick started.

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  5. Can you post the set list? Rick Nielsen had said the band would be taking requests submitted through a web site and I was wondering what they ended up playing that might be a bit out of the ordinary for their set.
    Thanks for the review.
    Proves again that, even when he is sick, Rick Nielsen is better performer than most all other rock stars.

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  6. It will have to be from memory if I can manage that and we left midway through the first encore as we were heading to another show, but I will see what I can rustle up.

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  7. I have actually found it.

    Hello There
    Come On, Come On
    Elo Kiddies
    High Roller
    Cry, Cry
    I Want You To Want Me
    These Days
    Didn't Know I Had It
    I Can't Take It
    I Wish You Would
    Miss Tomorrow
    Miracle
    Southern Girls
    World's Greatest Lover
    Sick Man Of Europe
    CLOSER (BALLAD OF Burt & Linda)
    Surrender
    Encore:
    Need Your Love
    Dream Police
    Goodnight

    Here's a link to the site.
    http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/cheap-trick/2010/abc-glasgow-glasgow-scotland-73d56211.html

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  8. Nice review of my favourite band - cheers!
    Very unlike them to be late, though. When I was in the States for Trick Fest 3, they left us at about 6pm one day to travel to Rockford for the 25th anniverary show the next day, and despite all the organisation involved (as anyone who was there or has seen Silver dvd will know)they hit the stage bang on time. Can't wait till Friday!

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  9. You're welcome Mike. It's been a long time since I last seen them. That was in the Edinburgh Playhouse when the supported Motley Crue, but performance wise it could have been yesterday as they are still on fire as a live band.

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  10. That's the latest edition of Classic Rock out that features the new Cheap Trick album as a freebie. There's also a nice little track by track guide with Robin Zander.
    Featured elsewhere are The Who, Springsteen, Buckcherry, The Dead Boys and more rock and roll legends than you could shake a stick at.
    Well worth a fiver.

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  11. Fantastic gig from a truly great band... and Wolverhampton the following night was even better!

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