Concert Reviews and Rock and Roll Stories from fans who love live music

The Rolling Stones Shine A Light IMAX Concert Movie

How many hot blond models can you cram in the front row of a theatre for a Rolling Stones concert movie? Ask Martin Scorsese he would probably know the exact number for sure. What I know for sure is that the front row looked great and this rockumentary could be the best concert film ever.

Filmed across 2 nights at the lush Beacon Theatre in NYC in the IMAX format the sound and picture quality are second to none.

Scorsese sneaks up on you a little at a time. The first 20 minutes or so of footage are presented in the standard cinema format and scenes oscillate between the director trying to nail down details with a band that can’t or refuses to be nailed down. Jagger won’t up the setlist and Scorsese needs the setlist to direct his cameras. There are several other exchanges between these to icons, most through a second or third party that just hilarious and really spells out how alike Read the rest of this entry »

One of my concert rituals is that I never listen to the band I am seeing on the day of the show. Not sure when I started doing this… I just find it heightens the initial blast of live music on game day. As I approached the The Phoenix I passed some 20-somethings downing the whiskey and other liquors as if there was a drought coming or The Doors. (flashback). Once inside I jockeyed up front as the band took position on stage.

Goosebumps outa the gates at the Phoenix - Break On Through is hardcore… this band is hardcore… heavy bass line… Clifton David delivers the first verse and I was hooked in… I looked around and the crowd was hooked. This song, done this well, this loud was killer. I ran to the back near the soundboard to high-5 Read the rest of this entry »

“possibly the best audience in North America for the Magic tour — including Boston shows,” one regular concertgoer reports who has done 19 shows this tour.” from backstreets.com

I actually had a ticket to see Elton John in Kitchener this day. I unloaded my single on Craigslist hours before the show and opted out of the 29 song evening of piano and bolted to Hamilton to join Todd and some other friends in the VIP area of general admission on the floor for Bruce Springsteen. Wow what a decision that turned out to be…. I’ll let Todd tell his story ” … Jeff

Come on Up for the Rising…

Man last night we were there! Hamilton, Ontario was on fire and brother Bruce Springsteen was not only in the house he owned the place!

We arrived early somewhere around 2PM to get a wristband for the pit lottery. Our thought process was that I would get 1 in the first few hundred and my friend would get their wrist band somewhere in the next few hundred. So hopefully 1 of us would be getting in for sure. You know sacrifice your buddy for the cause! By the time 5:15PM rolled around Read the rest of this entry »

I left Toronto just after lunch and was lucky enough to catch a ride to Kingston, Ontario with a couple I had never met before. With a solo ticket for this one , I knew I would run into a handful of other Hip Fans I have met through The Hipbase or various other Hip Tours over the 17 years I have followed this Canadian Music Hall of Fame Band. The husband and wife were heading to the show in a convoy with another 1-2 vehicles all heading for an overnight roadtrip to see The Hip open up the all new K-Rock Arena. It was great to hear them talk about taking their kids on a family Trip down to the Rock Hall of Fame, Sun Studios and Graceland. Those are all on my list as my kids get a bit older. After sharing some stories and some truck stop food we arrived in Kingston just after4pm. They checked in to their hotel and I headed over towards the Arena to see if I could get in a little early and see the Band’s sound check.

One phone call and a good friend later and I am inside the new arena…it was clearly not finished in many respects but looked ok… I heard some instruments (soundcheck time) so I grabbed a seat for abit and saw the band do Read the rest of this entry »

There comes a time at most Live Music Events when you fall into a bit of a trance… this is different from the “hair standing up on the back of your neck” moment that many us experience but rarely talk about… the trance I am talking about is when the sound is perfect, your body is moving, you’ve forgotten there is a beer in your hand, forgot about your camera, you even seem to forget who you are with… and could care less about the pee you had to take 3 songs ago….when that moment fades back into the concert itself… you glance just slightly to one side to see if any of your concert partners were inside that moment with you… you get the nod… then back to the show hoping for another…

One of the above moments happened for me during DOGS. I’m not sure when and for how long… it was somewhere inside the first guitar solo… or maybe the hypnotic acoustic strum from Mike Daley… then again with Sheep … the extended voice echoes on words like “seem”, “dream” and “scream”… I loved it all. The vocals and guitar were right where we wanted and although I saw the mad-scientist behind the keys challenged a couple of times James Gray played a solid album with Linz joining in later during the encores.

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Speaking of encores… coming off of seeing some of these classic albums performed in Theaters… it felt so good to get inside the Phoenix-Sound-Field……. ONE OF THESE DAYS featured a Lap-Steel Read the rest of this entry »

I first heard The Kooks on satellite radio about a year ago maybe a little less. Naive is a really catchy tune, which I enjoyed right off the bat.

I bought the bands first and only CD INSIDE IN INSIDE OUT.

I also found I liked 3 more fresh out of the wrapper (She Moves in Her Own Way, I Want You Back, Jackie Big Tits) and a few more that grew on me over a short period of time. (Seaside, Got No Love, Ohh La, Eddies Gun) To me they have this Police, Kinks, Beatles, Oasis, and Reggae sound.

I would say liking this many songs from a new band and a first CD is a pretty good percentage.

I heard that the band was doing well in Europe and have done some pretty good-sized festival shows. This was only the second show The Kooks have played in Toronto. Luke Pritchard, the lead singer made a comment about this fact during the show. He said, ” this only our second show here and it seems pretty weird” and something about everyone seeming to be nice. I am pretty certain it was sold out and I didn’t see to many tickets on the street.

Anyway, the guy does have a really great stage presence. Out there in his loose fitting billowing white shirt Luke keeps the banter light and just at the right pace to keep everyone interested and laughing. He truly is a natural performer who Read the rest of this entry »

CBC VIDEO - Stones play surprise charity concert

In late May early 1994 the streets of Toronto felt different somehow to me somehow much more alive. The Rolling Stones had arrived for rehearsals for their upcoming Voodoo Lounge Tour. The first sighting and public picture in the Toronto Sun was Mick giving the finger from the backseat of a limo window as he left Harbourside Studios where the video Love is Strong was being filmed. Next Ronnie and Keith are seen at bar 606 on King Street near Bathurst. I go check out the bar the next day walk in for a drink just to see where Keith may have sat when he ordered a toolbox. (not just a screw drive - the whole toolbox) Again Mick is seen at Milano on King Street. I meet my then girlfriend Lynda there for lunch the next day.

Soon I find out the band has commandeered the Greenwood Private school on Bayview Avenue for rehearsals. Man its tough, the school is set way back on the property and all I can really see are security guards walking around and windows covered with brown packing paper. This doesn’t me stop from hopping a fence and trying to get closer to find out if I can hear anything. I even consider at 1 point maybe climbing up on roof of the school and hiding out so I could listen to rehearsals but I retreat knowing this borders on insanity. Nope. No luck and the best that can be had is watching the town cars arrive late in the day. Rumour has it Mick signs once in awhile at the front gates but they are pretty close Read the rest of this entry »

In June 1995 a friend and I had tickets to see Eric Clapton on the Behind the Sun Tour play the Kingswood Music Theatre in Maple Ontario just north of Toronto. At that time Kingswood was part of the Wonderland Amusement Park.

It was a perfect summer weather day, warm and sunny with zero humidity. We arrived pretty early in the day to check out some of the rides etc. and at some point in the afternoon, I’m pretty sure we were on the mind-buster roller coaster we heard some music coming from the theatre. The theatre is basically an outdoor venue with a partially covered seating section and a grassy hillside area. After listening for a few minutes there was no mistake “slowhand” was playing his guitar doing a sound check. We ran to a wooden fence Read the rest of this entry »

ASIA CONCERT REVIEW

I can’t say I remember a ton from this show. I do however recall how fast ASIA became a huge band 1982 / 1983. ASIA was being sold as a “supergroup” and they certainly sounded like one. Having the #1 debut 1st album that came out in early 1982 that had giant radio songs like Heat of the Moment and Only Time Will Tell. It was this momentum that easily pushed them into large arena shows within months of its release. By the time the second album Alpha with another huge tune called Don’t Cry, came out in mid 1983 ASIA was a touring machine.
I wasn’t a huge ASIA fan. I enjoyed what I heard but I didn’t have the ASIA cassette welded into my car stereo. If the radio hits weren’t enough, the idea of seeing members of two of the greatest progressive rock bands that ever existed playing live certainly was. Former Yes and Emerson Lake and Palmer members were in reach. Read the rest of this entry »

Ticket Stub from the first show.

Keith Richards - CNIB 1979

Just a little background before I share the experience.

In March 1977 the Rolling Stones (billed as the Cockroaches) played and recorded 2 performances in a small club called the El Mocombo in Toronto. These shows would be culled down and added as an entire side to the soon to be released double live album Love You Live. The band arrived in late Feb. to prepare for the gigs. When Keith arrived he passed through customs ahead of his luggage and went on to the Harbour Castle Hotel. Customs found residue on certain items in is luggage. The find leads to a raid of his hotel suite and the confiscation of a significant amount of heroin. Keith was charged with importing. When you listen to the El Mocombo side of Love You Live, Jagger intros the band and when he intros Keith’s he says, “of course Keith is completely straight”. Another note Jagger changes the lyric in Its Only Rock & Roll to ” I bet you think you’re the only woman in Toronto”.

Anyway 2 years later Keith had to prove to the Ontario court he was / is clean and among other terms was ordered to play 2 benefit shows for the CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind). Why the CNIB is of rock lore. Keith’s Blind angel is another story. The court ordered the shows and once finalized they happened fast. This is where I come in.

In April 1979 I was 17. I heard on a Friday afternoon tickets would go on sale Monday and the shows would take place just days after. I bolted off to the closest BASS (best available seating service) ticket outlet I could find. That was Burlington, Ontario in a Dominion grocery store set inside a shopping mall. I got to the location about 7PM Friday and thankfully no one was there yet. I was going to wait the 2.5 days to get tickets. The mall was still open when I got there so I kind just wandered around a little and kept a close eye on the ticket outlet. As the mall closed down I moved to a place in between the entrance doors and kind of settled in. It didn’t long before I noticed cars slowly driving by checking out the BASS outlet. Around 10PM the security guards Read the rest of this entry »