Does Bryan Adams look like Albert Steptoe?

A couple of days ago, we went to see Bryan Adams, the Canadian rocker, at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto... OK its called the Scotiabank Centre these days but I still think of it as the ACC as do the signs heading in. Whilst it didn't confuse me, it apparently did Bryan Adams who was stuck in traffic a way away and decided it would be easier to walk and found himself confronted with signs to the ACC! Anyway we all made it, him 21 minutes late as the show started at 8.21 pm not the advertised 8 pm.

This is something I find inherently weird as rock concerts in the old days never ran on time. The time on the ticket was merely a first stab in the dark. I remember some venues simply saying "Doors Open at ..." instead of even trying to hazard a guess at what time things would kick off. I suppose it is all down to getting old and the venues themselves now having to adhere to health and safety standards, employment standards, cut off times and such. But anyway along with improvisation, things have changed.

It was a really great show. He got everyone up from the first song and kept it going for more than 2 hours with everyone on their feet, stomping, cheering and singing along.

I still cannot fathom why The Eagles didn't do the same only a couple of weeks ago at the same venue. They have a great catalogue and could easily have done so but seemed to actively chose not to.

Bryan has got older though. I remember him as a teenager I think in early MTV days doing 'Summer of 69', a great song on many levels. But he is in great nick.

There was a movie of him as backdrop walking through the Eaton Centre mall. Most people didn't recognize him but about half a dozen did and he stopped to shake hands or high 5 them. All in all he seems a thoroughly nice guy too. I like the fact that its still his original band from teenage days. Not many are like that. The first time I heard him live was at Live Aid in 1985. This set in fact... enjoy!

Anyway I still think he looks like Albert Steptoe. A bit.

Which One's Pink?

OK I know that this is a not so overt reference to a Pink Floyd tune and this blog is about the Eagles but it is relevant to a certain extent for only Don Henley, the drummer, is an original Eagle and the others who formed the ending group (excluding the backing band who were excellent of course) included two newish Eagles (Timmy Schmidt and Joe Walsh from 1973/4 or so, not so new then really) and two others who filled in Glenn Frey's shoes -- namely his son and a country music guy called Vince Gill who said that it felt odd at age 61 to be the newbie in the band.

Don Henley is the one in the middle

So Don Henley was the guy who sat at the back and sang the lead on maybe 3 songs. This is the setlist.

Seven Bridges Road  (Steve Young cover)

Take It Easy

One of These Nights

Take It to the Limit

Tequila Sunrise

Witchy Woman

In the City (Joe Walsh song)

I Can't Tell You Why

New Kid in Town

How Long (J.D. Souther cover)

Peaceful Easy Feeling

Ol' '55 (Tom Waits cover)

Lyin' Eyes

Love Will Keep Us Alive

Don't Let Our Love Start Slippin' Away (Vince Gill cover)

Those Shoes

Already Gone

Walk Away (James Gang cover)

Life's Been Good  (Joe Walsh song)

Heartache Tonight

Funk #49 (James Gang cover)

Life in the Fast Lane

Encore:

Hotel California

Encore 2:

Rocky Mountain Way (Joe Walsh song)

Desperado

Encore 3:

Victim of Love

**

It was curious to me that any time the audience got on their feet, the following song was downbeat so everyone sat down again. I couldn't fathom it really. The Toronto audience is loud, raucous and really wants to get on their feet and stomp. Any time the setlist allowed that to happen, they brought it down again and ended the evening with two really downbeat tunes.

Sounds like I'm being critical. This is the first time I've seen the Eagles and with only one being there it almost makes me feel that it could have been a tribute band. It was actually on Joe Walsh's tunes that the band really stretched out and I must say that I never thought I'd ever get to see the mighty Joe strut his stuff in such a way. He is a mighty guitarist and I still have no idea why on earth he'd want to join the Eagles in the first place.... obviously overlooking the monetary aspect. He is a far better musician that they are/were even and he clearly holds the band together these days.

Whilst I am on this subject I am also surprised how little Timmy Schmidt did too. He abandoned one of my favourite bands (Poco) in 1973 or 1974 for the Eagles and since that time has I think one song that he sings. With Poco he was a major contributor but of course the monetary aspect is very compelling and 40 years with the Eagles isn't too bad. He sang one song.

So everything else pretty much was sung by the younger Frey or Vince Gill. They did fine but they really aren't the Eagles.

I read the autobiography of Don Felder (one of the earlier guitarists) and have seen some biopics where of course Glenn Frey took much of the limelight. He was a very good talker. It must have been in one of those where he said that every show had to be perfect and every song had to be note for note from the album as that is what the crowd wanted, so that is what they are going to get. This show was exactly that too. Note for note. As I mentioned before it was only on Joe Walsh's tunes that there was any playing out, all the standards were per the album.

I hate thinking it because I paid so much for the tickets, but my overall feeling was that it was all a little dull.

Nearly forgot. My Eagles story.

Back in 1973, the Eagles played a show at the Oval in South London and there was a real buzz because they were this new, big thing. Tickets were GBP 3.50. Back then this was a lot of money as I watched Frank Zappa headlining the same venue for GBP 2 two weeks before. It was a full day show starting at midday running to midnight or thereafter. No curfews in those days, just endless breaks in between sets. Two hours for Frank Zappa! On the same bill as the Eagles was a no name playing his first major tour... Elton John, and I don't remember who else. I gave it a pass and played cricket instead! So catching up some 45 years later...