The ‘Phoenix’ tour
John Wetton (vocals, bass) / Steve Howe (guitars, vocals) / Geoff Downes (keyboards) / Carl Palmer (drums, percussion)
Wow! A supergroup re-formed and touring again – who would’ve thought it? 🙂 I had bought their first two albums (with fabulous Roger Dean covers) on vinyl back in the day and needless to say, I didn’t take long to get my ticket sorted for this one. I then toddled off down the road with Rob Mellor, hopeful of seeing a gig which would last long in the memory – and it certainly did!
The pedigree of each musician was unquestionable – King Crimson, Uriah Heep, Yes, Emerson Lake and Palmer, and… errr… Buggles! All were in fine form this evening at an excellent and well-respected venue, with Wetton in strong voice and amusingly using a megaphone when singing the Trevor Horn parts from ‘Video Killed the Radio Star‘, and Palmer with his huge Chinese? gong hung behind him. Downes was replete with his vast array of keyboards, and the timeless Steve Howe standing, as ever, on his little square of Indian carpet. 🙂
Rob Mellor actually recorded the gig with a little cassette player in his top pocket but that tape is now lost in the mists of time, so we’ll never know for sure exactly what was on offer that night but the Wolverhampton setlist from two nights earlier (below) indicates two new tracks: ‘Never Again‘ and ‘An Extraordinary Life‘; I very much remember them playing the latter because I love it and it became my favourite when I bought the new album.
Each member of the band was also allowed a short period of self-indulgence, playing one song particularly pertinent to him (two in Howe’s case), allowing the individual players to demonstrate their solo skills. Howe’s pièce de resistance was the wonderful ‘Roundabout‘ and ‘Clap‘ from his time with Yes; Wetton contributed ‘In the Court of the Crimson King‘; Downes gave us Buggles‘ ‘Video Killed the Radio Star‘; and Carl Palmer brought perhaps the most well-known piece in ELP‘s ‘Fanfare for the Common Man‘. Classics, one and all!
Inevitably saving the best til last, the band’s FM radio mega-hit, ‘Heat of the Moment’, the rest of the set was filled other classic tracks from their first two or three albums, each one greeted with appreciative cheers and whistles.
As I’ve said, a super little gig and, for me, it provided a lasting memory of the now late lamented John Wetton. 😥
Probable setlist: Daylight; Only Time Will Tell; Wildest Dreams; Never Again; Roundabout; Time Again; Cutting It Fine; Clap; The Smile Has Left Your Eyes; Ride Easy; Voice of America; Open Your Eyes; Fanfare for the Common Man; Without You; An Extraordinary Life; In the Court of the Crimson King; Video Killed the Radio Star; The Heat Goes On; Encore: Heat of the Moment (from two days earlier on 11th March at Wolverhampton Civic Hall so I would guess that ours was very similar and I certainly remember the vast majority of those songs being played).
And here’s a patch that I bought many years later…
And a footnote: This had been my first ever visit to Rock City. Yes, I know… I had lived in the area since 1979 and so it had taken me the best part of THIRTY YEARS!!! to get myself down there. Just think about how many quality bands I must have missed! Anyway, it was really impressed with the venue – it bore many of the hallmarks of my beloved Scarborough Penthouse; compact, nice and dark and a great atmosphere. I would be back soon…
Gigs'n'Stuff 