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As firsts come,
the average rock fan would have hardly believed that the mighty Foreigner
have never played the hallowed halls Newcastle City Hall,
let alone played any venue in Newcastle,
but tonight all was about to be put right.
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After the band originally
called it a day shortly after the 1994 Mr Moonlight album when original
singer Lou Gramm called it a day due to ill heath,
it was in 2005 when Mick Jones,
the bands founding father,
decided to give the band another shot and he put together what can only be
described as a who's
who of rock talent.
With long-time cohort Tom Gimbel leading the way as Jason Bonham, Jeff Pilson,
Jeff Jacobs and most
importantly the vocal talent that is Kelly Hansen,
were brought in to breathe
new life back into
this classic band.
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Tonight we were treated to
what can only be described as
one
of THE
top
shows of the year.
As the lights went
down the crowd gave the band a whole
hearted North
East
welcome as
things got off to a cracking start with ‘Double Vision’.
Instantly the
demeanor of Hansen was one of a man on mission, a mission to rock,
as he showed just
why he was picked
out to be
the bands new frontman.
He just
totally
ruled the stage with his
energetic presence and Steve Tyler looks.
The band kept things going as they went straight into the excellent
'Head Games',
which again Hansen nailed to perfection.
It was like he was
born
to sing these songs, such was he performance tonight, which must have stunned the
crowd as they sat down for the entire
first two songs
although things were soon
put right as Hansen asked if we had come to see a rock show, which got a
roaring response. Then as the first of the hits was played, ‘Cold As Ice’,
the crowd managed to rise to their feet and accolade what had gone and
what was about to come.
With Foreigner the love song has always been their
strong point and with this next one ‘Blue Morning’ showing the song writing
of the band at its finest, this was just the beginning as the next one was
something rather special.
Kelly asked for everyone to hold person next to
them close as the band unleashed the classic ‘Waiting For A Girl Like
You’, which again Hansen nailed to perfection.
He
was definitely enjoying
himself on stage as he made it his
own and then decided to claim the first few rows
also as he leapt
from the
stage (and grabbing our editor in
doing so and definitely putting a big grin on her face!) and
getting very up close and personal with the audience
in the front row as
he sang
amongst them, much
to everyone’s delight
absolute.
But the band are more than
just
a
soppy
love song band, they can rock when the need arises and the time had come to
really blow the roof off the venue with ‘Dirty White Boy’, before it was
back to a couple of crowd and personal favourites ‘That Was Yesterday’
and ‘Say You Will’.
Now it
was time for Jones to take up the mantle of vocalist as the band gave a
stirring rendition of ‘Starrider’,
with Jones starting things off on the keyboard
before
really going to town with
some excellent fret work on
his
Les Paul.
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With this being a greatest
hits tour it was time to really bring on the big guns of the set,
firstly with ‘Feels Like The First Time’,
particularly apt as
it
was the bands
first time in Newcastle, but
let's
hope it's
not the last!. Then
keeping the crowd rocking on their feet and dancing in the aisles with
‘Urgent’,
during which Gimbel
blew
up an absolute
storm on the saxophone, with
Hansen again
being vocally
superb. |
It was
then the turn of Bonham and
the
new boy on the keyboard (who's
name I sadly did not catch) to
show their undoubted talents,
firstly with a short
keyboard solo before
Bonham joined in. The rest
of the band then re-joined
the pair on stage.
With the stage in darkness Hansen stood centre stage lit from behind with
two white lights, as the first few
chords of 'Juke Box
Hero' were heard the crowd just erupted into one almighty cheer
and went into what was quite possibly the most frenzied dancing of the
night.
This legendary anthem was mixed with a little of Led Zeps ‘Whole Lotta Love’ to great
effect and gave Hansen another opportunity to get up close and
personal once more with the crowd as he leapt off the stage
once more and rapidly made his way
through the crowd stepping across the back of the seats until he was half
way back in the hall. Amazing! These
added Zep mid sections also gave Bonham a chance to step into his fathers
shoes a little before the much publicized reunion show later this year
and were a great way
to end the set and one that
left the still hungry
crowd baying for more.
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Well it wasn’t long before
the band were back on stage for the encore and what an encore!
For the second time tonight it was time to "get close with the person next
to you"
and sing
your little lungs out to
‘I Want To
Know What Love Is’, which the city Hall Choir did proud
and by the look on the bands faces they truly looked humbled by the sights
and sounds before them. So many happy faces singing along loud and
proud and pitch perfect with every word. |
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Sadly all great things must come to an end and it was time to finish off
tonight's set with a real rocker ‘Hot Blooded’, which rounded off the gig
and nailed it well and truly as "Gig Of
The Year"
for me.
I can honestly say that if it wasn’t for my impending holidays
starting
the next day, I
would have been looking for the next date to see if I could catch the
band in action again, but as it is I will have to wait for new album and hopefully
the following tour. If
you missed the band this time
round then
I would highly recommend
you
beg,
borrow or
steal the money to see them
next time around, I promise you
you won't
be disappointed, in fact
I guarantee it! |
