|
It's been
way too long since we saw this rock legend in concert. Acting in
capacity as special guest on tour with Bob Catley, this is one performer
who most certainly shouldn't be touted as a support act.
It was such a treat for us to have these two legends tour together. Not
only that the toured together but that they actually ventured further
north than the Watford gap, which is virtually unheard of for most of
the bands we really want to see live these days.
Trillians was the perfect setting for tonight's gig as its cosy
atmosphere and good acoustics made helped create a wonderful setting for
the show.
Mr Winger has for a large part of it been out of sight, although not out
of mind, over the last few years. A lot of people presumed that after
the demise of his band Winger he had gone into producing other peoples
records. Or maybe that he had simply dropped off the face of the earth
as a lot of bands who were popular at that time seemed to do. But no! I
can confirm that not only is Kip alive and well but he is also putting
out some pretty marvelous tunes as well.
It
may have been partially due to the fact that the crowd tonight ranged in
age from about 30 - late 50's, but it must have made a pleasant surprise
for Kip that the crowd not only knew who he was, but that they spent
most of the night shouting out requests for all their old favourite
songs from his back catalogue.
If he wasn't overwhelmed by this then he must have been made of stone.
No one could deny the sheer enjoyment the fans were having at hearing
him do this acoustic tour. Yes it felt a bit strange seeing him up there
on the stage all on his own without any backing musicians, but that did
not alter the fact that he came on and gave us his all. I doubt whether
many people would have left after a gig like that and not made a mental
note to look out for his next tour.
Kip Winger is an artist who hasn't lied down and let the bad times get
the better of him. He has had a lot of good times in the past, but he's
also had a lot of bad times as well. Has he let these hold him down? Has
he heck as like! He has come out the other side stronger and with a much
more laid back than he used to have. He knows now that he doesn't have
to prove himself to anybody and this is a side of him we prefer.
Here
before us we had someone who's managed to stand the test of time and
there's not that many bands who have managed to do that. A lot fell foul
by trying to do the whole image and packaging thing and bowed down to
what was expected of them at the time by the marketing media. But Kip
bless him is not one of them. This time around his voice is stronger and
more mature. The young man with the chiselled jaw and the stubble has
grown older and wiser. He still possesses those heart throb good looks
that we all know so well and with this new album he is sure to make his
mark once again on the rock scene with the older fans who prefer their
rock to be classic and have some real substance to it.
Who could forget the gems we heard from the past as they flooded out
from the stage and across the room. It's surprising just how many songs
you do know and it's only when he started to sing them that you thought
... oh yes I loved that one! ... and then astounded yourself by even
managing to remember all the words as well.
During the set we heard a lot of playful heckling from the headline
band. Apparently during the tour they had nicknamed him 'Winge - r',
this he took in the playful spirit it was intended. Later on they were
heard shouting out 'You rule Kip!'
The
atmosphere was very laid back throughout the whole show and it was nice
to feel that the Kip and the crowd connected in a way that very few
bands seem to do these days. We took him to our hearts and had a good
laugh with him. I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that we all have
nothing but the greatest respect for this man and his music. He's come a
long way since playing bass to Alice Cooper and if tonight's performance
is anything to go by then he still has a lot more mileage in him still
to come.
It may have been a long time no see for us, but we were reassured by the
fact that he promised to tour again in summer 2001 and that he would be
returning up north to see us again. He even hinted that there might be a
Winger reunion in the pipeline, lets hope so. All told a great gig.
Setlist Included:
Miles Away,
Revolution Man,
Easy Come, Easy Go,
The Rainbow & The Rose,
Heading For A Heartbreak,
Down,
Incognito
|