Sydney Entertainment Centre 2-12-2010
Well, I don't know if people read the SMH review about how apathetic the first night audience was, or if it being Thursday night made a difference, but the atmosphere was electric from the beginning. I am not going to review every song. They dropped BBF & GOTC & honestly this seemed to keep the momentum up before HC really got things going.
Apparently only Messrs Frey & Henley are allowed to change clothes at intermission. Glenn started in a pale lilac shirt & then a pale grey shirt. Don had his grey shirt & then the rusty pink coloured one. Tim had a navy striped shirt with waistcoat while Joe wore the same waistcoat but with a crushed velvet shirt. They all looked great!
Both Don & Tim sang a lot better although Don was joking before TLR that he had to go backstage & take more medication for his 'bronchial problem' & that it might help him if he ate Indian or Indonesian food. He said the song was a theme song for him. He was much more successful when he introduced BOML in getting people to sing along. The song had a quiet simplicity which the (IMO) overproduced studio version lacked. I think the best songs Don sang where as usual the ones where he plays drums - particularly WW & OOTN. I paid special attention to WITW & I found it very moving. Desperado was a lot better & like the other night a lot lighter on the melodrama. KISS, Don. His drumming is so underrated. He is really good. He is very serious, though - he doesn't smile often. Perhaps if I had looked his way during Somebody he may have done but I was - er - preoccupied.
You Tim fans would have been in seventh heaven as I was directly in front of him which meant he played the first half & acoustic set pretty much to me. He didn't smile but just watched intently as I sang along, especially during WITW. He seemed impressed that I was so involved. As the show went on though my attention was more focused elsewhere. He did some really good bass faces. I think the version of LWKUA was perhaps the best I have seen. Once again he revved us up before DL.
I should say that before the show we were told by security that we could stand up. I didn't think anyone would but it started in OOTN & DL & to my immense gratification continued during HT & LITFL. This meant I was able to walk up to the barrier & get just that BIT closer.
Joe was his usual playful self although perhaps a bit more subdued than the previous night but his playing was awesome. The LROOE solo is just wonderful. His singing was also great. He doesn't move around as much as he used to. Probably the highlight of his songs were Walk Away & Funk #49.
Now... Glenn knew very well that I was there, as you will see in some photos. It was more a case of just looking rather than giving major attention & it tended to be during specific lines of songs like 'kick 'em when they're up'. I didn't mind. As is normally the case he had his eyes closed most of the time while singing. His voice was awesome. He totally rocked Somebody & he should never, ever drop it again. He got perhaps the biggest ovation of the night, you will be pleased to know, for TITTL. At one point he even did a sort of Chuck Berry duck walk, which was nice as he doesn't move around all that much. I took a couple of shots of his back view because he looks good from that angle too! Also the Detroit joke was very warmly received & he seemed to find this funny rather than just doing it on autopilot. He did say thank you a couple of times. I would write more but those of you who are Frey fans will have experienced all of this. It is a privilege, what can I say?
I took far more care with the photos & am rather proud of myself. There are about 140 & let me assure you all there is something for everyone. At the moment they are still uploading to Flickr so I will post the link when I have created the set.
I wish I were going tonight but anyway - on Monday, Acer here I come!
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Sounds like you did a great job. Another concert on Monday... lucky thing! (I say this with the warmest feelings - you have waited a long time for this and you deserve every minute.)
