O2, London, June 16, 2014

[VAisForEagleLovers]

A great post by Joe.

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb328/vernakrose/HOTE/Europe/london/JoeandChristie_zps324d6793.jpg

[Houston Baby]

Gosh they both look great!!

[secret squirrel]

Great night!

Lovely to meet you, GA and your friends. Our Dad has a hearing problem so it can be a bit awkward. Didn't see anyone confiscating cameras. Did you see anyone taking pix?

Will message later but am out at a tennis tournament today.

Usual set, usual jokes - TBS looked lovely. Place pretty much full.

Noticed how Don brought up the not doing it because they were bored. Eagles never forget.

SS
xx
http://secretsquirrelshorts.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/helmut-berger-as-konrad-in-viscontis.html

[Victim of Love]

Just found this. NOT complimentary. IMO, this guy should have skipped the show.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/live-music-reviews/10905652/Eagles-O2-Arena-review-a-well-oiled-machine.html

[cjhill]

http://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/music/eagles-o2-arena--music-review-9542484.html

Here is another review...3 stars (out of 5 presumably) Seems to indicate that it was good but not great.

What did everyone else think who was there?

I like to make my own opinions of a show for myself. Last time i saw them they were awesome and I still cant wait to see them on Wednesday:)

[UndertheWire]

This one is behind a firewall but you can read the first paragraph. It's another 3* with complaints about the lack of spontaneity.
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/arts/music/livereviews/article4121905.ece?CMP=OTH-gnws-standard-2014_06_17

[Brooke]

Don't ya just love it? The critics hate them, but yet, they sell out huge venues nearly every night! :shrug: Guess somebody likes them! :headscratch: :lol:

[DivineDon]

What is wrong with these reviewers? Do the papers deliberately send people out who don't like them? And what makes it worse they probably get their tickets paid for.

Just read the comments from fans to know they're talking through their 'you know whats!!!' :eyebrow:

[thelastresort]

I wouldn't take note of what the Standard's view on anything, it's an awful paper that a couple of years ago went complimentary because no-one of sound mental capacity would willingly part with money to obtain a copy.

I think the Torygraph's review follows the old Rolling Stone (I think they said it) philosophy of them loitering on stage and being a bit too identical to the studio versions. I agree with that in some senses but I wouldn't knock them specifically for it. For a bunch of 65-66 year-olds to do 150 minutes of music a night with only a 15 minute rest is remarkable enough: I'd even say there's more skill in recreating sound identically in those circumstance than loosening up and improvising on occasion.

[Victim of Love]

Has anyone got pictures other than the 'stock' photos in the bad reviews? I watched the YouTube video of Timothy from lastnight but it was shot from far away. Does he still have the beard?

[Freypower]

I wouldn't take note of what the Standard's view on anything, it's an awful paper that a couple of years ago went complimentary because no-one of sound mental capacity would willingly part with money to obtain a copy.

I think the Torygraph's review follows the old Rolling Stone (I think they said it) philosophy of them loitering on stage and being a bit too identical to the studio versions. I agree with that in some senses but I wouldn't knock them specifically for it. For a bunch of 65-66 year-olds to do 150 minutes of music a night with only a 15 minute rest is remarkable enough: I'd even say there's more skill in recreating sound identically in those circumstance than loosening up and improvising on occasion.

'Charisma of a train station announcer'....

Although I obviously can't agree with that, the stuff about the total lack of spontaneity & increasingly apparent hostility to the people who have paid huge amounts of money to see them can't really be argued with, no matter how passionate we are on this board.

[VAisForEagleLovers]

I didn't read the reviews, however I can definitely say that in none of the shows I went to were they hostile to the audience! Anything but! I'm not sure where you get this opinion, FP.

The lack of spontaneity is their secret to success. Others use (generally contrived) spontaneity to cover the fact they can't possibly sing the songs like the originals. Our guys don't have to lower themselves to that level.

Here is a tweet I found:


Olympic Cinema ‏@Olympic_Cinema 9h (https://twitter.com/Olympic_Cinema/status/478913470885539840)
Thanks Don Henley & @GlennFrey (https://twitter.com/GlennFrey) for our namecheck @o2arena (https://twitter.com/o2arena) last night. Their 1973 debut was recorded here! #welcomebackanytime (https://twitter.com/hashtag/welcomebackanytime?src=hash) @TheEaglesBand (https://twitter.com/TheEaglesBand)

[Freypower]

It's an overstatement, but I get it from the clampdown on any form of photography & the apparently more frequent lectures to the crowd on acceptable behaviour. If this isn't the case, I stand corrected, but a large number of Borderers' reviews have spent some time discussing these issues.

[VAisForEagleLovers]

Fair enough. I'll just say I went to ten shows and never heard the band say no photos and only once did one of them ask someone to sit down (see my Indianapolis review) It was Glenn and he was very sweet about it. Security is a different matter, and with the exception of LA, they generally handled it well, but I can't speak for all the shows.

[UndertheWire]

None of the reviews are bad. They're all 3-star and praise the music but just pick up on the lack of spontaneity, which is something even fans complain about.

They are what they are. " Everybody had to look good, sing good, play good and write good." Stage charisma wasn't part of it. They aimed to be like the kids they were playing for just a little older and cooler. Not much has changed.

[Glennsallnighter]

Ok I go home very late last night after yet another Eagles adventure!! This time of course London.

To answer a few questions posed

Timothy has shaved off the goatee, that was one of the first things I had noticed when he came on stage.

Cameras were not allowed, this was transmitted to us via screens and announcements, security where I was sitting was strict and like in Dublin if anyone as much as took a phone out during the show they were hunted out by guys with torches and reprimanded for it. So while the Eagles did not say it from stage, they didn't have to.

The fun started for me, not at the VIP dinner (I will put the VIP experience in another thread) but afterwards. Unlike the other VIPs I headed back down into the concourse and met Troubadour and her Mum. Now Troub and I have been net buddies for over 5 years now yet had never managed to hook up together. So it was a great treat to finally meet up and go to an Eagles concert together. It has been one of our dreams for ages. We also met up with Secret Squirrel, Bashful Badger and their Dad.

When we got our tickets scanned the guy said to us 'You have the best seats ib the house Ladies' and guess what...... he wasn't lying!! We were front row, right at the centre. And we only and a few minutes to wait before the whole thing kicked off...

OK, the show.... what can I say. Its the same setlist as all the other shows obviously, and I know some reviewers like to say that it is over rehearsed and there is no spontaneity. I ask how you can choreograph 31 songs, video clips, along with instrument and personnel changes and be totally spontaneous at the same time. It doesn't happen. The Eagles have found a formula that works for them. Don't fix it if it ain't broken. Having been to 4 in a row I would say that they do their best to vary the comments, the jokes, the interludes between songs etc.
I have to say as you all know I am biased towards Glenn :heart: and I was very anxious to see if he had recovered from having that cold in Dublin. He was. he was totally relaxed and was having a great time out there. He was laughing at pretty much everything and I think a few times looked down where we were sitting. He was also looking straight at us when he was doing the 1-9 count towards the end of Funk 49, and the facials he was pulling when he was jamming with Joe earlier in the song had everyone in knots laughing. The only thing was that he did have a couple of bandages on his left hand and at the end of either F49 or LITFL (think it was the former) he shook his wrist a bit ad looked down at us mouthing something like 'Phew.... that hurt'. So i hope his wrist is ok. We got the Detroit Jokes and the bathroom break, but Plaintiff was missing - Instead he invited us to sing along to 'Lyin Eyes'. Highlight of this part of the show for me is always the Video to 'Already Gone'. If anyone finds it on youtube please post the link!
Timothy was in fine form as always and I noticed as I said earlier the goatee is gone.
I was delighted that Lou enjoyed watching Don so much. I think the highlight for her was BOML which of course he sang beautifully. When he took the mic before TLR I thought he was slightly stuck for words. Not noticeably but maybe just a little less prepared than normal.
Joe as always ripped the place apart with his guitar and his Camera. I believe on reliable information Lou and I were seen on the big screen!!

At the end of the show Glenn :heart: and Timothy gave picks to a child who was sitting in the front but more to Timothy's side. Timothy also threw some picks out to the crowd on his side. Glenn's mic had none left on it so apart from a half hearted 'Any Picks?' I left it at that!!

Overall I would say that it was the best so far of the HOTE concerts that I have been to, Liverpool you have a lot to love up to!!

[Brooke]

Ga, wonderful review! Sounds like it was a great evening! I'm glad you and Troub got to meet at last! I hope she will pop in and give us her thoughts too! :thumbsup:

[sodascouts]

Sounds fantastic! So glad you and Troub got to finally meet up!

[bashful badger]

Monday night we were miles back though still not in the cheap seats so luckily equipped with binoculars.

They say you can't please all the people all the time and I think that's especially true when you're playing songs that have been the soundtrack to so many lives. I have to say I wasn't particularly struck with the new arrangement of ‘Witchy Woman’, for instance. So as far as innovation goes, they’re damned if they do, damned if they don’t.

I never ever thought I would get to hear the Eagles play songs like ‘Doolin’ Dalton’, ‘Saturday Night’ and ‘Train Leaves Here’ live. How great was it to see Bernie Leadon back in the fold?

But equally, the earlier tracks leave my Dad cold and he would far rather have heard stuff off Long Road. Luckily, we did get to experience those on the last tour.

For me halfway through it morphed into The Joe Show. Apart from ‘Pretty Maids’, I can pretty much take or leave all the self-indulgent guitar stuff and songs that go on for half an hour. But I understand that he has a huge quota of fans (very loyal and very vocal ones) out there.

Probably my favourite was the ‘DD’/‘Desperado’ reprise. The second night I went that brought tears to my eyes.

More about the rules and regulations and staff cracking down on us later. I think I was on my third strike Wednesday night.

[thelastresort]

I was similarly touched when the did D-D/D Reprise, I wasn't bawling but there were one or two tears when I realised just how much I had longed to see them sing that live for years, for me it defines perfectly the harmony, songwriting and country sound that defined for me the real Eagles (of course such definition varies by person). The Winslow, Arizona line in TIE (like I said in my review thread) was similar, I'd been waiting about a decade to hear that line and when I did I think I kind of fulfilled my on true goal in life :lol:

[MaryCalifornia]

I can't tear my eyes away from BB's avi.


[oh yes, thank you for the reviews, everyone]

[bashful badger]

I can't tear my eyes away from BB's avi.


[oh yes, thank you for the reviews, everyone]

How come Timothy's butt just looks better and better?

[Tiffanny Twisted]

A great post by Joe.

http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb328/vernakrose/HOTE/Europe/london/JoeandChristie_zps324d6793.jpg
love it they both look great

[secret squirrel]

Short but positive review here:

http://www.music-news.com/showreview.asp?H=The-Eagles&nReviewID=10294

SS
xx
http://secretsquirrelshorts.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/doll-by-doll-i-never-saw-movie-more.html

[StephUK]

VIDEO, if you're quick!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qF5EHaeyqI

[secret squirrel]

Noticed how Don brought up the not doing it because they were bored. Eagles never forget.

SS
xx
http://secretsquirrelshorts.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/helmut-berger-as-konrad-in-viscontis.html

A reference to his spat with Robert Plant. In fact, he said 'it was the best job on the planet'.

SS
xx
http://secretsquirrelshorts.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/doll-by-doll-i-never-saw-movie-more.html

[WalshFan88]

Desperado

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qF5EHaeyqI

HC

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1Hph-ECF2c

ICTYW

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAxZrljSfig

[Glennsallnighter]

Thanks for posting these Austin, its great to look back at a show you have actually been to!!

[mickyboy]

Hey.
Can anyone tell me if or where I can get hold of a dvd from this night. Can't believe its four months since we went,my girlfriends still talking about it!

[VAisForEagleLovers]

Hey.
Can anyone tell me if or where I can get hold of a dvd from this night. Can't believe its four months since we went,my girlfriends still talking about it!

No legal DVDs have been made available of any HOTE concert. I'm hoping they release one, and if they do, it'll likely be bits and pieces from various concerts.

[MaryCalifornia]

Welcome, Micky, and very cool that you and your gal had such a great time. We are all hoping for a DVD!

[UndertheWire]

I don't remember seeing this review. It's nice and long as well as being very well-informed (with a hotline to Bernie Leadon!)

http://twilightdawning.com/2014/07/07/natural-progressions-the-history-of-a-long-flight/#more-1866

[VAisForEagleLovers]

Overall good review. Of course, this was one of the parts I most agree with:


For this writer, the highlight of the night was the double header of “Doolin-Dalton (Reprise)” and “Desperado (Reprise)” which was immaculately performed and had the dual blessing of taking me back to the teenage years when I first heard the “Desperado” album and the greatest volley of blended voices that I have ever heard from a stage, on the climax. With Leadon on banjo and everything just right, this was as near a perfect musical moment as I am likely to find.

[thelastresort]

Can't fault those words, I was speechless when they did it at the two shows I went to, it is literal perfection and I'm so glad they revived it after 35+ years (I'll guess they never performed it after the OOTN tour). Just a shame it is mid-set: it would be a wonderful half or main set finisher. Still, I'm not complaining.

[Glennsallnighter]

I would agree that this was a good and pretty fair review even if I personally don't agree with absolutely everything he says. I would like to see the guys back in Europe next summer although I doubt it very much!!