so..................where to begin???!!
First let me say what a real pleasure it was to finally meet in the flesh folks again I feel I have known for years - rena, nevermind, marcel and sarah - we are in for the time of our lives this week!! Great great session last night recounting the gig!!
So Boston - one of my absolute favorite cities - and you can it is for the boys as well - David is always in a great mood when he plays this town and clearly was last night.
So we all stayed at the Ames - a swanky little boutique in a 1920s office building conversion - and while they are under water the place is very nice!!
our suite..............
the woodward tavern proved up to the task with very interesting food selections - again great call on the flatbreads sarah!! we all had a bit of nosh and drink before we set on our way to the Wang.
The Wang!!! What an incredibly awesome venue!!! Clearly 1920s vintage but also magnificently restored
the below speaks for itself!!
amazing detail throughout
just spectacular - we were about 14 rows back left center - and while not exactly what we are used to lol I will say it was an interesting perspective - and while yes I agree with nevermind that up front you hear the music straight from the instruments these seats afforded a beautiful large rich sound that played to the venue.
So enough of all this haha and on to the gig - and be forewarned I can barely read my notes lol
Lisa O'Neill - for the sake of not getting yelled at let's just say she was "interesting" lol
So the boys come out - no big production just straight to thier spots - the stage was set with three cool lamps - I think coty said it made it more club-like - definitely brough an air of sophistication...........so david sitting neill in his usual spot caroline dale front and center next to david with robbie and then keith and tim more or less to the side or back. Very cool.
So we get a rousing HELLO BOSTON from DG!! Here he did mention the 60 songs they rehearsed - and then a Christ only knows what will happen LOL!!
Sea - wow stunning opener - an all time favorite that I have heard only on a couple occasions - great song to set the tone for this thing..............the transition into Davey Jones was straight away and fantastic - Neill's guitar work front and center - great momentum built up with Keith going nuts and then a ".......you're the one who got away the one they couldn't touch at the edges of this lone world." there was a bit of improv jamming but I did think he didn't let it go fully and the song cut a tad short.
The we get "well this one hasn't seen the light of day for a while" and I knew something special was coming - and it DID!
LATELY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Most probably one of my greatest moments ever on tour with the boys - similar to SHWG at Jones Beach - just totally freaking out (me lol) and DG really getting into it - what a great great song!!! DG started out the song on piano and then got up for the fist time while performing and started to jam on guitar and dancin around - a fantastic close to such a great song - for me while there were many this was the highlight of the night
ANDAM - back to the piano for a very moving version of a song that I think will be a steady on this little tour
oh and another thing they did which was cool was a large white curtain behind the band that they flooded with different colors and shapes throughout the gig - a brilliant pink a flashy red a soothing blue and then some other gray-ish tint with interesting shapes - very well done!
We Could Fall - DG introduced this one as "straight from the heart" - this was Maria's magical moment and she was also beside herself - lots of great moments throughout the night sharing all this with the one I love - and certainly a very special moment for us during this song - absolutely beautiful and so appropriate for the venue
Jackdaw - no intro just straight into it - I have a note on Neill on the harp which I clearly remember him outrageously jamming so it must have been here (? lol) - again another one that so fits this set-up as compared to the big band
TOIL - slowed way down with a very cool drum beat - very interesting and definitely a different sound to an old favorite - Caroline did shine on this one and DG was having a great time smiling and laughing - fantastic!
Babylon - David back sitting in the middle and still a rousing crowd favorite - I think we still get this each night and last eve definitely no regrets - the crowd was very very engaged and did get all reved up on this one of course
Here is where he mentioned 156 requests and madethe first reference to stayin alive lol
Flame!!! Wow - just perfect for the venue - a personal favorite of Maria and I so was another special special moment - love you girl!!!!!
Here DG also added that there was a lot of interest in Lost Songs and went into
Hold On followed by Twilight - an incredibly special moment with two songs I would never have imagined hearing but they played so well to this set-up - he introduced Twilight as kind of rain soaked song - like London at 4pm or 5:30 or 7 or...............very funny moment!!!
On Twilight it was just David and Tim - brilliant! the outer extended til I see you follwed by the nah nah nah nah was simply superb and another steller moment for such a stellar show!
Kathleen - what more can be said - another DTL tune that plays much better to this approach than with the big band - absolutely fantastic! Oh and Lisa O'Neill came out for this one and was a great addition to the song
at the conclusion David commented "so nice to play on a real piano" - awesome
Fugitive - great uplifting moment as the boys got their groove back on and Robbie just going nuts!! DG having a lot of fun and shouted out a we're rockin now!! Great moment
So then he goes on to discuss foundling and a "we will give it our best shot as not much gets exported from the UK these days!" nice
Foundling - I just knew this would be the jam song!! And it did not disappoint!! Great bluesly sound to ipen it up and lots o wonderful moments with DG - from the "take me home" to the "feat yoiurselves on love - gorge yourselves on love" - another stand out moment
classic introduction - "a lot of foreplay ................. and then a cataclysmic end!!" very funny
PFM - very interesting placement and cool in this venue - made sure Rena was ok and she was - just totally immersed int he music which was so nice to see!!
Gathering Dust - unbelieveable - so beautiful and so appropriate for this venue and tour - still in abolute shock we got this - clearly another of the night's so very special moments
Forgetting - he called this a kind of a song - and it played really really well to the venue - much better than I would have ever anticipated
Encore
Shine!! Not much more need be said...................
TYL - great great fun with DG and Robbie going nuts as well as Maria and I lol!!
And then Rena's absolute favorite and also so appropriate for this "acoustic" approach
Nemesis!! very very special and as great as always
Sail Away - I couldn't take it and had to pee lol!!! Got back to the later half and it was a rousing ending - also allowed me to position to get up front
So when the standing O hit I made my move and was greeted by the warm and hugely friendly smiles of Neill and Robbie - great to see you again boys!! I think David missed me actually but he certainly will not tonight or tomorrow haha!!
The crowd was what you would expect - for the most part completely respectful yet with a lot of energy and shout outs - always a great crowd in Boston
And always a few that were just downright rude - like the two girls behind us off my right shoulder who felt the need to chat above the music on songs like Hold On yet then vocals just annoyingly blazing on Shine - and then to sum them up leaving halfway thru Nemesis........get a grip girls - or the two girls around row 10 in fornt of us who felt the need to be the only two standing and dancing some silly attempt at rythmic interepretation lol - please folks be considerate of those around you - I am sure they didn't do much harm but again it is just very selfish to feel it is "your" gig if you ask me
Ok need to fly but I think that is it - we went straight back to the Ames for a nightcap or 12 reminiscing on a wonderfully fantastic eve that I know all six of us will never forget!
Bring it DC!!!