Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Elton John's Captain & The Kid Tour in Montreal

I had great seats on the floor only a few rows from the back, the only problem was that Elton's stage was too low to see properly. Luckily I had the aisle seat so I could peak out in the aisle or dance.

Elton does not have an opening act and does a 2 & ½ hour show with 24 set songlist. I remember Elton jumping all over the piano and stage when I saw him in 91-92. Elton didn't interact with the audience that much. He is still the most amazing piano player & musician but last nights performance was a lot more subdued. It had a great set list despite not hearing such favourites as "Made In England", "Club At The End Of The Street" Or "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" As usual Elton pretty much ignores his 80's & 90's catalogue. I was happy he included the 80's gem "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues" but was surprised when he was straining his voice and couldn't hit the notes. I had heard rumours that he was losing his voice. He had trouble with another song "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" a great fan favourite track from the "Honky Château" album. Interesting that on the songs from the new album he sounded great. A friend of mine mentioned that he should have better organised his set list. He did a lot of slow stuff in the middle and all the fast stuff at the end. As a huge fan of the new album I loved the middle where he showcased 4 songs from the new album, "Postcards From Richard Nixon" & "Tinderbox" was for me the highlights of the show. Some surprise songs where "I Want Love" from his 2001 critically acclaimed album "Songs From The West Coast" and "Believe" from "Made In England" which sounded heavenly and beautifully orchestrated. The rest of the show was filled with his 70's hit era.

Elton's musicians consisted of 2 original players from his 70's band Nigel Olsson and Davey Johnstone. The only change in set list from the London Ontario show was that he omitted the new song "The Blues Never Fade Away" and replaced it with "Daniel". The stupid Bell Center wouldn't let anybody rush up the middle aisle to the stage. What's the point of having floor seats if you can't do that *annoyed*, how I miss the old days.


Setlist

Funeral for a Friend
Love Lies Bleeding
Bennie and the Jets
Philadelphia Freedom
Believe
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word
I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues
Take Me To The Pilot
I Want Love
Postcards From Richard Nixon
Tinderbox
The Bridge
The Captain and the Kid
Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters
Sorry Seems To Be the Hardest Word
Rocket Man
Daniel
Levon
Crocodile Rock
The Bitch is Back
Saturday Night's All Right (For Fighting)

Encore
Candle in the Wind
Your Song

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Pet Shop Boys in concert at Place Des Arts Montreal

Ok before I start I need to get this off my chest. They didn't do one song from my favorite Pet Shop Boys album "Nightlife", NOT ONE!! They didn't sing "New York City Boy"!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do not be late at a Pet Shop Boys concert. The show was scheduled for 8:00PM and they started at 8:10. The show was very artsy in a theatre kind of way which fitted right in at Place Des Arts. The decorations were "minimal" with a stage backdrop that was in 3 sections that could be moved to change scenes, or project images or video's. They had a few dancers and back up singers and just Neil and Chris with his keyboard and lap top. No actual band, Chris Lowe does all the music.

The concert started off a bit week with the slow "Psychological" one of my least favorite songs from the new album. I kind of wish I was a bigger fan because the show was filled with lots of lesser know album tracks, b-sides and surprises like the song "Shopping" an album track from "Actually" which followed "Minimal", both songs spell out the title and they sound so alike. I guess they thought they were cute by doing them back to back. I was surprised to hear "Suburbia" one of my favorite early songs. I don't like sitting at concerts but this venue seems to be made for that. The show started to pick up steam when they did the song "Heart", it was as if someone gave everybody permission to stand up and dance thank G_D. There was a 20 minute intermission I guess to go along with the theatre theme.

When they came back they did the new Diane Warren ballad "Numb", I don't like the slow stuff but this sounded and looked great with the black & White images on the screen. I was shocked to hear songs like "Flamboyant" (one of 2 new songs from their Greatest Hits CD "Pop Art") and "Dreaming Of The Queen" from the "Very" LP.

The fans seemed to love the set of "Se a vida é" which I don't know well, and "Domino dancing". In my opinion the highlights were "You were always on my mind", "Where the streets have no name/Can't take my eyes off of you" where they were joined by cowboy dancers dressed in gold shiny outfits, and the show stopper, "The Sodom and Gomorrah show". For the encore they did "So hard", "It's a sin" which was so cool and they ended with the usual "Go west". I thought that with all the applause they were going to come back on but no the lights went up.

There were so many people there I knew. It was a lot of fun.

The setlist


Psychological
Left to my own devices
I'm with Stupid
Suburbia
Can you forgive her?
Rent
Minimal
Shopping
Dreaming of the Queen
Heart
Opportunities
Integral

Intermission
Numb
Se a vida é (with a bit of Single)
Domino dancing
Flamboyant
Home and dry
You were always on my mind
Where the streets have no name/Can't take my eyes off of you
West End girls
The Sodom and Gomorrah show

Encore
So hard
It's a sin
Go west

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Samantha Fox in Concert the Medley Montreal


Photo by Troystar

Samantha Fox blasted on to the stage of the Medley Montreal on July the 4th singing "I Wanna Have Some Fun" and boy did we. She had an all female band and 4 very cool dancers. Sam was in top form rockin the whole stage and flirting with both her female and male dancers. She sported a sultry leather clad outfit which very early on became a halter top and short shorts. You should see her legs wow she must really work out.

I'm always the one to complain that I'm too far away but can one be too close. The Medley is a very small venue. The person in front of me had their arms on the stage yes that close, no barriers. At some point I had her thrusting her hips in my face and when she did "Touch Me" everybody reached out to touch her me included but I quickly pulled my hand back out of fear of touching her breasts by accident...yes THAT close. Yes I did get to touch her twice...her hands. During "I Only Want to Be with You" she sings the line. "You stopped and smiled at me, and asked if Id care to dance", I reached out and she grabbed my hand and we swayed back and forth, I guess you can say I danced with Sam.

The best part (my friends will get a laugh out of this). During the song "True Devotion" to which I know all the lyrics. Sam shoved her microphone in my face, I was so startled that I completely blanked out forgot the lyrics and all I could think about is dont sing youve been told how bad you sing. You should have seen the look on Sams face when I backed down and motioned no. She tried the same thing with a girl to my left and she had the same reaction. Sams face said it all fine you dont want to sing. I met the girl later and she admitted that she didnt know that verse of the song. There was this Asian guy next to me with 2 friends. He also got the microphone shoved in his face but during "Naughty Girls" and he went for it. He was so cute but it was off key and both he and Sam cringed, he was so embarrassed afterwards. I told him thats why I didnt sing lol. I got to hang out with him and his friends later while waiting for Sam after the show.

Sam sang a lot of old songs like "True Devotion", "I Surrender", "Love House" and "Nothing Gonna Stop Me Now" which sounded strange rocked up and devoid of the SAW sound. The show showcased her new album "Angel with and Attitude". Some of the song choices like "Cause & Effect" (not a favourite of mine) and "Confessions" (the first song she ever wrote) were surprising while she omitted my favourite track from the new album "The Power". She closed the show with "I Only Wanna be With You" which rocked the house. She came back on to encore with "Do Ya Do Ya (wanna please me)" and finally "Touch Me". She started the song in a sultry jazzy way which I thought was cool and then rocked it to the originally version. The crowd went wild.

Unfortunately like many small venues there was sound problems during one song Sam kept motioning to the sound guy to fix it.

The setlist

01 I Wanna Have Some Fun
02 You and Me (new LP)
03 Cause and Effect (new LP)
04 I Surrender (To the Spirit of the Night)
05 Nothing Gonna Stop Me Now
06 Confessions (album track from I Wanna Have Some Fun LP)
07 Destined To Be (new LP)
08 To Be Heard (new LP)
09 True Devotion
10 Angel with An Attitude (new LP)
11 Naughty Girls
12 I Give Myself to You (new LP)
13 Nice and Slow (new LP)
14 Love House
15 Dreams Unfold
16 I Only Wanna Be With You

Encores
17 Do ya Do Ya (wanna please me)
18 Touch Me

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