MR

Okay...just back from the show...Journey's first in London since 1980...and my god....they were ON FIRE! Honestly I can't believe this is the same band I saw in Edinburgh last year. It's like night and day. And you can see it in the faces of Schon and Cain - both of whom looked miserable and bored in 2006 - but tonight they were having a great time - smiling and joking - and in fact the whole mood of the band is so upbeat and assured. And the crowd? It was like a crowd normally is during an encore but at this show it was like that from the start. I've been to loads of shows at the Hammersmith Apollo - and seen most of the greats there - but other than Metallica in 1986 I can't ever remember a band working the crowd like Journey did tonight.

Obviously, being a stick-in-the-mud Loon at heart I can't deny that the band still miss Perry. There is still something lacking from the songs - they aren't as magical or soulful or melancholic - they don't have quite the same depth. BUT - what this line-up has is unbelievable energy and edge. It's a heavier version of the old Journey and they gave the old classics a thunderous treatment. There was no going through the motions this year...and no sticking to the exact studio arrangements either (they did a GREAT version of LTS).

Yes, JSS really has transformed this band - he's got real charisma and has toughened up this band no end - and I can now see why people are saying Journey are capable of creating a buzz in the industry once again. For a band that has been going for 31 years who would have thought that they were capable of such a revival?

The set -list?

No, MOL or IBAWY - in fact, nothing off ROR or TBF which was a shame (but nothing off Arrival or Generations which was a plus) - nor Only The Young - but they did play:

Rubicion
After The Fall (the only time JSS seemed to struggle)
Opened The Door (Schon was amazing on this)
Remember Me (sounding better than the original)
Send Her My Love (JSS sounding good on this)

....and they even went all jazz odyssey on us for a while too.....by playing Mystery Mountain off the very first album.

What else? Line of Fire and La Do Da...a brilliant solo from Cain (so much better than that hotel lobby effort last year)...and all the others were as you'd expect.

Anyway...I FINALLY feel like I'm back on board. No, Journey will never be as special as they were in the Perry years - but they are still better than ANYONE currently out there performing in this genre. By a mile.

I just hope that they ditch that stupid idea to re-record the classics and that Schon allows this line-up to fulfill its potential in the studio. But that's tomorrow's problem. Tonight they were SUPERB!

LOL, waiting for your review..........I knew you'd like it!

What? No ROR for Matt, now that just ain't right!

great review matt!!! this sounds very good , very cool an honest! please link up your recording of the show!!!!

Carlitto H@kk wrote:Great review, Matty.
You're exactly the type of fan
that this new line-up is trying to
get excited again; the on-the-fence
folks that still cling to the past with
Perry and/or Augeri.
And I'd say they hit a homerun with you

So are you now seeing what some of
us have been talking about lately, as to
how it's possible for this band to actually
make it big again in today's market?

You're right, CH. For years now I've just wanted Journey to let it go...to shut up shop...but that's because they fell so far below the standards they used to set. No, this line-up isn't the equal to the great days of the 80s. However they suddenly feel so youthful and dynamic and there's a real pride about the band that - as a fan - you can't help feeling too. And last year I didn't feel this pride. I felt depressed. So yes - if they can excite me - then there's no reason why JSS' comment about "1 out, 10 in" won't come true.

Do I think they can have a hit record? Or land a proper record deal? It'll be hard and we haven't heard any new material yet - but if any veteran act is capable of making a decent comeback it's this one.

My only worry is that the crowd were all old farts like me BUT I took my 21-year old brother along - and he was impressed. He had never seen a show like that before and promisingly... he particularly liked JSS and Deen.

So...who knows? There's a real sense of possibility now at least.

excellent - sounds like you had a great time

Thanks for posting on your thoughts of the show Sir.
Glad you enjoyed it!

Loved your review Matthew and also your enthusiasm! ...Reminded me of myself and my feelings after seeing the show last year,and I bet they have improved big time by then!
Glad you had such a good time!

Oh, and I really like this:

Matthew wrote: BUT I took my 21-year old brother along - and he was impressed. He had never seen a show like that before and promisingly... he particularly liked JSS and Deen.

Hopefully,your brother's generation will finally be won over by genuine live acts like Journey! Here's hoping!

Great review...Glad to hear mate!!!

e-

Hammersmith was our eighth (and unfortunately last) show on the current tour, and Journey have been raising the bar with virtually every show. They had a bad sound mix in Nottingham and a lethargic audience in Birmingham and Bournemouth, but other than that these concerts have been probably the best rock concerts seen on these shores for many years.

However, Hammersmith London was the big one and the one the band were most concerned about. Jeff had said that it didn't matter how well the shows in the rest of the country went, if they'd bombed in London the tour would have been seen as a disappointment. That's not to put down everywhere else, but London is where they need to be seen as a success because that's where most of the key reviewers etc would see them. They were up for the challenge and rose to it. The London show was a fantastic concert on every level - sound, performance, audience reaction.

I had the opportunity to wander around the whole auditorium during the show (taking a few pictures) and the audience were on their feet right to the very last row in the balcony.

Brian May was in the audience last night and I understand he was absolutely floored by the performance.

A quick word about Danny Vaughn too. He and Tony Marshall have added a lot to this tour, with a superb acoustic set that has won many new fans among the Journey fans. The fact that at most shows the hall has been pretty much full for the support act, and the fact that Danny sold out the entire stock of CDs of his new Traveller album from the merchandising stall, shows that word is getting around about how good he is. He enjoyed himself too, especially as he was able to see Journey from the front of the stage for the first time this tour. Jeff held out the mike to him at one point during the Journey set and he sang along for all he was worth.

Marty

Thanks for the great insight,Marty!

I'm so glad that everything turned out fine last night,especially because it was such an important show for Journey!
They really are on fire,aren't they?

I went on Bryan's website earlier - loved what he had to say about the show (so I thought it deserves a thread of its own )

Good news!

Thanks for the review Matt. You know I've been waiting to hear what you thought.

Glad to read that you went in with an open mind and were impressed by JSS. Of course, Perry was one in 500 million, but the songs deserve to live on and JSS is the man to make it so.

Thanks for the great review, Matt!

LarryFromNextDoor wrote:great review matt!!! this sounds very good , very cool an honest! please link up your recording of the show!!!!

What's this about a recording???

Matthew wrote:So yes - if they can excite me - then there's no reason why JSS' comment about "1 out, 10 in" won't come true.

Old Chap, I want to see this posted in the Perry/Augeri lions' den and the hysterical reaction it WILL garner.

GeneralRedRaider13 wrote:

Matthew wrote:So yes - if they can excite me - then there's no reason why JSS' comment about "1 out, 10 in" won't come true.

Old Chap, I want to see this posted in the Perry/Augeri lions' den and the hysterical reaction it WILL garner.

I have already seen what Perry/Augeri fans say to this. Some Augeri fans were very vocal about it, Red. and they think that Jeff has a big ego.

GeneralRedRaider13 wrote:

Matthew wrote:So yes - if they can excite me - then there's no reason why JSS' comment about "1 out, 10 in" won't come true.

Old Chap, I want to see this posted in the Perry/Augeri lions' den and the hysterical reaction it WILL garner.

funny! Now maybe Journey will FINALLY GET ITS CRITICAL ACCLAIMS it so deserves... Those people who were on the fence wanting to jump off, will be sorry...
If Brian May was blown away... can you imagine some industry folks??


Rick

I'll bet Brian wishes he had hired JSS instead of Paul Rogers. I think Paul is doing a good job, but JSS would have been phenomenal in Queen.

NealIsGod wrote:I'll bet Brian wishes he had hired JSS instead of Paul Rogers. I think Paul is doing a good job, but JSS would have been phenomenal in Queen.

Very true! Jeff's Queen 2003 dvd is phenomenal.

strungout wrote:

NealIsGod wrote:I'll bet Brian wishes he had hired JSS instead of Paul Rogers. I think Paul is doing a good job, but JSS would have been phenomenal in Queen.

Very true! Jeff's Queen 2003 dvd is phenomenal.

I need to get a copy of that.

NealIsGod wrote:

strungout wrote:

NealIsGod wrote:I'll bet Brian wishes he had hired JSS instead of Paul Rogers. I think Paul is doing a good job, but JSS would have been phenomenal in Queen.

Very true! Jeff's Queen 2003 dvd is phenomenal.

I need to get a copy of that.

Yes you do! I liked it so much I bought the cd set of it too.

Wow Matthew! Great review! Sounds like you went into it with an open mind and really enjoyed yourself!

Matthew, I've been waiting to hear what you thought of them!

So glad that you and your brother enjoyed the show. I didn't think you'd be disappointed.