DP pump it up in Brisbane, Journey plagued by sound Issues

[Don]

Darren Cartwright, National Entertainment Writer, AAP Updated February 27, 2013, 12:22 pm

http://au.news.yahoo.com/entertainment/ ... -brisbane/

Deep Purple gave it to their fans loud and proud at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Tuesday night in a performance that was hard to fault.

The show was much about the music that made the `70s British hard rock band one of the best of its era, as it was about the exquisite skills of the musicians.

Lead singer Ian Gillan arrived on stage looking rather fresh for a 67-year-old, wearing a resplendent shiny purple vest over a white T-shirt, jeans and bright white runners.

His attire was about the only component of his act that looks to have mellowed over the years as he proved to several thousand spectators that he hasn't lost his rock mojo.

Gillan still hits his notes and even pushed his vocal range to the limit when he took on a "voice versus guitar" duel with Steve Morse.

It was a draw.

Morse's skill during the evening had the audience drooling and none more so than when he stood alone under a harsh spotlight, front of stage, to start the blokey guitar chords for Smoke On The Water.

When Morse broke into a mid-concert solo, he had the black T-shirt brigade reaching for their air guitars and gyrating their hips.

Morse loved it as much as the fans and kept pointing and encouraging one male, drunk on enthusiasm, who seemed to be looking for his first world air guitar title.

Keyboardist Don Airey, who joined the band about a decade ago, captivated the audience with an instrumental interlude that included a fast-paced medley of songs from classical numbers to Waltzing Matilda.

Deep Purple played most of their biggest hits during the almost two-hour long show, closing with Hush and Black Night

While the acoustics and audio were booming for Deep Purple, the same could not be said for their support act Journey.

It was the US band's first tour Down Under and while they gave it their best on stage, sadly their efforts were not matched sound wise.

The vocals of lead singer Arnel Pineda kept dropping out and lead guitarist Neal Schon, who is a delight to watch, spent too much time giving directions to the side-of-stage sound technician.

Having seen Journey perform in Las Vegas in December, Tuesday night's show did not do their skills, sound or the vocals of Pineda justice.

Let's hope they improve for the rest of the tour.

As for Deep Purple, rest assured they can only play major venues.

Even though they are dinosaurs of heavy rock, Deep Purple would never be allowed to perform at Jurassic RSL venues no matter how old they are.

They crank up the sound way too loud and belie their ageing years - as do the audience.

No Deep Purple fan could have left the Brisbane Entertainment Centre disappointed.

One overly excited gent in his late 50s summed it up perfectly: "you can write they've still got it."
And they have.

[Don]

Smoke on the water, spinning in my brain
February 27, 2013 - 7:01AM

Natalie Bochenski


http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/ ... 2f4pa.html

If this review seems to be written by someone down to their last reserves of energy, it’s because Deep Purple took my brain out for a mind-bending spin through time without any regard to its need for occasional breaks from fierce, unyielding sound.

In fact, somewhere in the middle of Space Trucking, a piercing wave swept right through my prefrontal cortex, almost knocking me out cold.

Since feeling unsteady and on the brink of collapse seems to be part of the rock ‘n’ roll experience, I must conclude I experienced quite the show at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Tuesday night.

It began with Journey, the big-sound American band that’s experienced a revival thanks to its links with TV show Glee. Certainly, its opener Any Way You Want It grabbed the attention of the younger audience members (and, no doubt, diehard Caddyshack fans).

Advertisement New frontman Arnel Pineda is a spritely fellow who would come second only to Tigger in a bouncing competition. His voice too, is of the same silken timbre as former singer Steve Perry, but sadly he seemed to be plagued by microphone problems through the set.

Pineda did great work trying to ramp up the crowd through numbers like Who’s Crying Now, Open Arms and Wheel in the Sky; but for the opening act this Tuesday night audience seemed shy at best, and flat at worst.

Lead guitarist Neal Schon was sensational on the axe, waggling his whammy bar with great dexterity during a number of solos. He also looked the part in rocker black leather with shattered denim jeans.

Journey finished with the anthemic Don’t Stop Believin’ (could there even be another option?), which finally got some audience members to their feet.

I suspect, however, that the crowd filtering in was mostly there for Deep Purple, so Journey deserve a lot of credit for opening

When the billowing white curtains finally dropped on Deep Purple, the crowd stirred more. Seeing original members Ian Gillan, Ian Paice and Roger Glover was in turns awe-inspiring and oddly comedic; Gillan looks like any other Baby Boomer, shuffling around the stage and banging a tambourine, until he unleashes that distinctive nasal wail unchanged in four years.

Much of Deep Purple’s set was given over to absolutely monster solos from all instrumentalists. Steve Morse wowed again and again with his battered guitar; Don Airey was brilliantly manic on at least five keyboards (even weaving in classical pieces along with Waltzing Matilda), and Paice drummed the crowd into an orgasmic frenzy.

Still, the audience remained relatively calm and collected – maybe, like me, they felt exhausted just watching these blistering performances through songs like Strange Kind of Woman, Battle Rages On and No One Came.

Then the band broke into Smoke on the Water, and the crowd finally got to its feet.

Seeing Smoke on the Water played live is one of those bucket list moments; that riff is so ingrained in our collective music consciousness, I can’t even imagine a world before it existed. It’s like the chords were always in the wind; Deep Purple just wrote them down.

It’s wonderful to watch the way some songs just carry people into their own world of stardom. From my seat, I could see a wild-haired man in a tan leather vest doing the most epic air guitar work. He was on a bender with his invisible Fender.

Nearby, a fellow with a woolly beard and bandanna pumped his fist so hard it almost flew off. Together, these strangers presented a touching, if somewhat bizarre, summation of what it means to love rock ‘n’ roll.

Hush and Black Night were great encore choices that kept the crowd moving, and allowed Roger Glover to take the spotlight with his bass.

Behind me, two gruff-sounding blokes whooped and hollered as Deep Purple rocked their night away.

“After 40 years, they’ve still got it!” exclaimed one.

“F---ing ay!” replied his mate.

F---ing ay, indeed.

[Don]

I wonder if Journey's sound guy will mysteriously disappear on the way to Japan.

[slucero]

I wonder if Journey's sound guy will mysteriously disappear on the way to Japan.

..from about 35,000 feet?

[collingwood]

I'm worried now for the Melbourne concert on Friday.... that's the last 2 shows that the sound hasn't been good. Who's fault is the sound, does each band have their own or is it set up to make the last band sound better

I can't believe all the positive reviews Deep Purple are getting. I was half thinking we would leave somewhere through Deep Purple playing as my wife hates Smoke on the Water it sounds like they may be worth staying for.

[scarygirl]

I wonder if Journey's sound guy will mysteriously disappear on the way to Japan.

..from about 35,000 feet?

He better not go to the bathroom; he might get flushed.

[Rick]

I wonder if Journey's sound guy will mysteriously disappear on the way to Japan.

..from about 35,000 feet?

He better not go to the bathroom; he might get flushed.

One of my favorite scenes from one of my favorite movies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15NaxXVtSQ0

[jrny84]

Journey seems to have this problem way to much. Didnt this happen when they first played the UK a few years back?

[steveo777]

Journey has been traveling light the past couple years. Instead of bringing much of their own sound equipment, including their own AMPS, Whale or the Faz, they started relying on house PA systems to transmit their sound. Big Mistake. Big! Huge!!!!! Really unprofessional for a band of Journey's stature. These cost cutting and laziness issues cost them more than they save, IMO.

[Rick]

Journey has been traveling light the past couple years. Instead of bringing much of their own sound equipment, including their own AMPS, Whale or the Faz, they started relying on house PA systems to transmit their sound. Big Mistake. Big! Huge!!!!! Really unprofessional for a band of Journey's stature. These cost cutting and laziness issues cost them more than they save, IMO.

If Deep Purple can sound good, Journey can sound good. There's no excuse. It's been going on for far too long.

[majik]

I'm hoping the sound issue are sorted by the time they come to Perth. This will be the first time for my wife and I to see Journey. We met in 1981 to the sound of Who's Cryin' Now playing on the radio and we've been fans ever since. Our youngest son who is 18 years old will be with us on the night and that will be more than a little surreal. Imagine if it were the classic lineup, I hope Arnel is up to the challenge.
Also looking forward to seeing DP after reading some great reviews and especially Steve Morse, my Musicman Silhouette was signed by him on the headstock at a guitar clinic he held here some years back. Counting the days now.

[FamilyMan]

Journey has been traveling light the past couple years. Instead of bringing much of their own sound equipment, including their own AMPS, Whale or the Faz, they started relying on house PA systems to transmit their sound. Big Mistake. Big! Huge!!!!! Really unprofessional for a band of Journey's stature. These cost cutting and laziness issues cost them more than they save, IMO.

What????!!!! They're using house PA? WTF?

[The_Noble_Cause]

Journey has been traveling light the past couple years. Instead of bringing much of their own sound equipment, including their own AMPS, Whale or the Faz, they started relying on house PA systems to transmit their sound. Big Mistake. Big! Huge!!!!! Really unprofessional for a band of Journey's stature. These cost cutting and laziness issues cost them more than they save, IMO.

What????!!!! They're using house PA? WTF?

Laughable. Can Andrew confirm?

[steveo777]

Journey has been traveling light the past couple years. Instead of bringing much of their own sound equipment, including their own AMPS, Whale or the Faz, they started relying on house PA systems to transmit their sound. Big Mistake. Big! Huge!!!!! Really unprofessional for a band of Journey's stature. These cost cutting and laziness issues cost them more than they save, IMO.

What????!!!! They're using house PA? WTF?

Laughable. Can Andrew confirm?

I suspect they are because they were doing this in UK before and we were hearing complaint after complaint of sound issues. It was printed that they were using them and admitted to. I just can't find the info right now. Still searching, but if anyone comes up with the info, feel free to post.

[slucero]

Journey has been traveling light the past couple years. Instead of bringing much of their own sound equipment, including their own AMPS, Whale or the Faz, they started relying on house PA systems to transmit their sound. Big Mistake. Big! Huge!!!!! Really unprofessional for a band of Journey's stature. These cost cutting and laziness issues cost them more than they save, IMO.

What????!!!! They're using house PA? WTF?

Laughable. Can Andrew confirm?

I suspect they are because they were doing this in UK before and we were hearing complaint after complaint of sound issues. It was printed that they were using them and admitted to. I just can't find the info right now. Still searching, but if anyone comes up with the info, feel free to post.

While its pretty normal for most touring acts to rent gear on tours.. been happening for a long time now... Neal has WAY too complicated a rig to simply rent.. he's taking his own gear, as I'm sure the rest of the band is.. with the exception of Jon's piano... which I'm sure they rent.. but he's not playing piano on every song.. and there quality piano's elsewhere in the world for rent too..

These days most House systems are actually pretty good.. especially at the level they are playing at. It's also something that's worked out upfront before the tour.

That DP can sound great on the the very same system Journey just used is an indication that the problem lies with who is doing sound for them.. not the equipment.

[Art Vandelay]

Having the opening act's sound be a little off is a trick that has been around for a long time. Used to see this a lot back in the '70s, it made the headliners seem that much stronger. The one time that I didn't see this happen back in the day was when Steely Dan opened for the Eagles...and SD came off as a much better act that night.

[memberzonly]

When you are playing a guitar rig with such a washed out sound, you have to overcompensate by pushing the level louder to achieve the same effect as when that rig is played alone. Heavy delay and reverb effects wash out an entire mix. Couple this with the venues that are RARELY designed for complex sound reproduction and you have a mess. And it doesn't help that Neal likes himself LOUD in the FOH.

Compare any of Morse's live sound to Neal's. Morse has delay but is ambient NOT encompassing. Purple and Journey have a similar footprint of musicians. It's the guitar that is sucking up all the space.

Neal, drop the wash and go back to a simple delay for some space.

[slucero]

When you are playing a guitar rig with such a washed out sound, you have to overcompensate by pushing the level louder to achieve the same effect as when that rig is played alone. Heavy delay and reverb effects wash out an entire mix. Couple this with the venues that are RARELY designed for complex sound reproduction and you have a mess. And it doesn't help that Neal likes himself LOUD in the FOH.

Compare any of Morse's live sound to Neal's. Morse has delay but is ambient NOT encompassing. Purple and Journey have a similar footprint of musicians. It's the guitar that is sucking up all the space.

Neal, drop the wash and go back to a simple delay for some space.

this I can agree with.