Here's why Journey Has to Play the Dirty Dozen

[NealIsGod]

Poor Billy Squier. I understand wanting to play your new stuff, but he needs to know his fans a little better.


Greg, a good friend of mine and long time site regular from the USA sent in this e-mail regarding Loopfest 2005, with Def Leppard, Billy Squier and Silvertide. I thought that some parts of it would be of interest to all. Greg writes: "Great venue and good show but I was reminded again of what it is like to be a great performer and loyal to your fans and what it is like to not do those things.
First things first, Silvertide is a great up and coming band and I was really impressed with them. Def Leppard was great as always. Billy Squier was horrible however. He came out without a band and proceeded to play nothing that anyone knew and was a huge disappointment. The fans grew very restless and even started to heckle him and he continued.... Normally you feel sorry for the artist when this happens but I think this time it was well deserved. It was horrible to watch. I understand an artists right to change things up but an artist also has an obligation to his fans as well. To add insult to injury this was his home crowd and you could tell everyone was really looking forward to his set and were very angry with his lack of respect to them. At one point after playing 6-8 new songs that no one knew (not even me and I am a pretty big fan and have many of his albums) he started the intro to Lonely is the Night and then stopped and said "just seeing if you were paying attention" and then played another new song that no one knew.
Thank God Def Leppard came out and played a great show. I have said it before and I'll say it again, a great band knows and appreciates his fans and their hard earned money."

[jrnyman28]

No, this is why Journey needs to find BALANCE.

[cubby69]

No, this is why Journey needs to find BALANCE.

Damn straight!

[NealIsGod]

No, this is why Journey needs to find BALANCE.

That's what I meant. They can't play too much off of TBF, Arrival or Gens or the casual fans get too bored. They have to give the fans the hits, too. It's a shame there is only one marginal "hit" off of those CDs, but Gens isn't even released for purchase yet, so who knows?

[OpeningAct]

No, this is why Journey needs to find BALANCE.

That's what I meant. They can't play too much off of TBF, Arrival or Gens or the casual fans get too bored. They have to give the fans the hits, too. It's a shame there is only one marginal "hit" off of those CDs, but Gens isn't even released for purchase yet, so who knows?

I'd call When You Love a Woman a marginal hit NiG...It got LOTS of airplay here in the Boston area.

[jestor92]

Billy Squier acoustic should not have been on the stage, I haven't heard a bootleg (if there was one I'd love to get it), but Billy and his acoustic stuff shouldn't be on a stage with Leppard because people don't know it. If Billy is going to be doing 1 off gigs he should've gotten a band and maybe did what Sammy Hagar did in VH and that is 1 or 2 songs acoustically and alone.

I do love Happy Blue by Billy Squier and wish he would tour some clubs especially if he has new matierial to debut, or just tour in general, being a huge Squier fan and not getting the chance to ever see him live (22 years old here) it would be awesome

[OpeningAct]

Jackson Brown did pretty much the same thing as Squier a couple of years back when he opened for Tom Petty.
He opened with Boulevard and closed with Running on Empty....and in between he played all new stuff. He sounded great but Jackson Brown as SO many classic tunes that people wanted to hear.
Petty, on the other hand, has put up the goods every time I've ever seen him....oh and NiG, what do you think of Mike Campbell as a guitarist? Kind of underrated in my opinion.

[jrnyman28]

Mike Campbell is a very simple guitarist. Simple, yet effective. But since he does nothing extravagant, he does not get noticed.