FIREFEST - DAY # 1 - Friday, Oct 21st, 2011

[MrSexx]

FIREFEST 2011 – October 21st, 22nd and 23rd, 2011 – Rock City, Nottingham, England.

Back in March this year I made one of the biggest decisions I had ever made back then. I was offered this traveling package to attend the famous “Firefest”, which happens every year in a small city in England, and features some great artists. I have some live CDs and DVDs recorded during some of this Festival’s editions – bands such as Lynch Mob, Bangalore Choir, Stage Dolls, Strangeways, Jimi Jamison and Nelson played there last year. Other years’ editions featured great artists as well, such as Crown Of Thorns, Valentine, Paul Laine, Tyketto, Mitch Malloy, Danger Danger, Tall Stories, Firehouse, Crunch, Harem Scarem, Winger, Gotthard, Wig Wam, House Of Lords, Vaughn and Shy, not to mention the other bands that also played there, which I can’t really say I’m a big fan of. But then I got to know this years’ casting, and without a doubt, it was clear that it would be something historical! Saving up the whole year was really worth it, and I was able to attend most of the shows, cover them for you and even have some interviews with some of the great artists that played at Firefest this year. Here I am to give you a nearly complete review of it all. Before writing to any website, it should be clear that I am a very loyal and devoted music fan. I hope you all enjoy it, as much as I did!!!!

Day # 1:
- SERPENTINE
- HOUSTON
- TERRY BROCK
- JIMI JAMISON

It was the very first time the Firefest production put on a three-day performance festival. They called it a “Pre Show”, but I still see it as the first day of the whole weekend, since big names were on the bill. I got to Nottingham, the city, by lunch time, and I could hardly wait to catch the bands both in person and live. I got to meet most of these artists and some others who were staying over the weekend before the first day shows. All of them were way too nice, polite, respectful, excited and amazed that I and a group of other 8 more people had come all the way from Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, Brazil, for the event.

The gigs:

1 – SERPENTINE

I first got to know this band because of the great singer Tony Mills (formerly of Shy and now with TNT) was the singer on their first album. Being an unconditional Tony Mills fan, I had to buy Serpentine’s first release, which I thought was great. Maybe because being a new band (they have just released their second album, “Living And Dying In High Definition”), they were the chosen band to open the first day. I could hardly wait to get these guys live, especially because they had a new singer, Matt Black, and I really wanted to check the old songs (recorded with Tony Mills) and the new tunes live with this guy fronting the band. To be honest, I had been in touch with them long before they were announced to perform at Firefest this year, as I also was with most of the great artists involved. Meeting them was just awesome, they are such sweet guys!!!! They had told me they’d be hanging out there the whole weekend and I ended up meeting them at different times at the Rock City Bar. Great people, indeed!!!!!!!!!!
Serpentine delivered a short, but powerful set, showing how these guys rock, and what they have in store for their brilliant future to come. They are quite good musicians and performers, and they can surely be the next big AOR thing, if given the right promotion and support. These guys still have the time to do it, since they all seem to be in their early twenties, which is something that did not differ at all from the bigger bands. Great songs and professionalism was what they had to offer, and they surely had a lot of people there who really enjoyed their set. Guitar player Chris Gould looked and sounded like a young Zakk Wylde, executing licks that any good guitar player would be proud of playing. Keyboard player and main man Gareth David Noon did a pretty good job too, which made sure why Serpentine is where they are right now. A great player, and a great songwriter as well. The bottom band, bass player Gareth Vanstone and drummer Roy Millward were also good, and singer Matt Black, even not having the same vocal range that the great Tony Mills has, was also impressive, showing why the band had chosen him to be their lead singer. The set list itself ranged from old favorites to tracks off the new album (which I hadn’t bought till that day yet, but showed to be as good material as the one on their debut album). Let’s say that the very first show at Firefest this year was a good starter, considering the great bands that were about to hit the stage later.

SETLIST:
- A TOUCH OF HEAVEN
- PHILADELPHIA
- LONELY NIGHTS
- CRY
- HEARTBREAK TOWN
- WHATEVER HEARTACHE

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2 – HOUSTON

I am kind of crazy, or so they say, when it comes to watching a band I’m not a real fan of, live. I had heard their debut album and, honestly, I didn’t think it was anything special. Not that it was a bad album, but it just lacked something. I really wanted to change my mind after their show but, unfortunately, it didn’t happen. Singer Hampus Hank Erix really looked good, reminding everyone of a young David lee Roth and drummer Freddie Allen did a good job. The backing band they had playing with them did their best to put on a good show but... I don’t know... it all seemed so boring and the songs just seemed to take you nowhere. I did catch the whole set, and I’m really sorry to say that my opinion (as well as a lot of other people’s opinions) did not change. I couldn’t get a set list and I didn’t know the song titles. I still think the forty-minute set they played could have been better anyway.

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3 – TERRY BROCK

Terry Brock is an awesome singer, and God knows how lucky I was to meet him and giving me an interview (I’ll tell about it later). I’m talking about of his work with Strangeways, solo and his numerous other music projects, which include background vocal duties to some huge artists. Being able to catch him live twice (solo and then later with Stangeways) was something really exciting. His solo set, which included songs from both of his great solo records, “Back To Eden” and the new “Diamond Blue” – a real masterpiece – was surely one of the best ideas that the Firefest organizers could have had. The band who backed him up was nothing less than the guys from the great Valentine (bass player Gerard Zappa, Keyboard player Craig Pullman, drummer Mike Morales and guitar player Adam Holland, who would also later back up Steve Augeri). These guys showed how good and versatile players they are, and Terry is something else... This guy is not only a great singer and songwriter, but also a great songwriter, and he could show it easily because his solo material is a little different-sounding from what he does with Strangeways. A great show, no fillers, just classic hits from both of his albums. Songs that one would hardly believe he’d ever be able to listen to live. Terry’s voice was more than perfect, and everyone there was even more excited to listen to him again on the following day, then with Strangeways. Well, all I can say is that the man has got what it takes to be one of the most talented singers ever. The biggest surprise on the set was surely the last song, a rendition of Valentine’s “Soul Salvation”. It was nice seeing a guy like Terry Brock, with all his history and musical background, was humble enough to perform a song of his back-up band Valentine. Well, let’s put it this way: the guy is as great as a musician as he is as a person. And that counts a lot these days.

SETLIST:
- FACE IN THE CROWD
- ANOTHER CHANCE
- THE RAIN
- I WANNA LOVE SOMEONE
- BROKEN
- DIAMOND BLUE
- FOREVER AGAIN
- NO MORE MR. NICE GUY
- COMING HOME
- SOUL SALVATION

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4 – JIMI JAMISON

I had already caught Jimi Jamison when he played in Rio de Janeiro some years ago, and I also had the chance of meeting and hanging out with this wonderful guy. We had dinner together. Catching him live here in Rio was, at the same time, unforgettable and a little frustrating, because it was clear that he had a bad night in Rio. But that happens to any human, and Jimi is such a wonderful one. It’s hard to believe that the guy who gave new life and real commercial success to the band Survivor can be so cool to talk to and to hang out with. He’s got a Grammy or two, or so I was told. He’s considered to be (well, he is!) one of the best singers of his genre of music. It all could have come up to his head, but you know what, it hasn’t. I doubt it ever will.
The band that backed him up for the gig was the same as last years’: the great Tommy Denander on guitar (such a nice guy and a very skillful guitar player), drummer Magnus Ulfstedt, bass player Jimmy jay and keyboardist Jona Tee (these two from the band Heat). Everybody was more than surprised because of what they saw at the merchandise desks – the brand new Jimi Jamison “Live At Firefest” DVD being sold there. Oh my God!!!!! How could one miss that????? Later I got to know that its release was being kept a secret till the day of the show. And what a surprise!!!!! But i really wanted to check out on Jimi’s voice again, to prove to myself that he just had a bad vocal night in Rio some years ago. I was hungry to hear his set and, hopefully, I’d hear the same voice that is on the classic Survivor albums...
Well, from minute one I was right. Jimi’s performance was just fantastic! The guy still delivers the same singing he did when he was in Survivor. A voice that one would hardly confuse with someone else’s. Even being at an older age, Jimi Jamison seems to be a twenty-something year old musician. His passion for what he does is clear. I was so glad that Jimi put on a great show, maybe one of the best ones during the three-day festival, with big hit songs such as “High On You”, “Didn’t Know It Was Love”, “Burning Heart” and “Eye Of The Tiger”. Tommy Denander also showed why he is one of the top AOR guitar players around, playing the set just like Frankie Sullivan would. Great show. The biggest surprise on the set was surely “Blood On Your Money”, from the album he did with the band Cobra, before joining Survivor. As he said himself, it had been years since he last performed it. And it was just perfect!!!!! No one would ever have imagined that song at all!!!!! What a show!!!!! Long live Jimi Jamison!!!!!
The only thing I regret was not being able to get the new Kimball / Jamison album (just released at the time, on Frontiers Records) in time for him to sign it to me. For the songs I’ve already listened to on the internet, it seems to be nothing new – JUST ANOTHER GREAT PIECE OF MUSIC THAT FEATURES THE GREAT JIMI JAMISON.

SETLIST:
- IT’S THE SINGER, NOT THE SONG
- BURNING HEART
- FIRST NIGHT
- DESPERATE DREAMS
- HIGH ON YOU
- CHASING EUPHORIA
- DREAM TOO FAR
- BLOOD ON YOUR MONEY
- I SEE YOU IN EVERYONE
- DESPERATE DREAMS
- REBEL SON
- DIDN’T KNOW IT WAS LOVE
- I’M ALWAYS HERE
- EYE OF THE TIGER

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