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Ten
Years After Live at the POSTHOF in Linz,
Austria
October 11, 2007
Concert
Review:
Ten
Years After once again plays in front of an
enthusiastic and energetic crowd of fans.
Our
friend and concert promoter Luky Schrempf
is in the audience right in front of centre
stage and filming the entire event, thus the reason
why I can do a follow up with this concert review,
having not been there in person. I hope you like it
just the same.
Luky
has been friends of Ten Years After for many, many
years now. His son (Alvin Shane) played drums for
Alvin Lee’s band when he (Alvin) was playing in
the area. Ric, Leo and Chick have all watched
Luky’s son grow and develop into a man and
respectable drummer and fellow musician.
So,
on this night it’s like a family affair, taking
place in Luky’s own venue surrounded by his close
friends, Ten Years After fans, and in an intimate
environment.
The
Set List In Review:
- Working
On The Road – the opening number, and as the
band takes the stage in pitch black darkness,
the fans start calling for Joe – Joe- Joe
right away. As the music starts, Joe is now seen
facing Ric Lee and then turns around to greet
the waiting audience. Joe provides some
excellent guitar work throughout the number and
I don’t say that lightly, he’s pouring it on
in every riff, note and chord he plays. Joe and
band set the pace for what’s to be another
great concert in their 2007 itinerary.
- King
Of The Blues – follows the fast paced opener
with another high energy rocker. It’s Joe and
Chick that stand out on this song, working off
of each others playing superbly and flawlessly.
Excellent, seamless exchange of licks and riffs.
- Hear
Me Callin’ – slows the pace down just a
little, but not the crowds enthusiasm as they
start clapping right along with Ric’s drum
beats. Joe took an extra minute before entering
the songs catchy riff, and it was again flawless
right to the end.
- Angry
Words – the stand out performance here is
Leo’s exceptional bass guitar work, while
Chick and Joe also contribute some gifted,
brilliant and inspired work on their own, to
make this an emotional and stellar song from
start to finish.
- Big Black 45 – now we’re back to another great little
rocker out of the Leo Lyons collection, from his
band “KICK”. Not only is it a great song in
its own rite, but in this case it’s the middle
interlude that really stands out. Joe slows it
down and adds some fine guitar work that flows
right along in a fluid succession, that the
audience loves right off. Chick steps forward to
the stage and joins the audience in raising
their hands and clapping in appreciation.
Because of this interlude break in the middle,
it gives this older song a new life, Leo’s
face is alight with pride as can be plainly seen
in the film footage. Perfectly done!
- I’ll
Make It Easy For You – once again the band
slows it down with a great blues number. Joe
once again does an excellent job on this song.
His playing is bluesy as it should be, and his
guitar work goes from quietly fluid and tasteful
to strings on fire with a strong emphasis on
power and passion that propel the song along to
the finish.
If I had to pick one song that introduces
Ten Years After “NOW” to the world, this
would be the song and performance.
- The
Hobbit – Ric Lee’s
well tested and performed drum solo, for
young and old alike. The old folks recognize it
and remember it, and the younger folks are being
treated to and introduced to it as new material,
so it works for everyone, on both levels. On
this night Ric appears to be ready to give it
his all, and he does an outstanding job with it,
although after his performance he states “I
only got two hours sleep last night”….but no
way would you have suspected that beforehand as
he played his heart out all the way through. Ric
has never been a bang and thrash kind of drummer,
he’s always been an accurate and subtle kind
of English bloke on the kit – reserved yet
entertaining, professional yet playful. This
evening his playing is more along those lines.
If he was in his basement playing just for fun
and pleasure, and it was being filmed, this is
probably what you’d see.
The highlight of his performance is in
his technique on the
cymbals. From making them ring with as
much force as he could muster in the beginning,
to now playing with them like a teaser and not a
fire cat. It’s also a good chance for him to
catch his breath, but the effort expounded
doesn’t diminish in the least. Power and brute
force is replaced by total concentration and
finesse that’s needed to keep the audience
focused and enthralled by his dexterity and
brilliance. If your not into what the drummer (any
drummer) is trying to project, and he’s lost
you in the process, that’s such a shame.
Ric’s
professional approach, personal charisma, combined with his childlike
manner and his sense of humour are what keeps
his audience focused, enthralled and spellbound.
From the top of the drum kit, to playing the
support legs at floor level he covered every
inch of that unit. Playing the cymbals with his
hand toward the finish was above and beyond the
energy he had left – two hours sleep and he
played like this, outstanding Ric!!!
- Love
Like A Man – the band found the groove in no
time flat, the audience was ready as well, and
everyone rocked. Joe once again did an excellent
job, he was working in and out of the groove
with his fills. Super fast and accurate, pushed
the song right along. The entire band jumped
right on this song, stayed right in the groove
and never let up. Just fantastic!
- I’d
Love To Change The World – this time Joe
played the entire song on electric guitar. The
band does an excellent job together, flawless
and perfect.
- Good
Morning Little School Girl – it’s Leo’s
bass solo that starts the song off, right into a
Ten Years After Jam Session. Joe jumps in just
at the right moment which leads Joe and Leo
running supersonic
scales in unison – hyper-speed is where it’s
at. Towards the end of the song Joe has added
some new guitar effects and the entire band is
cooking right along to its conclusion.
- I
Can’t Keep From Crying Sometimes – I have to
be honest here, I’m
tired of the length of this song, no
matter how well done it’s performed. I think
Joe might consider sitting down with an acoustic
twelve string guitar and improvise as he sees
fit, to milk all the feeling and passion out of
it – in fact the entire band should do a round
circle – centre stage and enjoy themselves. By
this time in the set, the audience would
appreciate this kind of change up…more
intimate and personal. Twenty minutes of band
relating to audience – with the audience in
the palm of their hand.
Joe’s
guitar work was very fluid and emotional, he paced
himself very well using a wide variety of jazzy
blues riffs to set the tone. Although Joe isn’t
being rushed the pace is already faster than usual
and increasing rapidly. My only criticism here, is
sometimes too much of a good thing is just too much.
So much so, that the music and watching Joe play all
become a blur, and the feel gets lost in the process,
(not unlike the ones performed by his predecessor in
years gone by) . In defence of this, it goes down
well performed live, as the audience has no
objection. The song comes to its final stop, and all
is well, no damage done.
12 .I’m Goin’ Home – all I can say here,
is the band and audience both
enjoyed the
time spent rocking and rolling along.
The
Encore – “Reasons Why” well done and a
good ending number here.
In conclusion – a great time was had by all, the
audience was great and the band proved once again
why they’ve lasted so long. Ten Years After is
quality and perfection.
A real band, with really good people keeping it
together, and a friend /
promoter who’s just a fan like ourselves,
and loving every minute of it !
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