Cinderella
Even though a lot of people enjoyed the show simply because it was their first Scandinavian show since 1987, the main characters didn’t seem as enthusiastic. But by all means, Cinderella haven’t developed an inch since then. The line-up consists of Tom Keifer, Jeff LaBar, Eric Brittingham and Fred Coury; the same four guys who delivered Night Songs (1986) before they got a bit more Blues oriented with Long Cold Winter (1988) and Heartbreak Station (1990).
The band released their last album, Still Climbing, in 1994, but since 1998 they’ve actually toured on several occasions, just not in Europe. So when the Italian record company Frontiers picked up Cinderella last fall one ought to think the Philadelphia-based band would make up for their European hiatus. However, they’re only playing three shows in Europe this year.
For Sweden Rock Festival the songs were picked from the band’s first three albums, with classics like “The Last Mile,” “Night Songs,” “Heartbreak Station” and “Nobody’s Fool.” Tom Keifer has been trying to rehabilitate his vocal chords for the last couple of years and he needed a couple of songs to get back in shape, but otherwise the band sounded great. The motivation was Keifer’s biggest problem. He turned out to be a Blackie Lawless-wannabe seeming too self-asserted and almost cranky. There was no trace of a smile, even though the show was highly appreciated by most of those who attended.
It was pretty obvious that most of the crowd didn’t have the entire Cinderella back catalog at home as the crowd’s singing on “Gypsy Road” was somewhat weak. The crowd wasn’t treated to the big magic, and those who were fortunate enough to see Cinderella on their Scandinavian tour in 1987 still got the biggest ace up their sleeve.
Setlist:
Second Wind/Push, Push/Somebody Save Me/The Last Mile/Night Songs/Bad Seamstress Blues/Fallin’ Apart At The Seems/Heartbreak Station/Coming Home/Shelter Me/Nobody’s Fool/Gypsy Road/Encore: Don’t Know What You Got (Till’ It’s Gone)/Shake Me
Billy Idol
“What the hell is this place?” Billy Idol asks his guitarist and gets “Malmö” as a reply. Then they start off on what was supposed to be a gesture to the Swedish crowd with “Malmö Woman” at the end of the show – pretty far from Malmö. But Billy Idol was somewhat disoriented before he came that far as well.
It could have been one huge party, and it was on the verge of being it a couple of times, but Billy Idol launched songs of various characters that undermined his party hits and kind of spoiled the party. In other words the crowd got most of the hits, from “Dancing With Myself” till “White Wedding,” the great “Eyes Without A Face” and the ending of the main set with “Rebel Yell.”
His previous album was released in 2005, and judging by his set at Sweden Rock Festival there are still new songs to come. But playing new songs, and reading the lyrics off a note stand in front of an intoxicated crowd in the mood for a party in the drizzle at 10 PM is not a party trick – it’s a party-pooper.
Steve Stevens saved some of the performance, for the man plays really good. He’s also the man behind the guitar arrangements of Billy Idol’s biggest hits, after working with him from the debut in 1982 until he quit in 1986. Drummer Jeremy Colson is also filled with energy and keyboardist Derek Sherinian (ex-Alice Cooper, Dream Theater) puts the final touch on the Billy Idol-sound.
It’s a pity that, even though Billy Idol sang surprisingly good and had good chemistry with the crowd, the setlist was what killed the positive impression of the concert. Was there anyone who attended that would rather hear new and unfamiliar songs instead of “Flesh For Fantasy” and “Hot In The City”?
Setlist:
Ready Steady Go (Generation X cover)/Dancing With Myself/Love Is Strange/Scream/White Wedding, Part 1/Cool Operator/Prodigal Blues/Bitter Pill/Twenty Flight Rock (Eddie Cochran cover)/To Be a Lover/Eyes Without A Face/Kings And Queens Of The Underground/Don’t Shoot The Messenger/Kiss Me Deadly/King Rocker (Generation X cover)/Running With the Boss Sound (Generation X cover)/Rebel Yell/Encore: LA Woman (The Doors cover)
Gary Moore
Gary Moore is back where he belongs, or is he? At least he’s on the road with his “Summer Of Rock” tour where he only plays his 80-balls Rock material. It’s a bit difficult to say how much Gary Moore likes his own idea. It seems as if he’s a bit reluctant to take a trip down memory lane, and it seems he does this only to please all the people that have been waiting for 20 years to hear “Over The Hills And Far Away” and all the classics again.
And he could have done so much more. He’s brought back guitarist and keyboardist Neil Carter from a life far away from music, and he’s got ex-Jethro Tull bassist Jon Noyce and Primal Scream drummer Darrin Mooney. It doesn’t sound that bad. The already mentioned “Over The Hills And Far Away” sets the standard for the show, before he performs “Military Man” and “Thunder Rising” quite well. But as headliner, the day after Aerosmith, and the day before Axl Rose, it’s pretty dull watching Gary Moore in the utter darkness onstage in a thick leather jacket with the zipper as far up as it goes, seemingly doing things he doesn’t want to.
“Empty Rooms” got a good reception as he plays flawless, something that’s also the case for “Blood Of Emeralds.” Then he falls flat on his face into the Blues again with the boring “Still Got The Blues” and the annoying “Walking By Myself” before the guitar masturbation gets out of control with the classic “Parisienne Walkways.”
What about songs off Corridors Of Power, Shapes Of Things, Victim Of The Future and maybe even After The War? Well, there wasn’t a lot of “Nuclear Attack” over Gary Moore this night. There wasn’t a lot of “We Want Moore!!!” at the end of the concert either.
Setlist:
Dunluce/Over the Hills and Far Away/Thunder Rising/Military Man/Days Of Heroes/Where are you now/So far away/Empty Rooms/Old Wild One/Blood of Emeralds/Out in the Fields/Still Got the Blues/Walking by Myself/Encore: Parisienne Walkways
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