SPARKS

[Sparky Rickmaniac]

QUEEN + ADAM LAMBERT
The Rhapsody Tour
Manchester Arena 30 May 2022

Another week, another gig. Why have so many rescheduled for practically the same time?
There are some acts you have to see at least once in your life, the Rolling Stones are one, check, Desert Trip 2016, Elton John, is another, scheduled for December 2023, and Queen.
Obviously, to have seen them while Freddie Mercury was still alive was the ultimate, but they are still a very potent force on stage.
Adam Lambert, runner up on American Idol many moons ago, has been their singer for 10 years now and he's good. Very good. A very powerful voice with a good range, and enough showmanship to be entertaining to watch without being a pastiche of Freddie.
Roger Taylor still bashes out the drums like a good 'un, but the stage belongs to Brian May.
His many solos showed exactly why he's consistently in the top 5 best guitarists and he has a likeable stage personality.
There was a good run through of the band's many hits, accompanied by an entertaining laser show. May performed "Love of my life" on acoustic guitar with film of Mercury, as a duet, which kept the right side of sentimentality.
An extended 15 minute guitar solo, looking like he was on top of a meteor, was a virtuoso study in how to do it.
I suspect there was more to come, not having heard "Bo Rhap" or "We will rock you ", but due, yet again, to the shenanigans of the RMT union, my evening had to be cut short to get a ridiculously early last train home.
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www.x1-9ownersclub.org.uk
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[Buckeye Randy]

Who: Nick Lowe and Los Straitjackets
When: June 9, 2022
Where: Beachland Ballroom

This show is the third and final leg of my “40 Year Revenge Tour”. Now I can hear you asking, “Randy, WTF is a 40 year revenge tour”? That’s a fair question and I am more than happy to explain.

The year was 1982 and I saw three artists who put on very good shows. In fact, these were some of the most memorable shows I’ve ever seen due to not only the performances but the side stories that accompanied each of the evenings. The amazing thing is that even though my fandom for these three artists has never been in question for the last 40 years, I was not able to see them due to circumstances mostly out of my control. That is, until 2022 which is 40 years later…hence the name…”40 Year Revenge Tour”. See, that was easy.

The first band checked was seeing Sparks in Detroit this past April. In 1982 I saw them at the Cleveland Agora and hung out with Ron and Russel for 20 minutes after the show and I have an autograph to prove it. Second was Donnie Iris in Kent (OH) who I had not seen since a show at the Front Row Theater which was a venue that had a rotating stage while the band played. The spinning stage is not the only reason this show was memorable. There has been an off and on discussion between Mrs. Buckeye and myself the past 40 years regarding a t-shirt purchased that evening. Last night was Nick Lowe at The Beachland but in ’82 I saw him playing an impromptu show at the Cleveland Agora due to a blizzard cancelling a scheduled show with him opening for The Cars at the 20,000 seat Coliseum. This show was memorable due to a trip to Cleveland in blizzard conditions which took three times longer than normal plus my loss of blood while doing roadside repairs to my buddy’s exhaust system and then Nick Lowe drinking most of my beer and leaving a floaty. All three shows had memories you just can’t plan and in some cases wouldn’t want to.

The Beachland Ballroom is located in the semi rejuvenated Collinwood district of Cleveland. It is a GA venue with no seating that holds 500 people and it might just be my all time favorite place for a concert. There are several reasons but first and foremost are the benefits of arriving early. I arrived over an hour before the doors opened and was rewarded with parking next to the venue and a place at the front of the line along with Duane. Who is Duane? Duane is a guy that I waited in line with in Detroit for the Sparks concert in April at the beginning of my ’40 Year Revenge Tour’. I guess it really is a small world. Anyways, we were the first two in and were rewarded with places front and center against the Beachland stage and shared some quality music conversation while waiting for show time.

The opener was Louisiana’s Tommy McClain and C.C. Adcock. The 82 year old Tommy McLaine’s style is best described as ‘swampy’ and his resume includes top 40 hits in the 60’s as both a performer and a songwriter. Tommy has recently recorded with both Nick Lowe and Elvis Costello and was hand chosen by Nick Lowe to be an opener on this tour. As C.C. said, “When Nick Lowe calls, you answer”. Tommy looked frail especially being led to and from the seat at his keyboards. Looks are deceiving because his voice was anything but frail as he along with his swashbuckling cowboy sidekick provided a memorable set and a couple fun stories.

Nick Lowe and Los Straitjackets took the stage at exactly 9PM and kicked it off with one his earliest songs, “So It Goes”. Are you familiar with Los Straitjackets? They are a slightly punky Dick Dale inspired band that wears Mexican wrestling masks. Nothing says fun like Nick Lowe songs with a backdrop of surf tinged music by masked musicians. The 90 plus minute set included all parts of Nick Lowe’s career which was fine with me because as Nick said from the stage, “My new songs sound allot like my old songs”.

It’s true, the newer songs like “Tokyo Bay” (2020) and “Somebody Cares” (2011) fit right in seamlessly with ”Lately I’ve Let Things Slide” (2001), “I Live On A Battlefield” (1995), “Raging Eyes” (1983) and “Without Love” (1979). That represents consistent quality from six decades.

Nick Lowe left the stage after nine songs and Los Straitjackets took over. There were equal amounts of shenanigans by the masked men along with excellent musicianship. Probably most memorable was “Itchy Chicken”.

A change of clothes and Nick was back in front for 12 more of his songs plus a couple more by Los Straitjackets. During a particularly quiet point of “Blue On Blue”, a husky yell came from the crowd, “Man, I love you”. This received some laughs followed by applause and seemed to sum up the sentiment of everybody. Nick Lowe is like air and water, he’s the stuff you need.

The show marched forward and ended strong with “Cruel To Be Kind”, “Heart Of The City”, “What’s So Funny About Peace, Love And Understanding” and “I Knew The Bride”. The encore was a couple by Los Straitjackets followed by my all-time favorite and apparently the favorite of others as well, “When I Write The Book”.

I reached for the setlist that was taped to the stage at the exact same time as my new concert buddy. His angle was better so he got the setlist and he even got the bonus of Nick signing it as he left the stage. I didn’t leave empty handed due to carefully peeling a pristine promo poster from the front entrance plus I have a new Nick Lowe t-shirt. Everybody wins.

Nick and Los Straitjackets delivered a spirited show that I won’t soon forget and I hope it isn’t another 40 years until I see him again, Well Done!
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

[Sparky Rickmaniac]

Eagles Hotel California 50th anniversary tour. Liverpool FC, Anfield, 20 June 2022.

Given they was robbed on penalties at the play offs at Wembley, Neil, a Huddersfield Town season ticket holder, reckoned this was the only way he was going to get to visit Anfield!
Little Big Town were the support act. Decent enough Country Rock band, with a bit of thrash thrown in now and then. Said they were influenced by The Eagles, it shows. Did 45 mins.
While waiting for the main attraction, those in the main stand tried to get several Mexican waves going. Us in the Kop were up for it, but the sad gits in the Kenny Dalglish stand were slow to catch on.
The Eagles came on at 8.07pm. Don Henley said there would be little talking from the stage as we were to just sit back and enjoy the music. Fine by me.
Vince Gill and Deacon Frey have taken on Glen Frey's role since he died. Gill was present throughout, initially taking the lead on "Take it to the limit", the crowd joinning in with spot on timing for the pause in the chorus, and then "Lyin' Eyes.
Deacon Frey was introduced as a special guest and took the lead for "Peaceful easy feeling" and "Take it easy"

Solo hits time: Don Henley took "Boys of summer" at a proper fast lick, while Joe Walsh performed a suitably raucous version of "Life's been good ".

There then ensued a brief conversation with the guy to my right as to whether Walsh was the greatest guitarist, I think Brian May has the edge, personally.

With the opening bars of Hotel California, the thick end of 42,000 people rose as one to sing along. Fabulous!

The band left the stage at 10.15pm.
Like Queen, the Eagles are a heritage act these days, no new music, but they do what they do superbly. My only gripe is that they made no attempt to introduce any of the other musicians on the stage, apart from Gill and Frey Jr who are considered honorary Eagles.

I've said before about folk being a PITY at gigs, this couple arrived just before the thing started, clearly well oiled with substances legal and not so much. She was hugging and kissing everyone around her, whether she knew them or not, the guy, who was sitting next to Neil, could whitter for England. Eventually I leant over and said "will you just shut up" which to my amazement he did! Anyways, just as we were all collecting ourselves to leave, these 2 are scrabbling round on the floor, which was filthy with spilt beer, wine and people traipsing through it, eventually they found what they were looking for, just by Neil's feet, the guy's top front teeth! Which he proceeded to pick up and put back in his mouth!!!
With a quick last chorus from the crowd of "You'll never walk alone" we left not quite believing what we had seen.
_________________
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www.x1-9ownersclub.org.uk
http://sitran.dept.shef.ac.uk/

[Buckeye Randy]

The magazine 'Ultimate Classic Rock' had a nice on-line article yesterday. The article celebrates the 50th anniversary of the song/album All The Young Dudes by Mott The Hoople.

The information in the article isn't presented exactly the same as what I've heard before but quibbling over the details isn't really important. The important thing is it is a great song and performance.

July 5th article about album
https://ultimateclassicrock.com/mott-the-hoople-all-the-young-dudes-album/

May 17th article about the song
https://ultimateclassicrock.com/david-bowie-all-the-young-dudes/

Song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IqiRY60ZDE

I've always been fascinated by the emotions people have about this song. The most passionate revolve around David Bowie, the song's author.

It's possible to think that Bowie is a great songwriter and a great guy for offering up such a song to a band on the brink of disbanding. That isn't wrong.

It's also not wrong to look at Bowie as a struggling artist still looking for an identity in the music world. Up to this point of his career (pre Ziggy), Bowie's only single to chart in the UK had been the semi novelty track, "Space Oddity".

After Mott The Hoople had a bonafide hit single with the song, Bowie recorded his own version during the Aladin Sane sessions. This version remained unreleased until 1995.

Now? The song (Bowie's version) appears on many 'Greatest Hits' packages by David Bowie. Interesting!

Anyways, it's a great song and I celebrate the 50th Anniversary.

From RnR HOF 2019 performance with the inductees. Everybody on stage was inducted...except Ian Hunter!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwafkDtOmfY
Brian May, Def Lep and Ian Hunter, nice!
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

[Buckeye Randy]

I'm a sucker for classic rock and I just bought tix for Pat Travers Band & Foghat. Woohoo
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

[Buckeye Randy]

Who: Foghat, Pat Travers Band
When: August 11, 2022
Where: The Kent Stage (Kent, OH)

When two bands I never got a chance to see back in the day are touring together it is usually on my radar. The intimate confines of The Kent Stage have always provided a great concert experience. I took advantage of the win/win opportunity and I’m heading to Kent for Foghat and Pat Travers.

I remember Foghat’s early albums being played on Cleveland’s AOR stations and I also remember how the band shot up the charts and was headlining arenas with the release of “Foghat Live” in 1977. I also remember being at a high school dance and hearing Foghat while being introduced to the future Mrs. Buckeye.

Pat Travers didn’t get the same amount of radio play but he certainly had some songs that everybody cranked up. He also had a reputation of being an A1 guitarist.

The Kent Stage in a previous life was a movie theater but is now a concert venue that holds nearly 700 people. The recent renovations to improve the restrooms and the flow of foot traffic are much appreciated and the small town charm of a downtown theater is still intact. I always love seeing names on a marquee.

Upon arriving, there were over a hundred people in front of the theater. Pretty odd since it is reserved seating and the doors aren’t opening for another 20 minutes. We come to find out that all these people are here to get their tickets sorted out. This show was originally scheduled at Akron’s Goodyear Theater (capacity 1500) but moved to the smaller Kent Stage. I can guess it was moved due to poor ticket sales but that doesn’t really matter to me. However, it mattered allot to these people getting ticket exchanges for their originally purchased tickets. “Who has a first name that starts with L, M or N…bring your tickets to the table”. Yeah, it was a slow process and I felt slightly bad for these people. Regardless, we scooted right past the frustrated ticket exchangers and headed to our seats…in the front row.

The theater filled up and appeared to be near capacity as Pat Travers took the stage. Much of the crowd was made up of Pat’s loyal fans and they greeted Pat with a loud ovation, he gave a smile and announced that we were going to rock. The opener “Rock n Roll Suzie” set the tone for a fun hour of rock with a soaring solo. Nearly every song featured some guitar virtuosity and his this three piece band was fast and on fire. Some new material from his upcoming album was featured including “Ronnie” which is a tribute to his friend Ronnie Montrose. The song is heavy and even hints at the riff from the Montrose classic, “Rock Candy”. My favorite was a cover of the Sugarloaf song “Green Eyed Lady” which was basically the original version but on steroids. He closed as expected with “Snortin’ Whiskey” and “Boom Boom Out Go The Lights”. Pat didn’t lie at the beginning, we were rocked. Well Done!

Okaaaay, how many original members does a band need to be legit? Is there a scoring curve? Do you need all original members that are still alive? Do you only need a vocalist? Foghat didn’t check either of those two boxes.

I saw Cheap Trick not very long ago and they had only two original members and I’ll add that the two members not there are still alive. Was it legit? Yes, the two there were the two most identifiable with the band (Robin Zander and Rick Neilson), the other two members were their adult kids on drums and bass. I saw Grand Funk within the last year featuring two original members (Mel & Don) but lacking Mark Farner…was it legit? I want to say yes but the show came off as a rehearsed walk in the park performed every night and not a true rock concert. Like I said, there is a subjective scoring curve for every person attending a show.

Heading into the Foghat show, my expectations were to hear a really good Foghat tribute band featuring one original member, the 76 year old Roger Earle on drums. Those expectations were met and slightly exceeded due to the band that Roger has assembled. Vocalist/guitarist Charlie Huhn who joined the band this year, bassist Rodney O’Quinn who also sang a few joined up in 2005 and finally slide guitarist extraordinaire Brian Bassett who has been on board since 1999.

All the hits were played including most of their live album…exactly as expected. What made the show enjoyable was the guitar work of Brian Bassett and the energy of Rodney O’Quinn. Vocalist Charlie Huhn brings a southern rock flavor maybe more suited for Molly Hatchet or 38 Special but it also works pretty good for Foghat. Roger’s drumming was down in the mix and he looked a little tired at times but that wasn’t really a distraction because of the rest of the band. There was nothing embarrassing about the performance whatsoever.

Foghat provides a trip down memory lane for longtime fans and even casual fans like myself. It was fun getting up against the stage for the encore of “Slow Ride” and rocking out to one of the best anthems of the ‘70’s.

Fun evening and I’m now much more a fan of Pat Travers than I was before. I look forward to the new album and seeing him again. As far as Foghat, I doubt I’ll go out of my way to see them again but that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy myself seeing them this time.
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

[Buckeye Randy]

Artist: Pat Travers
Title: The Art Of Time Travel
Released: August 19, 2022

Many artists get a glimpse of stardom then quickly fade away never to be heard from again. Sometimes you don’t hear about them because the artist has changed gears and is no longer chasing stardom. Other times you don’t know where they are because you aren’t looking hard enough or don’t see what’s right in front of you. I would like to re-introduce you to the Pat Travers Band. Do you remember listening to the radio on Saturday nights and hearing “Snortin’ Whiskey” and “Boom Boom Out Go The Lights”? That was many years ago and just in case you are wondering, the Pat Travers Band is alive and well and still kicking ass.

The Art Of Time Travel is PT’s 40th overall release if we’re counting live albums and a few archive releases. I don’t know how his hardcore fans (Hammer Heads) keep up with this stuff because he has also guested on tons of albums plus has double digit compilations not to mention he has never stopped performing live. What I’m saying is, he never went away, you just weren’t looking hard enough.

This latest release is true to the bluesy hard rock that has been the foundation of Pat’s career. The album has a couple slower bluesy numbers but is mostly medium paced tracks and up tempo rockers. Honestly, it’s the slower numbers where he really shows off his guitar soloing.

“Push Yourself” includes horns and lush back-ups for a Chicago blues sound. The title track “Art Of Time Travel” features the same lush back-up vocals but pounds away in a style that reminds me of Frank Marino and Mahogany Rush. “Ronnie” is the best riff rocker and is a tribute to Ronnie Montrose (RIP). “No Worries At All” wanders into prog territory and even reminded me of Budgie for a moment. My favorite solo is probably in the second half of “Over and Over”, he kicks ass over and over!

Lots of variations of basic hard rocking blues and the variations keep songs from sounding the same. The only negative is not all the song writing is top shelf but that said, Pat has the capability to carry songs with his guitar work. He really is a premier guitar player and it’s no coincidence I compare some of his work with Ronnie Montrose and fellow Canadian Frank Marino.

A worthwhile release and it’s a great disc to really sink into the music. Well Done!
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

[Buckeye Randy]

Artist: The Boys With Perpetual Nervousness
Title: The Third Wave
Released: September 9, 2022

Gin Blossoms, Fountains of Wayne, Boo Radleys, Redwalls....you get the idea. Mostly jangly pop that makes one think of The Hollies and everybody they inspired. A totally listenable album to start the day.

Artist: Ozzy Osborne
Title: Patient Number 9
Released: September 9, 2022

Ozzy's latest has an all-star cast of support. Jeff Beck, Zak Wylde, Tony Iommi and Eric Clapton to mention a few. Nothing sour about this release as Ozzy rides not so quietly into the sunset.

Artist: Flogging Molly
Title: Anthem
Released: September 9, 2022

More of what we are used to from Dave King (Fastway) and his band. Traditional Irish music with a punky edge. Always fun.
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

[Buckeye Randy]

Who: Alice Cooper
When: September 13, 2022
Where: Shea’s Theater, Buffalo, NY

Seeing Alice Cooper is always a bit of a celebration with my loved ones. We consider it pure and wholesome entertainment and a fun event for teenagers of all ages. The last several times seeing Alice have been family affairs with different combinations of family members trekking together to enjoy the spectacle that is Alice Cooper. This most recent had a slightly different twist, this was a birthday road trip for Mrs. Buckeye. Happy Birthday!

The two of us ventured on a six day odyssey that included crossing state lines while enjoying views of America’s north coast and driving through Lake Erie’s wine region. Fun fact; outside of California, the Lake Erie wine region that stretches through Pennsylvania and New York produces the most grapes in the U.S.. Anyways, the quest was filled with a scenic drive, luxurious accommodations, great food and tickets for Alice Cooper being the centerpiece of it all.

There are about 10 hotels within half a mile of the theater district in Buffalo which has six theaters that I counted, always nice to be within walking distance for a downtown concert. We chose ‘The Mansion On The Delaware’ because of outstanding reviews and the chance to have a butler on call. I’ll admit, I was slightly disappointed that the butler’s name was not Jeeves but other than that it was great.

Do you like sports? I will tell you that Buffalo embraces their football team in a mania that I’ve never seen. Every single bar, restaurant and grocery store had signs and merchandise supporting the long suffering Buffalo Bills who are currently riding high. The energy was contagious.

While taking a morning stroll through the downtown area getting acclimated to our new surroundings, we came upon two very large unmarked busses outside a hotel. We know tour busses when we see them and smiled because it sort of fueled the enthusiasm for what we just knew was going to be a great day. A hundred more feet up the sidewalk we walked by two guys talking….after passing we stopped and looked at each other…yeah, it was a familiar face. We turned around and approached the two and patiently waited until their conversation was over. We then talked with Alice’s guitarist Kane Roberts for several minutes. He was very cordial and took time to know our names, he wished Mrs. Buckeye ‘Happy Birthday’ and I snapped a picture of the two. Happy Birthday!

Ahead of the concert, The University of Buffalo hosted an afternoon program, ‘Alice and Shep, A Friendship Forged ‘N Rock and Roll’. Alice Cooper’s long time manager Shep Gordon is a ’68 alum of University of Buffalo and the two appeared for a Q&A at The Center For The Arts. The event was moved from a small auditorium to the 1700 seat Mainstage Theater due to ticket demand (free GA tix that you registered for on-line). Mrs. Buckeye and I were the first two in line and we were rewarded with great conversation while waiting to get in and then rewarded with front row seats for the hour long program.

Shep and Alice told great stories and there were several moments that stood out. They were asked about artists selling the rights to their music catalogs. Many fans can’t believe that an artist would sell their babies. Alice said an interesting thing, he said that the fans have a greater attachment to the songs than he does. Also, after an artist dies the catalog rights are usually sold by family and they don’t have the leverage for fair market value that an artist and manger have. It’s a business decision. The other great question was; What was better, working with Frank Zappa or The Muppets? This was followed by stories of the Muppet set and working with Kermit and Miss Piggy.

The day is going well, we met Kane Roberts and we attended a Q&A with Alice and his manager. It’s now time for our butler to drive us to the restaurant across the street from Shea’s Theater for a pre gig meal. Happy Birthday!

The warm temps encouraged people to arrive early and the street was a buzz with Alice fans from ages 8 to 80 a full hour before doors opened. Some in full make-up and most wearing t-shirts from previous Alice Cooper tours. I’ve seen a fair number of shows and few artists can conjure up the pre gig camaraderie that exists before an Alice Cooper show. It’s like the sweet spot between metal and punk and pop and classic rock and it’s all wrapped up into a production suitable for Broadway. The average age of concert goers is generational because you have fans from ’69 that bought “Pretties For You” and people who rocked to “Poison” in 1989 and all these people are bringing kids and grandkids. I’ll say that Alice’s releases since have all been decent as well and this particular tour is titled, “Detroit Muscle” which has been going on since the release of “Detroit Stories” in 2021.

Shea’s Theater is breathtaking. It is combination of Spanish and French Baroque and Rococo styles, the theatre was designed to resemble opera houses and palaces of Europe of the 17th and 18th centuries. The history is identical to many of the theaters around the nation and I’m glad people care enough to rescue and restore these slices of American architecture. It appeared that all 3000 seats were sold because people were out front looking for tickets and the box office window was not open.

The lights dimmed…then lights and smoke exploded as the band burst into “Feed My Frankenstein”. Alice was in top form with his top hat and cane, he strutted around the stage that was designed to look like a nightmare castle. The band was a three guitar attack backed by bass and drums. Alice’s costumes changed several times and the customary props supported many of the songs. It’s an Alice Cooper performance and it is always awesome.

The set list was nearly the same as earlier on the tour even though Kane Roberts recently replaced the highly regarded Nita Strauss as the featured guitarist. Kane is no stranger to Alice, he was the guitarist on ‘Constrictor’ (’86) and ‘Raise Your Fist And Yell’ (’87). Back then he looked like a musclebound Rambo and even played a machine gun guitar. He’s 60 now but still has his guns and looks like he could kick some ass. Missing from the tour were any songs from ‘Detroit Stories’ which was a little disappointing but most fans are not there to hear the latest release.

There is never enough time to play everything but most classics were included; “No More Mr Nice Guy”, “Under My Wheels”, “Go To Hell”, “I’m Eighteen”, “Poison”, “Billion Dollar Babies”, “Steven”, “Hey Stoopid”, “Be My Lover”, “Dead Babies”, I Love The Dead”, “Teenage Frankenstein” and “School’s Out”. What was left was macho guitar songs that spanned his career and the band definitely was up to delivering on songs like “Bed Of Nails” and “House Of Fire”. There were also some instrumentals of early material (“Devil’s Food”, "Black Widow”) during costume changes and you barely noticed Alice wasn’t on stage.

It was a crisp performance with no chatting between songs other than band introductions at the end of the evening. Alice and his band certainly helped me deliver a great birthday present. Happy Birthday, Well Done!
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

[Toughest Girl In Town]

Whose birthday was it again? :)

[Buckeye Randy]

[Sparky Rickmaniac]

Various artistes, Silverstone Classic, 26-28 August 2022.
The X1-9 Owners Club had a stand here this year, and in honour of the 50th anniversary of the launch of the car, we had a lap of the circuit on the 26th. Not as exciting as it sounds as you have to follow the safety car at a maximum 30mph! However the weather was hot and sunny, the 1000s of cars attending were gorgeous, and as is traditional, musical entertainment included in the entry fee.

Friday night saw possibly the worst band I’ve ever seen, the Cuban Brothers just mimed along to songs and made tasteless lewd jokes, which was really stupid as there were children present. Next up were Bjorn Again, made a pretty good fist of various ABBA songs, the faux Swedish accents were hilarious. The first act on Saturday was Gabrielle, who performed a really good set, followed by Sister Sledge, it looks like there is only one original sister left, the rest are daughters, nieces, etc. Although still all related, the voices weren’t strong enough, time to retire. Sunday’s support act was Dodgy, I vaguely remember the name, a bit like a poor man’s Oasis, the lead guitarist was decent. Then the headline act....Mr Rick Astley. Never was much of a Stock Aitkin and Waterman fan, don’t think Rick was either, he sang the big hits, but most of his set was gospel and soul numbers. He really has a great voice, and was utterly professional, enjoyed it much more than I thought I would.
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www.britbitsandclips.com
www.x1-9ownersclub.org.uk
http://sitran.dept.shef.ac.uk/

[Buckeye Randy]

Todd Rundgren has a brand new one out this week, Space Force. It is mostly collaborations with artists including Steve Vai, Adrian Belew, Rick Neilson, Neil Finn, Thomas Dolby and of course Sparks.

As a whole, Space Force is waaay better than Todd's recent albums White Knight (2017), Global (2015) and State (2013).

Don't get me wrong, this is not a return to his '70's creativity. The sound is inconsistent which is a result of not working with a backing band in a studio. Some of the songs seem to have been forced to the finish line because an artist agreed to record with Todd. It is what it is.

I might be overly critical of Todd because I'm a fan!

Here is a song with Weezer's Rivers Cuomo...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ty9oS6d0FKE
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

[Sparky Rickmaniac]

The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain.
Victoria Theatre, Halifax
Sunday 20 November 2022.

I've seen the Ukes before many moons ago, and bought tickets as part of Neil's Christmas present as he has a uke and strums a bit.
After a stroll around the 18th century Piece Hall and a nice Italian meal, we had good seats in the front row of the circle.
Currently a 7 piece outfit playing ukuleles of all sizes, they are not a staid act. Sure, the 4 guys all has dinner jackets and bow ties, but that just offsets the surreal nature of some of the humour.
They play anything and everything. Sure, George Formby gets a nod, with an extended riff on Leaning on a Lamppost, but Lady Gaga, Amy Winehouse, Paolo Nutini, Ennio Moricone all featured. Along with a superb 32bar blues number.
At one point one guy started playing Handel's Water Music and the others gradually joined in, each with a different song...Love Story, Hotel California etc. To get all that to blend but each song to remain distinctive shows what fantastic musicians they are.
There are loads of clips on YouTube, look them up. Their version of Anarchy in the UK is a treat.
_________________
www.britbitsandclips.com
www.x1-9ownersclub.org.uk
http://sitran.dept.shef.ac.uk/

[Buckeye Randy]

2022 Top 10 (mine goes to 11)
A combination of new, archive, collaboration and instrumental tracks.

1) Your Team Is Looking Good – The Black Keys
2) Dancing in The Sunshine – Thunder
3) Can’t Stop Falling Apart – Michael Monroe
4) Misfits & Freaks – Courettes
5) Low Rent Paradise – The Owners
6) Fallin’ With Me – The Struts
7) Down With The Ship – Todd Rundgren/Rivers Cuomo
8) A Tip From You To Me – Jack White
9) Nothing To Lose – Foxy Shazam
10) Blue Foot Groovy – Joe Satriani (Instrumental)
11) April Showers – Los Straitjackets (Instrumental)

Best Of The Rest
I Like You – Bloods
Meant For Livin’ – Mondo Cosmo
Love You Forever – Thick
Daytona Sand – Orville Peck
Please Louise – Sally Seltman
Down To The Devil – Naked Gypsy Queens
Pushing Up Daisies – The Academic
Ronnie – Pat Travers
Made You Look – Meghan Trainor
Mom’s Dime – Pkew Pkew Pkew
Hippo In The Water – Mom Jeans
Hammersmith Palais – Demolition 23
Funny How Time Slips Away – Dr. John
The Light In The Sky – Thundermother
Who Loves Ya – Chubby And The Gang
When I Lay My Bones To Rest – Scorpions
Bad Reputation – Kid Rock
You Gotta Pass It Around – Nazareth
Ain’t My Job – Tami Neilson
Scam Likely – Wilder Maker

Best covers
The Slider - The Black Crowes (T-Rex)
Quicksand - The Pretty Reckless (Bowie)
Teenage Kicks - Dollyrots (Undertones)
Tiny Dancer - Yard Act (Elton)
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

[Buckeye Randy]

Martin Barre will be touring the U.S. next year, the tour is titled, 'Jethro Tull, A Brief History'. There will be approximately 30 shows starting in June that will blanket the northeastern quad of the U.S.. It seems a bit saturated but that must be where the fan base is.

Am i going? Yes, I just landed front row tix for the show in Kent, Ohio. Woohoo!

I saw Jethro Tull three times in the late '70's/early '80's and it was amazing every time.

Tomorrow night is Ace Frehley and coincidentally I'll be in the exact same seats I have for Martin Barre.
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

[Buckeye Randy]

Who: Ace Frehley
When: December 09, 2022
Where: Kent Stage (Kent, Ohio)

Tis the holiday season and a time to celebrate family and friends. Keeping with the spirit of the season, Mrs. Buckeye and myself gifted a couple tickets to my son and girlfriend and we all journeyed off to Kent on a wintery Friday night.

Arriving early, it’s always fun to stop at a local watering hole before a show and take in the vibe and set the script for the evening. Plenty of options while walking the sidewalks of a college town and we chose an older and semi safe looking establishment. We made a good choice, concert goers in KISS gear were out in force and we watched a local country band finish their set. I think it disturbed my son that I knew the words to “You’re No Good”. Time to walk a couple blocks and enjoy an evening of rock ‘n’ roll at the sold out Kent Stage.

No opening band was advertised but it was obvious from the gear set up on stage that we were getting an opener. I don’t like these types of surprises! I feel like I’ve seen my quota of opening bands in my life time. Seriously, my life is probably 80% over and I don’t want to waste what time I have left listening to opening bands.

The opener was Bull Y Los Bufalos and were fronted by a 6’6” Spaniard named Diego. I take back everything I said about opening bands being a waste of time. The band was mesmerizing as they ran through their set of hard driving rock. The songs “Bon Scott” and “Hammer or Nail” were great and are now on a few of my playlists. It isn’t often I want an opener to keep on playing. All I can say is, “Wow”!

Ace Frehley and his five piece, three guitar attack band took the stage and the crowd rose to their feet and remained for the entire show. The energy was great but there was one thing immediately apparent, there were some issues with the sound. Vocals down in the mix, hints of midrange feedback from the monitors and the sound a little distorted and could be best described as ‘blaring’.

Ace came across as slightly agitated and not totally engaged during much of the show. This did not ruin the show but it detracted from it at times. Maybe this was due to the subpar sound or having a substitute drummer or the fact it was 35 degrees outside or a combination of everything. Like I said, it did not ruin the show but the performance was not firing on all cylinders.

Ace Frehley standards including “Rip It Out”, “Rock Soldiers” and “New York Groove” were seamless alongside KISS favorites like “Cold Gin”, “Strutter”, “Shock Me” and “Deuce”. Also included were some covers from Ace’s latest album; Mountain’s “Never In My Life” and Zeppelin’s “Good Times Bad Times”. Ace got lots of help on vocals for the KISS songs from the two guitarists and bass player. One of the highlights for me was when the band left the stage and left Ace alone for several minutes to amaze with some guitar work.

It was a fun evening and I hope to see Bull Y Los Bufalos headline a show the next time they visit Ohio. As far as Ace goes…it wasn’t a disaster but it was below my expectations.
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

[Buckeye Randy]

I missed the news about Kim Simmonds dying on December 13. I regret I only saw Savoy Brown once and I consider Kim Simmonds an A1 rockin' bluesman.

Lighter held high.
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

[Buckeye Randy]

Some fun new music to start 2023

Tomato Soup
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmqiNOYcOTI&list=OLAK5uy_lgNXPq8GFKdUa_16Zz-LXur6ZSabcWRa8&index=12
I never heard of this band until 60 minutes ago. This song stood out for me.

Iggy Pop
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDUQQWvBSn0
Iggy rarely amazes me but this song is fun both musically and lyrically.

The Hold Steady
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nTVKVzHjg8
I've always liked the unconscious stream of lyrics by these guys that they effortlessly splash over alt music that could have been penned by Springsteen...or Television Personalities. This is more of the same.
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Billy, Don't Be A Porter

[miss sparks]

Just listen to Stunt rocker CD by Andy Ellison, former lead singer of Johns Children, Jet & Radio Stars.