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Post by starlight on Apr 17, 2016 7:27:38 GMT
12,000 revellers packed the NEC, 10538 overture played again in place of When the night comes, confident performance...Jeff came in early for Steppin' out and MBS went a little out of sync but BRILLIANT night. Roy Wood did not appear as rumoured! Jeff's family occupied first 2 rows of front centre. Managed to get hold of a setlist after trying 3 times... Great to meet all the webmasters and FTM guys from Germany...picked up my VIP stuff which was cool...back there tonight
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Post by Horacewimp on Apr 17, 2016 8:18:44 GMT
It was absolutely brilliant
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Post by dillwyn on Apr 17, 2016 9:00:16 GMT
he was there walking through the NEC
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Post by andyvee on Apr 17, 2016 9:19:02 GMT
12,000 revellers packed the NEC, 10538 overture played again in place of When the night comes, confident performance...Jeff came in early for Steppin' out and MBS went a little out of sync but BRILLIANT night. Roy Wood did not appear as rumoured! Jeff's family occupied first 2 rows of front centre. Managed to get hold of a setlist after trying 3 times... Great to meet all the webmasters and FTM guys from Germany...picked up my VIP stuff which was cool...back there tonight Will maybe bump into you as we're going today , have to be there by 16:30 so will leave here around 13:00 to give time for any traffic .
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Post by eldorado on Apr 17, 2016 9:44:15 GMT
Which night are The Feeling not supporting?
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Post by andyvee on Apr 17, 2016 9:50:45 GMT
last night in b-ham sometime in June I believe
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Post by ShardEnder on Apr 17, 2016 14:23:33 GMT
Roy Wood did not appear as rumoured! I should have been more specific, but the plan was for a Move reunion as the opening act before the June 24th show, which is also the concert I believe was going to be professionally filmed (or at least that was the case until Jeff was given the "legends" slot at Glastonbury - we'll have to see if he doesn't just release this instead, as it's easily going to be his single biggest audience ever).
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Post by Horacewimp on Apr 17, 2016 19:25:15 GMT
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Post by fourlittlediamonds on Apr 18, 2016 0:17:25 GMT
Well, what a truly special and extraordinary night. I knew it wouldn't disappoint but the whole emotion of the evening really got to me and I was welling-up after 5 mins. That Tightrope intro was overwhelming and the burst of enthusiasm it released was palpable as the crowd finally realised this was it after all those years.It seemed as though everyone there was determined to make it a special night especially for Jeff and his boyish excitement at playing his hometown was genuinely touching along with the smile on his face and the continuous double thumbs up after nearly every song. There were a couple of small errors but frankly who cares as I'm sure Jeff was a bit nervous especially with so many friends and family there and I could forgive anything for that spine- tingling singalong to Wild West Hero that brought a lump to my throat. Everything combined beautifully, lights, sound, visual projection and the quite superb band who deserve nothing but praise for a faultless performance delivered with real enthusiasm and passion not to mention Richard Tandy who was as good as ever I can remember and didn't miss a beat.
And then there was Jeff. Watching him step into that lone spotlight as the curtain fell was a sight and a feeling that will live long in the memory. He may not have had too much to say but when he did speak you felt the emotion and depth of feeling this night held for him and he had 12000 of us totally supporting and sharing in this unique night, for him and with him. Ive seen many concerts over the years and had many great experiences but this one combined so many different aspects: sheer love of the music,a deep personal and emotional attachment to it and the special memories it evokes and the long wait of anticipation of finally hearing it performed by its creator, still such an ordinary ,down to earth Brummie bloke who just happens to be the only musical genius this city has produced, means I doubt I will ever better it, in fact, I hope I don't.
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Post by eldorado on Apr 18, 2016 7:32:31 GMT
Roy Wood did not appear as rumoured! I should have been more specific, but the plan was for a Move reunion as the opening act before the June 24th show, which is also the concert I believe was going to be professionally filmed (or at least that was the case until Jeff was given the "legends" slot at Glastonbury - we'll have to see if he doesn't just release this instead, as it's easily going to be his single biggest audience ever). You talk about the plan as if it's now past tense? Any ideas if it's still going to happen. A Move set with the original members would be worth pulling out all the stops to get to. I just can't imagine Bev and Jeff have made up unfortunately, and with the effort it's taken to get Jeff match fit for a tour, I can't see him knocking out a little garage-rock set as a one-off in an arena. I can imagine Roy Wood being a surprise support act, and joining him onstage for 10538 during the ELO set. That's seems plausible to me. Open to insights though.
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Post by andyvee on Apr 18, 2016 9:11:17 GMT
Well, what a truly special and extraordinary night. I knew it wouldn't disappoint but the whole emotion of the evening really got to me and I was welling-up after 5 mins. That Tightrope intro was overwhelming and the burst of enthusiasm it released was palpable as the crowd finally realised this was it after all those years.It seemed as though everyone there was determined to make it a special night especially for Jeff and his boyish excitement at playing his hometown was genuinely touching along with the smile on his face and the continuous double thumbs up after nearly every song. There were a couple of small errors but frankly who cares as I'm sure Jeff was a bit nervous especially with so many friends and family there and I could forgive anything for that spine- tingling singalong to Wild West Hero that brought a lump to my throat. Everything combined beautifully, lights, sound, visual projection and the quite superb band who deserve nothing but praise for a faultless performance delivered with real enthusiasm and passion not to mention Richard Tandy who was as good as ever I can remember and didn't miss a beat. And then there was Jeff. Watching him step into that lone spotlight as the curtain fell was a sight and a feeling that will live long in the memory. He may not have had too much to say but when he did speak you felt the emotion and depth of feeling this night held for him and he had 12000 of us totally supporting and sharing in this unique night, for him and with him. Ive seen many concerts over the years and had many great experiences but this one combined so many different aspects: sheer love of the music,a deep personal and emotional attachment to it and the special memories it evokes and the long wait of anticipation of finally hearing it performed by its creator, still such an ordinary ,down to earth Brummie bloke who just happens to be the only musical genius this city has produced, means I doubt I will ever better it, in fact, I hope I don't. Basically it was totally amazeballs , the intro was excellent as were visuals worthy . woke up a bit tired this morning but totally made up from this after all these years of waiting . Also big thumbs up to the NEC , checking in was painless as was leaving after the event , was on the M42 on the way home 20 mins from when they came off stage . Will look forward to the bluray to go with my swag from the event . For those still waiting for their dates to arrive your in for a special time indeed .
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Post by soonerorlater on Apr 18, 2016 9:51:51 GMT
Well it's been quite a weekend. Two shows and even though I'm a confirmed teetotaller, I feel somewhat hung over this morning!
Of course I approached Saturday with a mixture of insane excitement and absolute dread. Like the rest of you it meant so much. Could he really pull it off? Was I expecting too much? Would it all end in disappointment? Not a chance. It was absolutely fantastic and it met and then exceeded every unreasonable expectation that I've formed over the past few decades as I've waited for even the remotest possibility of this moment. I managed to relax a little for last night's show and that I think, made it even better.
I feel truly privileged to have witnessed this show twice and with the third Birmingham show still to come it's going to be perhaps the greatest 'ELO year' of them all! Who would have thought that possible in 2016?
A few randomly arranged observations which you may or may not have some agreement with:
1) The Feeling were an inspired choice as a support act and Jeff was generous to them in allowing such a decent sound system. I once saw the Manic Street Preachers support Paul McCartney and their sound was awful by comparison to the main act. I know that a lot of support acts suffer this professional indignity. So well done The Feeling, they were this years Voyager (Time Tour support) and set up the evening perfectly. 2) The ELO lighting, lasers and screen projections were stunning. The clever use of lights that not just lit the band but also projected into the audience's 'space' was inspired. 3) The band around Jeff were fantastic to a man and woman. I know that there's been a lot of praise for Donavan Hepburn and he's a fine drummer but better than Bev Bevan? I really don't think so. He doesn't quite have Bev's 'tub and thump' technique that was missing on moments like Don't Bring Me Down. Talking of which.... 4) I will always have a lifelong indifference towards Discovery but I have to admit DBMD and Shine A Little Love were both fantastic!! I even danced to the latter and I just don't do that sort of thing! 5) When I Was A Boy live already sounds like an ELO Classic. 6) Rockaria! is usually an A+ live moment for me but I think they got this one wrong and reduced it to a B- in doing so. Sharing the vocals with the (admittedly more than competent) Iain Hornal lost the song its impetus, particularly that climactic ending. 7) Replacing When The Night Comes with 10538 Overture should have been done from the very start of the tour. 8) A lot of people around me on the floor last night stood for most songs but would sit down for the quieter ones. That's perfectly reasonable but they also started to sit down to the 'lesser known ones' such as Ain't It A Drag and Secret Messages which just goes to show (and I think we forget this sometimes) that a lot of people were there for the Greatest Hits and don't have our depth of knowledge of the back catalogue. In this light I think the set list was generally spot on as Jeff is obviously trying to cater for all comers and consequently, I now forgive him for omitting Standin' In The Rain and Fire On High! 9) I understand that Roy Wood was in the audience on Saturday night and last night I saw Dave Morgan. These are good signs with a view to the Barclaycard Arena show.
Apologies for the length of this post. If you are awaiting a show at some point on the rest of the tour - it's going to be a night to remember.
....and finally an apology to horacewimp. I saw you on Saturday in Block 2 - I was in the row behind with my wife but I just couldn't get to you to say hello. I even left my seat before the show when you did but you were quickly lost in the masses! Another time I hope.
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Post by dillwyn on Apr 18, 2016 10:01:44 GMT
went to both nights, I thought Saturday edged it mainly for the crowd as Sunday's crowd took a little to get going. Anyone else notice issues with the back projection during telephone line on sunday
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Post by Horacewimp on Apr 18, 2016 10:30:32 GMT
Hey sorry I missed you soonerorlater maybe see you at The Barclaycard Arena in June
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Post by jackpunch on Apr 18, 2016 13:25:00 GMT
Well it's been quite a weekend. Two shows and even though I'm a confirmed teetotaller, I feel somewhat hung over this morning!
Of course I approached Saturday with a mixture of insane excitement and absolute dread. Like the rest of you it meant so much. Could he really pull it off? Was I expecting too much? Would it all end in disappointment? Not a chance. It was absolutely fantastic and it met and then exceeded every unreasonable expectation that I've formed over the past few decades as I've waited for even the remotest possibility of this moment. I managed to relax a little for last night's show and that I think, made it even better.
I feel truly privileged to have witnessed this show twice and with the third Birmingham show still to come it's going to be perhaps the greatest 'ELO year' of them all! Who would have thought that possible in 2016?
A few randomly arranged observations which you may or may not have some agreement with:
1) The Feeling were an inspired choice as a support act and Jeff was generous to them in allowing such a decent sound system. I once saw the Manic Street Preachers support Paul McCartney and their sound was awful by comparison to the main act. I know that a lot of support acts suffer this professional indignity. So well done The Feeling, they were this years Voyager (Time Tour support) and set up the evening perfectly. 2) The ELO lighting, lasers and screen projections were stunning. The clever use of lights that not just lit the band but also projected into the audience's 'space' was inspired. 3) The band around Jeff were fantastic to a man and woman. I know that there's been a lot of praise for Donavan Hepburn and he's a fine drummer but better than Bev Bevan? I really don't think so. He doesn't quite have Bev's 'tub and thump' technique that was missing on moments like Don't Bring Me Down. Talking of which.... 4) I will always have a lifelong indifference towards Discovery but I have to admit DBMD and Shine A Little Love were both fantastic!! I even danced to the latter and I just don't do that sort of thing! 5) When I Was A Boy live already sounds like an ELO Classic. 6) Rockaria! is usually an A+ live moment for me but I think they got this one wrong and reduced it to a B- in doing so. Sharing the vocals with the (admittedly more than competent) Iain Hornal lost the song its impetus, particularly that climactic ending. 7) Replacing When The Night Comes with 10538 Overture should have been done from the very start of the tour. 8) A lot of people around me on the floor last night stood for most songs but would sit down for the quieter ones. That's perfectly reasonable but they also started to sit down to the 'lesser known ones' such as Ain't It A Drag and Secret Messages which just goes to show (and I think we forget this sometimes) that a lot of people were there for the Greatest Hits and don't have our depth of knowledge of the back catalogue. In this light I think the set list was generally spot on as Jeff is obviously trying to cater for all comers and consequently, I now forgive him for omitting Standin' In The Rain and Fire On High! 9) I understand that Roy Wood was in the audience on Saturday night and last night I saw Dave Morgan. These are good signs with a view to the Barclaycard Arena show.
Apologies for the length of this post. If you are awaiting a show at some point on the rest of the tour - it's going to be a night to remember.
....and finally an apology to horacewimp. I saw you on Saturday in Block 2 - I was in the row behind with my wife but I just couldn't get to you to say hello. I even left my seat before the show when you did but you were quickly lost in the masses! Another time I hope. Sorry, but I need to take issue with this. Bev Bevan isn't 10% the drummer that Donovan Hepburn is. Bev was right for ELO back in the day, but he really is a very poor technical drummer.
Conversely, I agree wholeheartedly with you regarding the Secret Messages/Aint it a drag choices. I suspect that 75% of the audience have attended for the hits, and to be fair, whilst I love Secret Messages, it's not going to get me up dancing.... unlike Shine a little love, Rockaria etc.
I'm hoping it's not his swansong and it's re-invigorated his desire to play live, but I fear it might be the last time. If it is, he's certainly gone out with a bang. There's thousands of facebook messages/tweets/reviews etc about just how fantastic the gigs have been.
I don't think I've ever been to gigs where there's such a feelgood factor about the whole event. Everyone leaves with a smile on their face. I just need to work out whether I can get tickets for Manchester in June.
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