Review No: 9
Published: 08/29/03
Title: Another Great Show
Writer: Don Bauer, tull-tree@sbcglobal.net
Concert Date: 23-08-03
Concert Place: Embassy Theatre, Fort Wayne, Indiana
Concert Country: USA
Review: I've seen Tull as often as possible since 1976, my first concert ever. They were so amazing back then. I have seen them many times since- almost every year, but when times were tight I could nmot afford to travel. Now I see them somewhere in the states when they come over.
I have come to grips with Ian's voice. It is often weak and never what it used to be. It is still great for the quieter songs. That said this touring band is as tight as any Ian has put together. Jon and Doane are great in the beat and Andy is wonderful on keyboards. It's fun to watch him, legs flailing under his rig, arms all over.
Martin is my hero. He is the most dead on player year after year (I highly recommend his new solo album Stage Left). I have had the luck of meeting Martin twice in the past and actually got to hang in the bar with the band last year. Andy and Martin were so genuine and friendly, they made us feel like part of the family!
This was another great show. I have been disappointed by the songs they did not play in the past. Lets face it, they have 35 years of albums they're not going to play all the songs I want to hear, but what a great selection they did play. The inclusion of My God after a few years absence was a great surprise (I have over the years been watching web sites and getting boots of shows before I see a show, this year I left it all unknown- I think that paid off for me!) Hearing Wind Up live again was also a great moment.
I have but one complaint, nobody stood for encores. These guys played their hearts out- threw in great surprises(Martin in the audience for the opening of Locomotive Breath!) and the audience sat almost for the entire show!
The opening band was Guy Davis. His partner Nerick Patterson and he put on a great show. Ian joined and played some Harmonica then some flute. For me the highlight of the entire night was the Guy Davis guys joined by all but Ian from Tull and Jamming on Sweet Hoime Chicago!!!!! My photos come back tomorrow. I had sixth row isle so I was able to move up for some great shots- I cant wait!!!
Any one with recordings, I have over 300 live Tull recordings I'd love to trade for some 2003 shows!
Review No: 8
Published: 08/28/03
Title: "Worth the Wait
Writer: Phil Dailing, mightyoaks12@sbcglobal.net
Concert Date: 28. August, 2003
Concert Place: Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin
Concert Country: USA
Review: I've enjoyed listening to Tull since their initial album release but this was the first time I had seen them in concert. Ian's flute playing was superb and he can still do it balancing on one leg! Martin Barre's guitar work was also excellent. I would have preferred to hear a few more cuts from Aqualung and Benefit but overall it was a great show. The only real weakness is Ian's vocals - he has lost most of his voice over the years.
5
Published: 08/16/03
Title: Never Too Old, Too Rock and Roll
Writer: vandy, jvandermeer@kospharm.com
Concert Date: 14. August, 2003
Concert Place: State Theatre, New Brunswick, NJ
Concert Country: United States
Review: Last night was the thirth time or so that I've seen
Tull. They continue to amaze me. Every one played strong. My God was a
personal favotite, they blew the doors off the place. Play list was exactly
the same from the Connecticut show. ( printed before this review) I'll
keep you posted next week from Pittsburgh, Pa.
Review No: 4
Published:
08/11/03
Title: Still Rocking, Mate
Writer: Bobby Pinelli, Pinellib@aol.com
Concert Date: 10, August, 2003
Concert Place: Mohegan Sun Casino
Concert Country: USA
Review: Last night, I attended my 10th Tull concert in as many
years, on Ian's 56th birthday no less, which he also acknowledged twice
during the show. No matter how many times you see this mighty band, you
will always be assured of surprises. For instance, the inclusion of a belly
bancer on stage during Fat Man was a first for my eyes. There was no dancing
rabbit or interrupted phone call during Hunting Girl, (a song which I will
never tire of hearing live), but there was still Ian taking digital pix
of the audience during the Aqualung guitar solo. Wind-Up, of course, was
a complete shock to me, as it came right when I was expecting Locomotove
Breath, which they planned right afterwards. I'm just happy that after
35 years of touring, Tull can still get up and perform amazingly for little
casinos here and there, and charge decent ticket prices for a Grammy winning
band who can conceivably charge whatever they want. I very much look forward
to the 2 solo CDs this month, and am also glad I missed the opening act
completely, as Tull have not had a decent warmup act since ELP opened for
them back in '96. LITP seemed a bit longer than usual and Nothing is Easy
positively COOKED! Martin's professional, needlesharp riffing was pure
perfection as always. He is truly a Rock god. They did of course completely
ignore 11 albums because they tend to rely so heavily on Aqualung and Stand
Up, but anything off Roots to Branches will be welcome by me. The setlist
was as follows: Living in the Past, Nothing is Easy, With you There to
Help Me, Some Day the Sun won't Shine for You, God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman,
Beside Myself, Counting the Chickens, Dot Com, Eurology, Fat Man, Songs
from the Wood Medley, Hunting Girl, My God, Budapest, Aqualung, Wind Up,
Locomotive Breath, Cheerio.
Review No: 3
Published:
07/29/03
Title: Too late to wait for the security check
Writer: Paris17, crazydiamond@in.gr
Concert Date: 15 July 2003
Concert Place: Moni Lazariston Theatre, Thessaloniki
Concert Country: Greece
Review: We arrived a bit late. As my friends and I were standing
out of the venue along with some hundreds to wait for the ticket check
suddenly the concert starts. People start shouting to let us in faster.
A security guard appears and says "no more". The crowd gets mad and protests.
We destroy a big door and everybody rushes in. I don't know how many people
went inside for free. We lost the first song but we were happy to be inside(finally).
Ian didn't allow any cigarettes in the place and went angry with some people
smoking. The whole gig was perfect and the show with the enormous white
baloons and the guys dressed like doctors lighting every member of the
group with their helmet flashlights was extraordinary and wierd. The setlist
was: Living With The Past, Nothing Is Easy, Someday The Sun, With You There,
God Rest Ye Merry, Beside Myself, Fat Man, Bouree, MB Inst(Chickens), Dot
Com, Eurology, medley: Songs From The Woods/Too Old To Rock 'n' Roll, Too
Young To Die/Horses, My God, Budapest, New Jig, Aqualung, encore: Wind
Up, Locomotive Breath. I am a bit dissapointed with Ian. He saw I carried
my Aqualung LP with me but refused to sign it and left with a Mercedes.