Venue:
Hammy Odeon
Date: 26/05/2015
After 44 years of gig-going, and over 35 years of seeing this band, I have just seen one of my favourite gigs of all time. Those perennial Aunt Sally’s, Toto, came to town on Tuesday and are currently being chased across Europe,by Hammersmith Council, for funds to replace the roof of this venerated venue. They have a new album to promote, and it got 5 tracks aired tonight. It, ( Toto XIV) is bloody fab. The setlist was a brilliant run through some faves, some ‘deep cuts’ and the ‘3 biguns’, Africa being saved for the THIRD encore. We did the full ‘sound-check, meet ‘n greet’ ticket and it was worth every penny. They were funny, humble, grateful and interested in everyone – a rare gift.
The setlist was fab, the sound was great and the night was a feckin’ brilliant example of how a terrific bunch of musicians can make the best sound you’ve ever heard.
The audience:
Brilliant. Loud. Polite. Up for it. Cheerful. Polite. Friendly. One Louder. Polite.
It made me think..
Steve Lukather is the best guitarist on the Planet (not my quote, Jeff Beck’s) and he fronts an amazing band. I’ll get slagged for this review (Toto? American dinosaurs, 80’s posers, radio pulp,) I could not give a flying fuck. They were brilliant.
Good for you Niall! Glad it was such a good gig.
As you say, Toto are not exactly AW poster boys, so it’s great to see you showing your enthusiasm here. Go for it!
I’m glad to see you refer to this fine old concert venue as the “Hammy Odeon”, niallb. That is indeed the only name by which it should be referred to on this board.
Any reference to “The Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith” or other new-fangled, sponsor-included name for this classic West London theatre is hereby banned on the Afterword. I hope I speak for us all in this.
Perhaps someone should start a thread: “Great Hammy Odeon gigs from the past that we remember”. ….
Can’t help with that one but here’s something about the Rainbow
http://www.rainbowhistory.x10.mx/
Great review! Wish I’d been there. I have IV. Maybe I should investigate further?
*flinches, hides wallet*
@duco01 The Hammy O is the only other other way I will ever hear it said. Anyone calling it The Hammersmith Apollo gets short shrift. Anyone naming one of the interminable number of sponsors will get a cuff round the head.
@vulpes-vulpes The 2-disc Essential is the best of the compilations.
In terms of individual albums, The Seventh One is essential and you could do a lot worse than the new one, XIV. It marks a fantastic return for singer Joseph Williams (yes, son of John ‘Star Wars’ Williams) and has great songs on it. Incredible to think that, of the current band, Joe, Luke, Paich, Steve Porcaro and David Hungate all went to school together. Add in the late Jeff and Mike Porcaro and it’s an even more incredible story.
Was Lee Sklar with them?
Sounds great. The joy (singular) of getting older = the number of flying fucks you give regarding what people think, decrease in direct proportion to the increasing number of years.
The big question for me – Did they play 99? – I love that song.
Have invested in 8CD boxed set for a score. After that review it’s got to be a good bet.
@twang Lee is still on tour with Judith Owen, on the Bryan Ferry tour. The band’s original bass-player, David Hungate, was back. He’s on the new album as well.
@jackthebiscuit ‘Fraid not. The setlist is here:
Running Out of Time
I’ll Supply the Love
Burn
Stranger in Town
I Won’t Hold You Back
Holy War
Hold the Line
Takin’ It Back
Pamela
Bottom of Your Soul
Caught in the Balance
Without Your Love
Little Wing
(The Jimi Hendrix Experience cover)
Orphan
The Road Goes On
Great Expectations
Rosanna
Encore:
On the Run / Child’s Anthem / Goodbye Elenore
Encore 2:
The Muse
White Sister
Africa
No Georgy-Porgy? Tell your story walkin’!
I’ll post this clip simply because it made me so happy. And it happened six feet in front of me. My brother, Phol, lives in Perth, Oz. He is a fantastic guitarist. Years ago, right at the start of Napster, he sent me a CD of some MP3 files he’d ripped. I had no idea what he was talking about but the live tracks all sounded amazing. One was from a Steve Lukather solo gig, in Germany. It was Jimi’s Little Wing. I have played and played it to death, over the years. The other night, at the end of Without Your Love, he suddenly broke into the riff. I kept thinking of my brother, who I miss so much. Amazingly, someone standing ten feet behind me, to my right, filmed it, and put it on YouTube. The photo is by my wife, and just shows our amazing position. Truly, a stunning gig.
http://i1077.photobucket.com/albums/w479/niallbrannigan/8db60972915ec5959217d24df335e5f9_zpsqzk1nfig.jpg
Jaw droppingly ace! Hairs on my arm.
*visits Amazon to look at Lukather solo albums, whimpering*
Phol? I don’t know anyone called that. Phil, obviously.
@vulpes-vulpes He is just fantastic. Having met him twice, I can confirm some other details:
He is the funniest musician I’ve ever met.
He has a filthy sense of humour.
He is the nicest bloke – move over Dave Grohl.