The July 3 Ottawa show at the National Arts Centre was amazing.
The venue is more suited for Opera and orchestras and has a regal feel about it that makes it not the best show for rock bands. When you are in the venue, there is a certain reverence about it (almost like being in a church) so the crowd is more sedate. Ive seen a few shows here and always get that impression. As well, there is 8 10 feet between the band and the edge of the stage so they look even further removed from you than normal. It was also the end of a long weekend (Canadas national holiday July 1) so I think people just wanted to watch a really good band. In short, the crowd was not exactly rocking.
There was no opening act and the show started at 810 PM and went two hours (almost to the minute).
After reading Guys diary about how at some of the European shows where people storm the stage after Sultans, the band might have been a little disappointed that nothing like that happened here. In fact half the time, the band looked a little bored (but it is late in a very long tour). SOS did bring the crowd to their feet.
That aside it was a great show and 110 per cent better than the STP tour from 2001. I had read other reviews of this tour and thought some of the comments about the great sound and how much better Marks voice was a little too much but it turned out to be (in my opinion) true. People talking on the way out after the show felt the same way.
Standard set list with the addition of one new one from Shangri-La, All That Matters (it came in after Rudiger, as I recall). Guy had mentioned on his Web site diary that they had added it the night before in Montreal. Done with MK on acoustic, Richard on a National Steel (played with a slide giving it a dobro type of sound), Matt on accordion and Guy on the keyboards (I was in the front row and in front of the PA stack so looking up, I only saw the top of Guys hair. ATM also got a good response when they started it so I think most people knew the set list and knew they were hearing something different. MK explained what a national steel guitar was (made out of scrap metal and my first one cost me 80 quid which was 80 more quid than I had at the time).
They did the tea thing with the roadie rolling out a cup for Mark (and later one for Richard). The crowd got a chuckle out of this. I think MK was even explaining what type of tea it was. (Im a tea drinker too but I guess we get different brands over here!)
A couple of observations from the front row:
There were two directional microphones pointing out into the audience (one at either side of the stage). I gather that means they were recording the show???? I didnt see any video equipment so maybe they are thinking of a live CD. Maybe somebody can comment on this.
I also noticed during the final part of What it Is (after the solo where it slows down) that MK faced Danny and called to him to change his drumming (he was hitting the high hat and switched to some cymbals). To me it shows MKs professionalism. He is playing but is aware of what everybody else around him is doing and will signal the other players to speed up or slow down. It also shows that the other band members have to be ready to adjust their playing accordingly. To me you have to have talent AND chemistry to make that work.
All in all, a great show.
Cheers,
don
The venue is more suited for Opera and orchestras and has a regal feel about it that makes it not the best show for rock bands. When you are in the venue, there is a certain reverence about it (almost like being in a church) so the crowd is more sedate. Ive seen a few shows here and always get that impression. As well, there is 8 10 feet between the band and the edge of the stage so they look even further removed from you than normal. It was also the end of a long weekend (Canadas national holiday July 1) so I think people just wanted to watch a really good band. In short, the crowd was not exactly rocking.
There was no opening act and the show started at 810 PM and went two hours (almost to the minute).
After reading Guys diary about how at some of the European shows where people storm the stage after Sultans, the band might have been a little disappointed that nothing like that happened here. In fact half the time, the band looked a little bored (but it is late in a very long tour). SOS did bring the crowd to their feet.
That aside it was a great show and 110 per cent better than the STP tour from 2001. I had read other reviews of this tour and thought some of the comments about the great sound and how much better Marks voice was a little too much but it turned out to be (in my opinion) true. People talking on the way out after the show felt the same way.
Standard set list with the addition of one new one from Shangri-La, All That Matters (it came in after Rudiger, as I recall). Guy had mentioned on his Web site diary that they had added it the night before in Montreal. Done with MK on acoustic, Richard on a National Steel (played with a slide giving it a dobro type of sound), Matt on accordion and Guy on the keyboards (I was in the front row and in front of the PA stack so looking up, I only saw the top of Guys hair. ATM also got a good response when they started it so I think most people knew the set list and knew they were hearing something different. MK explained what a national steel guitar was (made out of scrap metal and my first one cost me 80 quid which was 80 more quid than I had at the time).
They did the tea thing with the roadie rolling out a cup for Mark (and later one for Richard). The crowd got a chuckle out of this. I think MK was even explaining what type of tea it was. (Im a tea drinker too but I guess we get different brands over here!)
A couple of observations from the front row:
There were two directional microphones pointing out into the audience (one at either side of the stage). I gather that means they were recording the show???? I didnt see any video equipment so maybe they are thinking of a live CD. Maybe somebody can comment on this.
I also noticed during the final part of What it Is (after the solo where it slows down) that MK faced Danny and called to him to change his drumming (he was hitting the high hat and switched to some cymbals). To me it shows MKs professionalism. He is playing but is aware of what everybody else around him is doing and will signal the other players to speed up or slow down. It also shows that the other band members have to be ready to adjust their playing accordingly. To me you have to have talent AND chemistry to make that work.
All in all, a great show.
Cheers,
don
