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11/03/06 -
WESTRIDGE PARK TENNIS STADIUM, DURBAN Review by Max: First of all my apologies for taking so long to file this report of Bryan’s show in Durban on the 11 March 2006. It was my first ever BA show and I have to say it was just BRILLIANT!! I’ve been a fan ever since I can remember and even although Bryan and the guys have been here in South Africa 3 times before, I just never got the chance to see them live. This year was a different story and me and my mates got tickets as soon as they became available. Being a student in Potchefstroom we drove over 700km to the show, which wasn’t a bad thing as we got a weekend away, a road trip and got to see the best show of our lives. Good thing it was still summer as the weather was just perfect with no cloud in sight. We arrived about 2 and a half hours before the gates opened and we were the 3rd small group of people waiting in line. Perfect timing. Security, as with other BA shows, was pretty strict. No cameras were allowed in, but we managed to bribe one of the officials( we gave the poor guy a bottle of cold spring water, it was damn hot in Durban! ). We had to make two rows at the gate: one for the girls and one for the guys. I managed to be the first guy in and of course headed straight to the prime spot at any BA concert: right at the front of the barriers between Bryan and Keith!(great start to the evening). The support act, Cubic Inch, came on at about 8 o’clock. The guys performed a really good set of about 30 minutes. During the second last song though, the lead singer snapped one of his guitar strings. Hilarious! The band was caught totally of guard and the lead guitarist and drummer had to improvise something while their lead singer was desperately trying to organize a new guitar. Al we could do, after we laughed our butts off, was cheering the guys as loud as we could! (i think they really appreciated it). The lead singer finally got his new guitar and the band finished the ‘new extended version’ of the song(lol). After their set they thanked the crowd, as well as BA and the band for coming so far from Canada to visit our shores. Very polite. Only 30 Minutes till BA. At around 9 o’clock the lights suddenly went down and the whole crowd started buzzing with anticipation and excitement. BA and the guys then came running onto the stage in the dark but when the lights came on and Bryan strummed the first few chords of ‘So far so good’, the crowd went crazy. It sounded really good live. Everything looked so good with al the guitars on stage and the Roomservice backdrop. The guys really put in a lot of effort into each song and the crowd replied with great enthusiasm. ‘This Time’ and ‘Somebody’ sounded very good live.
(Above) BA and Keith rock out on 'Back To You' ‘Back to you’ was again a real crowd favorite and every one joined in with the jumping and singing the chorus. ‘Can’t stop this thing we started’ was done really good and Bryan occasionally looked at the crowd saying: ‘I can’t stop this!’. Bryan’s harmonica on ‘Open Road’ sounded great and the crowd enjoyed the song with a lot of jumping through the chorus. When the first sounds of ’18 till I die’ broke through the sweltering heat of the night, the crowd went ballistic. 6000 people shouting: ’18 till i die’ is really something to savour. Half way through the song I just had to turn around and enjoy the sight. ‘Let’s make a night to remember’ as a full version live I thought would be quite tricky but the band pulled it of perfectly. Bryan then said: “It’s funny how you can sometimes write a song in a crappy old basement with the smell of rat piss, and the song can last for over 20 years. Oh, and by the way, this song doesn’t refer to any particular year…” . Mayhem. The crowd immediately knew it was ‘Summer of ‘69’. It was done as the full rock version, as it is supposed to. What a great song live! Next up was ‘Everything I do’ and the crowd responded really well with all the cell phone lights coming on. ‘Cut’s like a knife’ was quite funny. At the first ‘na na na’ Bryan was a little disappointed in the effort and mockingly slapped his hands together with slappy wrists. The crowd was immediately up for the challenge and second time round everyone was yelling ‘na na na’ at the top of their voices. Bryan worked the crowd really well and the song ended with a bang. Bryan then announced that he needed a volunteer for ‘When you’re gone’ to join him onstage. I almost lost an eardrum when the female fans started screaming. He eventually picked a blond girl(which I think he prefers) who had enough ‘enthusiasm’. She came from ‘Kloof’ which Bryan jokingly mis-announced as her coming from ‘Hoof’. Unfortunately she wasn’t very good. I couldn’t decide if she didn’t know the words, or if she was just to stunned to be joining the stage with Bryan and the guys, that she could only sing half the song. Anyway, she got a big hug and a couple of free t-shirts for her and her family. Her evening was made. ‘I’m ready’ from the ‘Unplugged’ album was a real favorite for the couples in the crowd. Bryan then walked over and picked up the orange Gretsch. I suspected that ‘Hearts on fire’ was up next and I shouted the name of the song at the top of my voice. Bryan looked at me and said: “Thank you”. A great moment. He then continued saying : ‘Sometimes you write a good song and forget about it and years later you kinda rediscover it and realize how good it actually was’. I tend to agree with that. Hearts on fire is just brilliant live and the Gretsch just gives it that extra grunge. ‘Heaven’ and ‘It’s only love’ followed and Keith really showed what he can do when he’s given centre stage with a guitar in hand. The man is just awesome. Bryan should really give him more free roam in the studio. ‘The only thing’ really got the crowd going with everyone joining in at the chorus. The guys then came to the front of the stage and everyone cheered with the guys enjoying themselves with a lot of smiling and joking around. I turned round for a moment to look at the crowd and when I turned back to the front, something white flapped before my eyes. I reached out and grabbed it. It was Bryan’s face cloth! What luck! I was simply ecstatic about the little ‘prize’ I had grabbed. (Great piece of memorabilia to remember the show by!). The guys then went off for a quick break of about 10 minutes. Meanwhile me and the guys at the front were trying to keep the vibe going shouting ‘we want more’ and ‘Bryan, Bryan, Bryan’! The guys came running back onstage again straight into ‘Cloud #9’ with the crowd waving their arms from side to side. The crowd signed number 1 and 2 in the first few lines and Bryan responded. The melody from Keith’s guitar sounds very good on this one. ‘Run to You’ is a another classic that just doesn’t seem to loose it’s grip as the years role by and certainly deserves it’s place in the live set-up. Without any introduction Bryan shouted: ‘You got it!’ and the band launched into ‘The best of me’ (my personal favourite BA song). Bryan then took off his guitar and loosened the microphone and climbed off-stage. He actually leaned over us into the crowd!(my brush with great-ness I guess). Everyone in the front row really enjoyed this as this is probably the closest you’ll ever get to the man. The guys ended the second part of the show and enjoyed a huge cheer from all the fans. Mickey then walked to the front of the stage with a couple of drumsticks. I shouted his name as loud as I could. Well, I got rewarded. He looked at me and threw me one of his drumsticks! This was just unbelievable. Bryan’s facecloth and a drumstick from Mickey Curry! The evening couldn’t get any better!? The guys then went off and the audience just kept cheering along. Bryan then came out for his solo piece on the acoustic guitar which was done masterfully. ‘Please forgive me’ stripped down really makes it a heartfelt song and shows what Bryan can do with only an acoustic guitar in hand. The crowd basically sang ‘All for love’. The song is still so well-known and memorable and Bryan was really enjoying it till the very end. The evening was, unfortunately, quickly drawing to a close. Remember I said the evening couldn’t get any better? Well, I was lying. Just after Bryan finished ‘All for love’ I shouted a request in the form of ‘Before the night is over’. Bryan looked at me with a smile as if to say: ‘Maybe next time’. Little bit disappointing. Nevertheless, he put down his guitar, walked straight across the stage till he was about 2 meters away and through his guitar pick at me…… I know, I was also at a loss for words. Here I was standing with Bryan’s face cloth and guitar pick, and Mickey’s drumstick! This has to be some world record. The lights finally came on and the crowds started moving out. Everyone I talked to was extremely satisfied with the show and it seems Bryan and the band can still go on for another three decades. Anyway that’s all from South Africa for the moment. Can’t wait till the next BA show!! Oh and remember: If you wanna be bad, you gotta
be good!! Setlist: | |||
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® 2006 18 Til I Die.co.uk. All
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Thanks to Bob for the setlist. Pics by Tharina.
Bryan on guitar
The K-man
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