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		24/03/07 - PALASPORT, PADOVA After surprising everybody with the comeback of the b-stage in Milan, BA carries on the momentum and puts in another near 3 hour show in Padova. Well played Bryan! Review by Jackie Wilson: Odds were on that I wasn’t going to this gig but I decided to scrap the proposed après-gig skiing and just have one day off work instead. Liz and I headed for the Hilton at Stansted on Friday night and had a wholesome 3 ½ hours sleep prior to our flight to Venice Treviso on Saturday morning. After plane, bus and train rides we arrived at Padova, headed for our hotel and later met up with Rose. The venue was close, allegedly, but we walked up and down via Venezia so many times our feet were killing. Anyway, we eventually arrived at 12.30 and joined a queue of about 16 other peeps and Sabina joined us too. It was pretty cold and there were no local facilities, in fact, the venue wasn’t sign- posted at all and it basically resembled a cowshed! It was, in fact, a sports hall so there were no ready-made lighting/stage facilities. Liz was chatted up in the queue. He said “My name is Fabio, but you can call me fabulous and I’d like to come to England”. LOL! He was a very handsome young man and was very gentlemanly because he even offered his jacket to Liz. She thinks he was looking for a mother figure! He probably was THE only pleasure in the queue – aside the fact that hopefully we haven’t developed lung cancer from passive smoking!! Bryan wasn’t ‘on’ until 9.30pm which is SOO late when you’ve been queuing and we almost froze to death waiting until 7.15/7.30 to get in. Whilst the queuing had been fine, security arrived and ordered everyone to move – cue, queue pushers!!! Shambles springs to mind and so when we got in, unfortunately we were split up. Liz managed to get in quickly but when I got in, the centre front was two rows deep and so I got myself, Rose and Sabina a spot further along the barrier. However, we were dead pleased to just left of Gary – shame was that the stage was pretty short – bit of a bonus tho’…… Bryan’s left spot was RIGHT in front of us :) Support act, Gregory Darling, wasn’t bad but half hour was enough. Here’s my take on what happened – bearing in mind I was tired, older than some/most and everyone’s view is their own, so forgive me for any incorrectly placed songs! (Above) That gorgeous new Gretsch awaits BA on the b-stage (Below) The band go on the b-stage We knew that the ‘B’ Stage was happening and with a full-house of, I guess, around 5000 peeps, at just after 9.30pm BA and the dudes took most by surprise by kicking the show off at the back. With a ‘Corona Extra’ backdrop the crowd at the back screeched with delight as Never Be Another Tonight opened the show. Bryan strummed acoustic solo for the entrée and then the band blasted in big time with their motor running and their engines on. CSTTWS followed (new guitar for Bryan), which of course, was more well known with the population and then the dudes left the stage and discreetly made their way to the main stage while Bryan grabbed everyone’s attention with PFM. Mickey was the first to take his place and Norm crept behind the amps whilst Keith lay low in the shadows. Next shock of the night was BOM – OMG, it was well weird to have this so soon – some would say, misplaced. The crowd went crazy as BA ran the aisle, ‘hi-fiving’ along the way and really showing what a good time he was having. On the first ‘fly-past’, BA pulled himself up on ‘our step’ directly in-front of me, Rose and Sabina and so we had a little stroke before he headed off to the right hand side of stage. To our great delight he returned to us and grabbed Sabina’s hand and toyed her to pull him up. He had a right devilish glint in his eyes! Up he came slap-bang in my face (well his belly was!) and so Sabina and I just HAD to hold his body to make sure he didn’t fall off the step ;p Rose was chuckling to herself at us stroking his torso – thank God he wasn’t sweaty at this stage!!! He seemed to be there for ages and grabbed a few peeps cameras for photos and then he was climbing up them there set of ladders onto the stage and launching into ‘Somebody’ (Liz and I have debated this – she reckons it was sung on the B Stage, and if she’s right, I’ll humbly apologise, but as I said, this is what I remember!) From where I was standing, there wasn’t much pointing on the ‘YOU’ bits but peeps soon cottoned on to the chorus. Unfortunately, my gigging mates, Liz and Rose, are hopeless at remembering the setlist (in order) and so I’m trying to get as much of it as right as possible without outside help LOL! The crowd found their voices again for 18TID and BA went on to promise LMANTR on the Open Road – the only song from RS album. S069 was full rock version and the BTY bounce needed some encouragement from BA. Glancing along the front row, I was pleased to see that Liz didn’t ‘let the side down’ and did the hand actions all on her own – well done mate! BA made a fantastic performance of ITAY and he sang ‘Padova, you’re the best’ much to the crowd’s approval. Despite Bryan’s efforts, Keith maintained a fairly vacant look through the show – as if he was just going through the motions. EID, Heaven, IOL and HYERLAW came along and it was IOL with a difference! A ballad version with BA on acoustic – Fantastic!!! Keith’s talent on the Spanish guitar was awesome during HYERLAW although we all thought Bryan sang distinctly out of tune in places LOL! BA’s respect and admiration was so evident though it went unacknowledged by KS tonight. CLAK followed and Bryan displayed his usual humour trying to get the crown going before going on to chose his WYG girl. I think Bryan read a banner that said “Bryan I want sleep with you” and so he asked if she wanted to sing with him and was she from Padova. It seems she wasn’t so he picked a local travel agent worker. She’d left her boyfriend at home – much to his delight! When she talked and sang, she wiggled her bottom and BA took the greatest delight in mimicking her! When he intimated that he should rub his guitar against her bottom she pointed her finger at him ‘naughty, naughty’. This young lady was not gazing into Bryan’s eyes like most so he chose to invite her to sing right by his side – she did a good job! Bryan told everyone they could have cheap holidays if they went to her travel agency. The lighting was fantastic through the whole gig. Once the black curtain was dropped the backdrop displayed an array of colours and effects including lit circles with glowing candles in the centre. Very effective! By the time TOTTLGOYIM came around the crowd was well hyped and were chanting for the encore. I scanned the front row during C#9 and it seemed I was the only one with my hands in the air, though Bryan soon changed that! The stage wasn’t really long enough for the usual frenetic running to and fro during R2U and in any case, KS was still distant, but the crowd loved the show. After the introductions from BA, the band exited the stage again and reappeared on the ‘B’ stage. I’m writing this AFTER the second BETTER gig and so feel naturally inclined to emphasise the intensity of this second visit to the B stage. It was great fun – Seven Nights to Rock, though positively unknown to anyone less than a hardcore fan, had lots of peeps dancing and Bryan jumping up onto the drums at the end! It was fairly impossible for those at the front part of the hall to see anything because there were no big screens. The next number was amazing – Ray Charles ‘I Got A Woman’ magnificent!!!! – followed by KC and the Sunshine Band’s ‘ Get Down Tonight’ with Bryan dragging every hot ass on stage and really getting down! OMG that song took me back!!! He really showed that he can still wiggle –even at his age ;P !! Norm kinda remained fairly nonchalant – as usual hating any attention with Gary smiling and Mickey laughing throughout. After an extended version of SOH and a rapturous applause, BA and the dudes exited the ‘B’ stage and Bryan reappeared on main stage for his solo set. SFTH, A4L and a brilliant WYLS sandwiched in the middle – goosebump time! Then it was time for Bryan to say thank you and goodbye…. He clearly had a fantastic time – he looked so happy! Well, this 2nd gig of the tour (our first) was very interesting – many of the same songs but certainly presented in an unpredictable fashion, kept up the intrigue. The extras on the B stage were amazing and as always, BA and the dudes gave a real professional performance! We left the gig happy and excited and then stepped into the pouring rain arriving back at our hotel resembling drowned rats. Sadly no bar open and no food so Liz and I made do with a glass each of Kiss Chasey that I’d ‘prepared earlier’ and a handful of peanuts each. We’d been up for 21 hours at that point and, oh joy, we were about to get another 4.5 hours before the next leg….. we sure know how to have a good time!!! As they say in the formal world - errors and omissions excepted! Soundcheck: Get Down Tonight Setlist: *b-stage* There Will Never Be Another Tonight (BA on acoustic) Can't Stop This Thing We Started Please Forgive Me (band goes to mainstage while BA does it solo) The Best Of Me (BA walks to mainstage) *b-stage* Let's Make A Night To Remember Somebody Open Road 18 Til I Die Back To You I Think About You Summer Of '69 Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman? Everything I Do Cut's Like A Knife When You're Gone (with Paola from Padova) It's Only Love (BA on acoustic) Heaven The Only Thing That Looks Good On Me Is You Cloud #9 Run To You *b-stage* Seven Nights To Rock I Got A Woman Get Down Tonight She's Only Happy When She's Dancin' *b-stage* Straight From The Heart When You Love Someone All For Love ********** Review by Isabella Liporesi: after 20 yrs of giggin (thats another anniversary for me this year, beside the Into the Fire one!) the ba experience took a whole new light while i was watchin my 6 yrs old boy getting ready for the gig and sporting proudly his little BA t-shirt, he was excited but at the same time talkin like he was going to see a 'friend', which is normal for somebody who grew up with photos and talks of ba all around him all the time! padova greeted us with freezing cold and the wait outside was not too pleasant...but the little boy was not worried at all, jumpin and runnin around all the time, curious about everybody and everything. bryan didnt look too worried by the wind either, when he got off the car in his white t-shirt...bryan you should take more care, you better put your jacket on next time! we already knew from milan reviews about the bstage and once inside the arena we headed there with no doubts (thanks marzia for making a little space for us!) :-) thanks bryan for bringin the bstage back, i always loved it as its so r'n'r!! i love the atmosphere there and now with more songs its even better, thumbs up for it, thanks and thanks again!!! and what an opening with there will never be another tonight, one of my favorite ba songs ever! i wont even go into the show details as its been perfectly covered by others already. it just rocked, and i dint take many photos as i wanted to fully enjoy the moment! my little mickey actually fell asleep for a few songs of the main set...after all, "i do it for you" was his lullaby song when he was a newborn! but he was up again by the time the guys reached the b-stage again! sorry bryan for the "little-boy-on-b-stage" incident, but as someone rightly said, Kids Wanna Rock, little mickey sure does and i didnt dare stop him! dancin up there without him wasnt the same fun (moms in here can maybe relate..) but i do understand bryan's safety concern... when i tried to explain this to my boy though, he commented "it sucks to be little..."!! LOL i promised him he can try it again in 10 yrs or so...in the safe bet, bryan, that you will still be out there entertaining us on the b-stage!! :-) and, last but not least, i know this is a tad non BA but its probably my favorite picture of the night! :-) thanks bryan and guys for another great night of r'n'r fun! and thanks for all you gave me in these great 20 years and more to come!!

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