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		12/05/07 - HALLAM FM ARENA, SHEFFIELD Review by Steven Stanley: After my first ever gig here back in April '97, the end of this tour marked the end of just over 10 years of gigs for me and what better place than the place it all started... at 'The House Of Steel' in Sheffield. After the Wembley wristband shambles I was determined to have a fair crack at the mainstage this time. So, as soon as the Wembley show ended... I floored it up to Sheffield via a quick stop at home and was there for about 2am. Ended up sleeping just down near the steps in the car at first the same as Jack did, while Kat & Dave had the tent and Mave & Nat went to the hotel. When it got light I moved up to the doors and slept in Maves tent most of the time. Eventually we got moved down the steps and formed a new queue down there. Doors were meant to go at 6.30 but they went about 6.20 and while we weren't expecting it. Our Green doors went first (and rightly so as the very earliest people were there first). I quickly ran to the top of the stairs and hurried up the woman taking an enternity to rip my ticket, through another ticket check and then into the arena itself. It was totally empty... I was the first one in. I went down the steps and through 2 more ticket checks before arriving on the floor. I just ran as fast as I could while the security guys tried to stop me. I was first at the barrier dead centre... 3rd time in a row at a Sheffield show. If there's anywhere in the world I have to be front... it's here! Jack, Nat, Jim and Nikki were here too so it was all good. Just ten rows behind me were my Mum & Dad as well! It's a shame Teen, Mave, Karl and Karen didn't make it to us but they had a great time at the b-stage. Within 10 minutes of entry, the entire floor section was nearly full... I've never known anything like it. Support act James Hunter just wasn't BA support act material... but we made the best of him and his dancing was really funny.... Jim's heckling of the band was also spot on! I thought one of his songs sounded like the 'Vitalite' adverts from a couple of years back... very strange! 8.30 soon arrived and the whole arena was waiting for BA. I could see nobody daring to go to the bars, nobody on the concourse... everyone was in their seats and ready to go. About 8.35 the lights went down and the band appeared on the jumbo screens walking through the tunnels to the Arena... the crowd went wild (not seen them do this before). The spotlights then followed them along the floor to the b-stage at the back of the Arena and they kicked off with 'There Will Never Be Another Tonight'... a video he recorded here back in November of '91. On his gold Gibson, Bryan continued rocking the 'House Of Steel' with 'Can't Stop This Thing We Started' followed by 'Please Forgive Me'. While Bryan was singing 'Please Forgive Me' on the b-stage, the band had moved to the mainstage and Keith was doing funny moves to every single line of the song Bryan was singing... was so funny to watch! By the end of that song... BA came off the b-stage and walked through the crowd to get the to mainstage while singing 'The Best Of Me' and then along the front row, coming up to us while Nat pulled his shirt over Kat's head!... From then on the show continued on the mainstage kicking off with 'Somebody' which sounded absolutely awesome. BA keeps using the Gretsch for more and more songs lately... a big reason why the songs sound so much more raw like they used to in the 90's... great sound to the show nowadays and it all came harking back to the big 90's full band sound. I would say by the end of this tour in Sheffield they were working like a well oiled machine with the new show setup... kind of like the trio did at Slane 2000 I think they peaked tonight. It's definately the best show I've seen of the new 5-piece... better than any trio show I saw as well. Not as good as that show in '97, but bloody damn well close. 'Open Road' continued the show as BA said "a guy from Sheffield wrote this with me" and tried to find Eliot in the crowd who was there (he's been to every Sheffield gig since '97 as well!)... the start of '18' was funny as Bryan was gonna play 'Kids' first but instead Keith started '18... I think everyone in the Arena knew the words to '18 Til I Die' too. It sounded Wembley '96 esque when everyone shouted it back. As for 'Kids Wanna Rock' I remember seeing a revamped version he did in the same building in 2004 and it blew me away... but this was even better complete with BA on his Gretsch once more... ...BK if you are reading this... damn it was good! The 'Back To You' bounce went on forever and before 'I Think About You' Bryan told the fans again that this tour was meant to be in support of a new album and he will get it done soon. Some funny lyric changes in the song included... i'm in sheffield - stayin' up late! people ask me about the album, I say - "it's comin' along" just sittin here driftin' - tryin' to think of a song! i think about you - i can't get no rest i think about you - and your lovely breasts! (holds out his hands and squeezes!) As for '69... its certainly back to form.... intro that goes on forever... massive crowd singalong and Bryan rocking his cock off on an epic scale. It's also great after the crowd stops singing the intro and the band kicks in... the curtain drops to reveal a huge wall of lights which got massive cheers. The best bit of the whole night for me was when BA and Keith did the running high five right infront of us... at the exact same time myself and Jim did a high five. It felt like we were onstage or somethin' it was absolutely awesome. The song was brought to a great end with BA thrashing his Gretsch about 50 times... 'Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman?' and that Robin Hood song followed and then we had 'Cuts Like A Knife'. He used to drop the mike down front row centre back in '02 for fans to sing the na na na's... he teased me with his mike this time and everytime I went to grab it he would yank it back on the cord... so I just stuck my tongue out at him.... great banter with Bryan during this song!... (Below) BA laughs at me after teasing me with the mike (Photo Credit: Helen) Probably the loudest na na naa's I've heard at a show and Bryan was just standing there in awe as 16,000 people were still singing. He just stood there saying 'Jesus Christ' & 'Fuck me!' (Below) BA speechless as the crowd goes insane (Photo Credit: Helen) 'When You're Gone' was the usual affair and 'It's Only Love' was played electric but in the acoustic arrangement for half the song (it's been done like this all tour) and then it's the Keith Scott show for the other half... 'Heaven' was good but 'The Only Thing' was once again a show highlight. It started like it used to years ago with the drum beat that went on for about a minute... really really good. There's something about that song... really is out of this world. BA chucked his plectrum again at the end of this song... I ended up getting it but gave it to Nat seeing as I got one in Manchester a few days ago. 'Cloud #9' is done slightly different nowadays... can think of better songs to start the encores but tonight with the atmosphere any song would have been great. Throughout the whole night people were coming over the barrier fainting... I don't mind lifting people over and calling security if people are ill. But during 'Run To You' a fat drunk smelly heffer of a woman completely ruined the song by coming back from the crowd to us and telling us she wanted to 'speak to someone'... I called security and they came and couldn't understand what she wanted either. Turns out she was trying to get to Bryan or something... we just pushed her back and tried to enjoy the show.... BUT that was the only sour note of a great night. We rocked out to the last minute of 'Run To You' then the band took their final bows... As they left the stage I ditched the front row spot I had and got as near to the b-stage as I could with my Mum and Dad!... 'There's Gonna Be Some Rockin'' was awesome and 'Seven Nights To Rock' once again reminded me of my first BA gig in Sheffield 10 years ago. 'She's Only Happy' saw a few members of the crowd get onstage and after that the band left the b-stage. He once again apologised for not releasing an album and said "it's nearly done!... I only have to write 12 songs!... thanks for another great night in Sheffield, we'll be back soon!"... and with that, he was gone and the UK Tour had come to an end. Everyone talks about Wembley having that 'atmosphere', but tonight Sheffield quite simply put it to shame. What an epic show. Best gig I've seen in years and years. In my 5 night run I'd covered miles on the roadtrip... thanks to everyone for a great time especially Mave, Nat, Karen, Jack, Teen, Lizy, Karl, Karen, Nikki, Jim, Liz, Sari, Lou & Nic, Chelsey, Clara, Helen, Jackie, Sarah, Melon, Cath, Dan, Philippa & everyone else! Setlist: *b-stage* There Will Never Be Another Tonight Can't Stop This Thing We Started Please Forgive Me The Best Of Me (walks to mainstage) *b-stage* Somebody Open Road 18 Til I Die Kids Wanna Rock Let's Make A Night To Remember Back To You I Think About You Summer Of '69 Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman? Everything I Do Cuts Like A Knife When You're Gone It's Only Love Heaven The Only Thing That Looks Good On Me Is You Cloud #9 Run To You *b-stage* There's Gonna Be Some Rockin' (AC/DC cover) Seven Nights To Rock She's Only Happy When She's Dancin' Straight From The Heart All For Love *b-stage*

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Mainstage pics by Steven Stanley. B-stage pics by Karl Austin, Teen & Sarah. Vid by Baz & Nic

BA rockin' 'The House Of Steel'

BA rocks!

The first venue to sellout on the tour and tickets for the show had been soldout for weeks... outselling Justin Timberlake, The Who and many other acts who have come to Sheffield recently.