Foreigner, Journey and Styx Live Review

By Stu Taylor

 

Well, here we find ourselves on a rainy June evening in the Gargantarena that is the M.E.N Arena here in Manchester......where years before we had to travel to the good old NEC in Birmingham to see such line ups and larger bands......now bands seem to fall over themselves to play this upside down pudding bowl. I've seen lots of bands in here but this line up is one that simply put probably wont be seen again, and in my humble opinion is the way some established bands should tour, ie TOGETHER, especially when its a classic line up of band names like the one we're here to watch tonight...JOURNEY / FOREIGNER / STYX.
And a first for me in that I have never seen any of these 3 bands play live, which given my attendance figures from the late seventies through to today at various shows in many genres of rock n roll music in venues that hold from 100 to 100,000....is some going.

So, STYX....the band bound onstage to a mix of the band name in lights and a blinding white light (I know because I was looking at the lighting rig when they came on) and they went straight into "Grand Illusion" with anybody expecting to see a soft sounding show having that grand illusion quickly dispelled with a heavy burst of drum and synth, and Samantha and Babs straight up and dancing, much to the annoyance of the folk behind who were quickly put in their place. With time tight on a tour that basically comprised 3 headline bands, this incarnation of Styx wasted little time in winning over a crowd that was with them from the time the Arena lights dimmed. "Too Much Time On My Hands" passed quickly and we were straight into "Lady" which like the 2 previous songs had people standing, dancing, clapping along to old favourites that for my eyes stood the test of time well having heard them countless times on radio and disc.

Next up we had a little treat in the form of original founding member Chuck Panozzo joining the band on stage for a high tempo version of "Fooling Yourself" and all of a sudden there was a fuller sound on stage with the extra noise Chuck made adding to the already impressive noise being generated. Straight into "Blue Collar Man" and the pace picked up yet again for a red hot version of this classic song...then again so far its been vintage Styx in the song stakes and the noise beginning to rise from the crowd reflected this choice of set the band were in the throes of treating us to.

The band then break into "Miss America" and after the haunting intro, the guitars once again break loose with Tommy Shaw charging round the stage like a man possessed as the band are now at full pace which is unfortunate as its almost time on my watch for them to exit stage left.....BUT, not before they do a faux exit and run back to finish their set off with a faux encore and the piano intro launch us into "Come Sail Away" which the crowd are only too willing to sing along to. All too soon this portion of the show is over and the band take a couple of well deserved bows before leaving us wanting to hear so many more of the songs that made this band...that will have to wait for the next time they grace our shores.

A quick set change and we are now looking at small ramps all over the stage and a now fully functioning light backdrop as its FOREIGNER's turn to try to surpass what Styx have just treated us to.
And straight away its obvious this lot mean business as they launch straight into "Double Vision" with Kelly looking resplendent in his Union Jack t shirt...a sure fire way to get the crowd on your side when doubled with this set opener. From here we go straight into "Head Games" which keeps the crowd moving and this is swiftly followed up by "Cold As Ice" which almost everybody around me is either singing along to, recording on mobile phones or texting to their friends and family who cannot be here, which so far is surely their loss as this band are simply here to rock and have fun along the way.

"Waiting For A Girl Like You" is next up and like Styx before,the band know what folk want to see and hear and they don't disappoint as again this is no AOR trip with Foreigner rocking along with the best of them and producing a damn fine aural attack. "Feels Like The First Time" seems very apt considering its the first time i've seen Foreigner play live but be assured, when they return to these shores, I will be there.
The classics keep on coming in the form of "I Want To Know What Love Is" and trust me, this is as slow as Foreigner get and put in mid set lets the mind slow down and take in what happened before.

Then before you know it "Urgent" is speeding along with pace aplenty and the band are looking like they are really enjoying playing tonight in reaction to the crowds obvious pleasure in watching them play. Again time defeats us and I wonder how the band can end this well paced and well thought out set....and people weren't disappointed as the band closed their set with a left and right hook to the body of "Hot Blooded" and "Juke Box Hero".
I had enjoyed Styx set, but I have to say I was actually very pleasantly surprised at the pace and energy of the Foreigner set...and for me and the girls with me, this was actually the highlight of the evening band wise and I actually bemoan the fact I have never caught the band live before as it is in this case my loss.

And so to the evenings 3rd headline band JOURNEY who were the band I intended to see a couple of years ago at the legendary Manchester Apollo but was away doing other music related activities...so finally I have caught up with them as they are still riding a popular public wave based on the show that shall not be mentioned, at least not by me.....

Yet another set change and gone is all the Foreigner stage wear to be replaced by a simple backline with screens at band level.
The band open their set with "Separate Ways" and the crowd is now as one up and dancing along as Arnel Pineda wills folk to sing along at the front. No sooner has the song finished than the strains of "Only The Young" burst forth from the huge PA system and a lighting rig is slowly unfolding behind the band to reveal more lights. No respite and we are straight into "Edge Of The Moment" from this years new Journey album Eclipse. This song has leaning towards a Magnum tune to my ears and if anyone can close their eyes and not see Bob Catley singing this one, they're wrong.

Slight slowing down of pace as "Send Her My Love" fills the arena with its melodic aura before "Resonate" (again from this years Eclipse album) fills out the arena with its sweeping guitar intro, but for myself, not as good a song as Edge.....but that's my take on it. However, by now my attention is taken up by the fully unfurled lighting rig that has descended behind the band with its intertwined video screens as "Stoney In Love" is given an airing. the combination of this monster, the screens on stage and the bands presence all make for a full looking and large production set which only enhances the bands performance as "City Of Hope" and the awesome sounding "Lights" are sprung onto us one after the other.

With no signs of slowing down, the band take us through "Open Arms", "Chain Of Love" and "Wheel In The Sky" as the bands fans are treated to yet another band giving people what they want to hear whilst managing to get 3 new songs into the mix.
One of my favourite Journey songs "Be Good To Yourself" is aired next and i'm not disappointed in the live version.....yes its Arnel and Not Steve but this is a moment I enjoyed. This is closely followed by "LovinTouchinSqueezin" which had its great na na na na chorus sung by almost everyone in the building.
Yet again a glance at my watch told me father time was knocking at the arena doors as the Journey set headed to its conclusion...and again a slower song, but a classic "Faithfully" bursts from from the PA like an old friend from late night radio, which is what it is to me.
And so to the final song in the bands set tonight and the reason certain obvious younger generation people were here tonight..."Dont Stop Believin" which again had the older fans singing their hearts out whilst the younger generation, hopefully were now aware of the bands resplendent past as opposed to just hearing a song on THAT show...for sure two young-un's 2 rows in front of me enjoyed the rest of the bands set so that's got to be a winning situation going forward. Half way through the song the crowd were showered by some very large confetti guns and it was a fitting way to end the bands set and the evenings entertainment.....or was it.

After the band had left the stage, nobody was moving until they got at least one more song and the band duly obliged with a fast version of "Anyway You Want It" before finally taking this triple header off to the next town for their good folks to enjoy...and enjoy is the word here, from start to finish,3 bands with their own history, treating us to a slice of that history and I can say hand on heart I am glad I attended this one....as folks who know me will tell you, I like my rock n roll.

Stu
*****