Ethel
I must admit to having misgivings about the inclusion of a string quartet in a concert featuring Todd and Joe but I thought I'd give them a chance and listen with an open mind; not sure about the name though. Ethel took to the stage and played what could be described as a blinding set. Four virtuosos within a tight group with soaring violins and crunching chords brought the music alive. The depth of the cello and the warmth of the viola glowed through each tune and they all seemed to thoroughly enjoy each other's music and the overall sound. I shouldn't have doubted their inclusion in the concert - I was even moved to buy their cd. A great start to the night.
Joe Jackson
Joe came onto the stage looking a little gaunt and fragile but wearing a natty suit. He launched into his first number and any thoughts I may have had of him 'not being up to the job' were quickly dispersed. Great musicianship on the piano and a strong voice made for a great 45 minutes. He talked between songs and smiled broadly like the face on an old fashioned Hallowe'en cake and when he left the stage we were all wanting more. Like Ethel, Joe seemed to enjoy performing and produced a great sound from his piano and his clear, strong singing voice. A combination of old and new songs showed the range of his song writing skills and I felt it right to go home and dust off my old Joe Jackson LPs and give them a spin.
Todd Rundgren
For us, this was the set we were looking forward to and we were not disappointed. Todd took to the stage and played a superb set both on his semi-accoustic and the piano with old and new standards rubbing shoulders together. He was in good voice which seems to get better every year and his musicianship on guitar and piano was faultless. The audience responded well to his banter between songs and the time was passing too quickly - we could have sat and listened all night being lucky enough to have front row seats and being within touching distance of the man. He was joined by Ethel and did a superb arrangement of 'pretending to care' and the Lord Chancellor's Song which it seems they just rehearsed that afternoon. I can quite believe this such was the musical talent on the stage and am sure they could have rehearsed, say, 'life goes on' in the morning and given a concert performance of it that evening. Then Joe Jackson joined them and they performed all together for a few excellent songs leaving the stage with the audience on their feet applauding the musicianship, skill and warmth that had flowed from the stage.
The Stage Door
We though we would be brave and trot round to the stage door for a chance meeting with any of the performers and were surprised to find only a few faithfuls hanging around. Ethel came out first and what a lovely bunch they were. They chatted to fans, signed books, cds and anything else they were asked to sign. They came across as honest, genuine people who just happen to be at the top of their game; still not sure about the name though! Then Joe came out and, despite asking someone not to use a flash camera in his face, the guy did it anyway - what an arse. Joe, despite this, was gracious and signed posters, books etc. and chatted a bit before going into the large tour bus for a bit of peace. The Todd appeared and it was all I could do to keep my wife on the ground. Todd chatted, signed, posed for photos, chatted some more and even had his own pen at the ready - what a professional. We managed to get my first Todd album signed and a couple of books and my wife was able to muscle-in sufficiently to get a snap taken of her and Todd. If Michelle reads these reviews, you are married to a genius, a true gent and a thoroughly nice bloke - but I'm sure you know that already. In conclusion, a great concert, superb musicianship and a night that we will remember for a very long time. Good luck with the rest of the tour and hopefully we will be able to catch you on the next UK tour - next year would be fine if you could manage it!
