2/06/10- London Uk

It was 1973, I was 16 years old, read a review of Awats, briefly listened to it at the music store and bought it. This was IT! From that point on I played the record continiously, must have played it a thousands of times since then. I actually had to buy a new vinyl at some point, because the first one was becoming too damaged to play. Why was this LP the ultimate music for me? I guess it was the combination of a mixture of a good voice, good songs, the many layers of voices, the great bass playing, the great mixture of various musical styles and the rapid chaneg in musical styles.

Now I´m 53, and still listening to this same album (but now from CD), but of course not that often as I used to.

And then: Todd announced to play Awats in full and announced playing London and Amsterdam. No choice, I had to go. I live in the neighbourhood of Amsterdam but made ticket reservations for London expecting a much more enthousiastic public in over there, since he has more fans in the Uk than in the Netherlands (see my Amsterdam review). I asked my daughter to join me (she likes Rundgren quite a lot as well) and of course she said 'yes'.

As you may expect, shortly after that I bought tickets for the Amsterdam Paradiso concert as well.

I don't listen to awats with rational conscience anymore (ofcourse); it's has become something emotional which has become a part of me. I know every change, bas line etc. But that made me a bit anxious as well: what to expect? A few months ago I visited a concert of the Tubes: great songs and have always loved them. The last time I saw them was in 1981. But the 2009 concert was beyond awfull; the first time ever in my life I walked away from a concert. Haven't played their CDs since then. So, what to expect from Todd. I enjoyed him playing with Ethel in 2009. But awats?

So there we sat at the Hammersmith Apollo on the 6th of feb. First the blues set, which I liked more than most people around me. And then....awats.

Let's keep it very simple: every cell in my body loved every second of it.

Rationally (again) one may say that the blues set wasn't to well rehearsed (which is a bit of an understatement), but it was also part of the fun. Todd and the band also made a few mistakes during the awats set and the music was too loud (I was however prepared --having ear plugs- after the Jackson/Rundgren concert a few years go). But hell, what a performance and that together with this fantasic music. For once I felt like a child again.