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Chris in Warsaw, on February 20, 2008

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Chris in Warsaw, on February 20, 2008

Post by Chris »

Hello to you all,

I was at the gig in Warsaw. It was fantastic!, to put it mildly. I've purchased my earBook, for which I paid 200 zloty (that's over $80,00 or 50 Euro), but "it's all just bits of paper flying away from you...."
(The "book" is very nice and three black (!) CDs are made to look like mini-LPs! One has to use his fingernail to cut-open the cellophane covering the earBook, just like any LP in the good old days!)


The concert started at 8:00 P.M. sharp; the doors opened at 7:00 P.M. and there was an "official gadgets" ("Oficjalne Gadzety") stand with the earBook, CDs, DVDs, Chris Rea's mugs, pins, baseball caps, t-shirts (almost $40,00 a piece!.) etc. The "official HBN tour program" was selling at 20 zloty (that's over $8,00, or 5,50 Euro.) Some people after the concert were not sure what they were buying, a CD ("just get me one, or two...you know one of those...", said one woman to her husband or a boyfriend.)
The concert began, just like in other places, with "the Delmonts." Almost all guitar solos were played initially by Robert Ahwai. Chris was slowly "warming up" and played more on his own on the "BB Was A Comanche" and the "Russian Roulette."
All in all only six (6) "Delmonts'" song were played and it took the band only 23-25 minutes to perform them.
The titles were shown on the flat TV beamed on the red bacground from a computer.
After that Chris took off the "Delmonts'" t-shirt and started playing the HBN tunes. Colin Hodgkinson didn't have a chance to change his "Delmonts'" t-shirt, though...Other musicians just came onto the stage dressed in "civilian" clothes.
The sign "The Delmonts!" was splashed against a waves-like curtain which came down as the band switched to the FHB tunes. The setting was the same as in other venues. Only the light were monitored from a central stall box by the local crew. PA announcements warned the pubic not to take any pictures with flashes but the security didn't bother stopping anyone coming to the stage to photograph Chris, Robert, Martin, Neil or Colin. Most of the people in the audience used their cellular phones to make short videos or take a picture. At the doors nobody was searched or anything like that. I still hope there will be a legal CD from this tour, otherwise I would just rest my hopes with either Russian or the Ukrainian bootleggers.....

First part with The Delmonts:

1. Dirty new towm
2. 008 Jimmy Bond
3. India Arab
Pink guitar (was not played in Warsaw)
4. Russian roulette
Black wave heroes (was not played in Warsaw)
French football (was not played in Warsaw)
5. BB was a comanche
6. It's behind you

Second part with the HBN


I can't wait for love
Where the blues comes from
Josephine (with the words "but Josephine grew up and went away.....")
Easy rider
Julia
Stony road
Legacy blues (played in Warsaw in a somehow new quicker way)
Looking for the summer
The shadow of a fool
Stainsby girls
The road to hell
(end of the second part)

On the beach (played after the band returned to the stage as a reprise)
Let's dance (played as a second reprise)
Fool (if you think it's over) - was not not played in Warsaw

Chris was visibly enjoying himself and the audience took to its feet towards the end of the gig. The two encores were played to a standing ovation and Chris changed some lyrics in "Let's Dance" by joking that he migh be "too small (short?) but never too old to dance!" And he really performed fantastically this evening.
He moved a lot on the stage, danced and thanked the audience several times in Polish "dziekuje, dziekuje" (meaning: thank you, thank you.) To do that (in the second part of the concert) he came to the edge of the stage and he pointed his left or right hand towards audiences in the balconies.
When he played "On the Beach" he wanted the audience to sing along "yeah", "I say: yeah!" and to clap their hands. "You, me, the sea and the beach, forever, forever..."
The best songs from the Warsaw gig, in my opinion, were: "Looking for the Summer", "Legacy Blues", "Julia", "Josephine", "Stainsby Girls", "Let's Dance", "On the Beach"... Oh, well, the whole concert was great!
Chris played quite a few - great - solos on the blues songs with his special riffs... and he enjoyed the reaction of the audience.
People came to Warsaw from all corners of the country. There was an entire - three generations - family of six (6) sitting next to me - age 20 to 66 - from Krakow. Others covered several hundred miles from places like Poznan, Gdansk, industrial Katowice or Lublin. In the foyer I've overheard some English as well as Russian and Ukrainian spoken. The audience was mostly in their 40 to 50+, I would say, but I saw quite a few young people as well.
The concert lasted for about two hours non-stop and the house was packed. Some people sat on the steps and the clap-down seats. I don't know whether they were let in on the "standing only" tickets.
I will scan and post my ticket, if Bart wants me to do that. Buy the way, the tickets were not torn but just read electronically with hand held laser readers. It all was efficient and fast. No traffic jams at the doors or the coat room. The temperature outside was above zero (C), so people didn't have to wear heavy coats. Most of them came by car.
Speaking of the weather this reminds me of a nice joke.
A fellow in Warsaw called his friend in Omsk, Russia, and said: "I've seen on the TV that your temperature went down to -50C!"
"No, no, they got it all wrong", replied his friend in Omsk. "It's only -30C over here."
"How could they made such a big mistake?", wanted to know the fellow in Warsaw.
"Well, perhaps they meant the temperature outside....?", said the friend.

I didn't take any pictures; sorry about that.
Best regards to all Chris Rea's fans,
Chris
Last edited by Chris on 23 Feb 2008, 12:16, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Chris in Warsaw, on February 20, 2008

Post by andrew fischer »

thanks Chris a loy for your entire and emotional review!

But... again no "Fool'' in the end... :( :cry: :cry:
I miss this tune so much 'coz it was my favourite live version from the Farewell tour...
I wonder what should have been that trouble that forced Chris stop playing this all-time-worth song?

In 2005 Chris said the Road to Hell and Back would be indeed the very last Chris Rea's tour, but in the end of each gig he sung to the public "Fool if you think it's over" meaning it's not the finale at all... and here it is now - the new big tour.... but I fear thinking over this might be the last and we ain't those lucky ''fools'' no more...

Hope and hope again to hear this song once more live in St'Petersburg...

Best regards to all of you here,
&ru
My VK fan page for Chris Rea in Russian: http://vk.com/chris_rea
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Re: Chris in Warsaw, on February 20, 2008

Post by Chris »

andrew fischer wrote:thanks Chris a loy for your entire and emotional review!

But... again no "Fool'' in the end... :( :cry: :cry:
I miss this tune so much 'coz it was my favourite live version from the Farewell tour...
I wonder what should have been that trouble that forced Chris stop playing this all-time-worth song?

In 2005 Chris said the Road to Hell and Back would be indeed the very last Chris Rea's tour, but in the end of each gig he sung to the public "Fool if you think it's over" meaning it's not the finale at all... and here it is now - the new big tour.... but I fear thinking over this might be the last and we ain't those lucky ''fools'' no more...

Hope and hope again to hear this song once more live in St'Petersburg...

Best regards to all of you here,
&ru
______

Hi Andrew,

An emotional concert it was, indeed. At least for me. I had shivers going up and down my spinal cord when he began to play my favorite tunes from the past...
The audience was unmoved at first, but with time, as the gig went on, people started moving in their seats, standing up and clapping their hands (in some instances far too long.) I was hoping for the "Fool" too because, as you said, it could indicate that not everything is over yet. I was also hoping that someone would ask him (from the Warsaw ticket agency "Livenation", from the WB, a journalist perhaps) to play "Candles", a very emotional song which Chris wrote for Poles under communist martial law, back in early 80s., but nobody did. I don't think they know he wrote such a song. If not in Warsaw then to play it where, in those days?
Take care,
Chris
Last edited by Chris on 23 Feb 2008, 12:18, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Chris in Warsaw, on February 20, 2008

Post by Tina3 »

Hi Chris,
Thanks for this review.It seems to be a case of different concerts have different songs.Looks like Chris is still trying to find his feet on this tour.I am impressed to say the least that you managed to take in so much information AND enjoy the show.Now that you FINALLY have the ear book it will be interesting to hear your views on it.
Kind regards
Tina :) :)
Pick up the pieces and start again.
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Re: Chris in Warsaw, on February 20, 2008

Post by Slava »

Hi Chris,
do not understand your remark about the weather in and outside. May be in Poland plenty of blond girls sit in concet halls in coats (i have seen in St.Pb 2 of them - furs must be shown), but we have wardrobe for this kind of things.


Slava
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Chris
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Re: Chris in Warsaw, on February 20, 2008

Post by Chris »

Slava wrote:Hi Chris,
do not understand your remark about the weather in and outside. May be in Poland plenty of blond girls sit in concet halls in coats (i have seen in St.Pb 2 of them - furs must be shown), but we have wardrobe for this kind of things.


Slava
Hi Slava,

How was the concert? Was the hall packed with fans?

I meant: the weather - outside - was relatively "warm" (+4C, or something, on Feb. 20!), so people didn't have to wear heavy coats and crowd in the coat room. In addition, the atmosphere - inside - was hot. Most of the people came by car parked just in front of the hall, all over the place, or in the nearby parking lot. They just - sort of - dashed inside in jackets or sweaters without the need to hang their coats.
Sure, we too have these people who want to show their expensive furs etc.
Take care,
Chris
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Re: Chris in Warsaw, on February 20, 2008

Post by Slava »

Hi Chris,

It was a great show for us, Chris made the music with all his heart and soul . He again touched me deep with his live performance.
This time it was a smaller venue (capacity 3800 ppl) and the ticket prices were from 50Eur up to 420 Euro. I had 3 people with me – 9 row, center, very good view. Each ticket cost 115 Eur. The concert programm – 300 rbl (8,3 Eur). The new HBN album was not for sale.
The negative: Some guys have come with cool blond girls (two of them wearing furcoats-and that during the show), who know only Chris Rea radio song and have no idea about bluesy sound. So no wonder that in the middle of the show one couple just went away(too heavy for her). The other two talked during the songs… Two years ago it seems that all 14 tsd. were Real fans. This time reaction of the public was not on the high level (too higher price).
But we had again 1std 50 min a legend, that played for us and I just have concentrated on the man. His blues struck me to the bones. I liked the first part of the show, The Delmonts. Fresh new sound that catch you and hold. Really impressive.
The show seem to be the same as in Warsaw but “ I can't wait for love” was not the first (in the middle of the second part) and Chris sang it with so deep emotions. HBN have done both part of The road to hell (red edge of the show). Chris danced during the HBN part and we were singing “On the beach” with him. It was just one reprise with two songs On the beach and Let's dance. We have pushed and waited for the second one but the lights went on and it was over.

So it is some top moments of the show.


All the best

Slava
With best wishes
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Re: Chris in Warsaw, on February 20, 2008

Post by andrew fischer »

Hi Slava!

One remark - I Can't Wait for Love was the opening theme fo the 2nd HBN part. Later there were Legacy blue (after Can't Wait) and Shadow of a Fool (after Lookin' 4 the Summer) from the new album.
My VK fan page for Chris Rea in Russian: http://vk.com/chris_rea
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Re: Chris in Warsaw, on February 20, 2008

Post by Slava »

Hi Andrew,

you may be right - the songs just like moments went so fast...

Slava
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Re: Chris in Warsaw, on February 20, 2008

Post by Chris »

Hi Slava,
Thank you Slava so much for your review! I had the same impressions in Warsaw. For a few people at our gig Chris Rea was "too much" and they also left the audience even though they've paid a lot of money, as you have said: 60-70-80-100 Euro!
Too bad you didn't have a chance to buy memorabilia: mugs, pins, caps, t-shirts....and the new album itself!
It's worth every penny!
I went down to the local "Saturn", here in Warsaw, just to see if they had the new album....and yes, you've guessed it correctly: they didn't have it yet! It's strange because the "official day of issue" for Poland (and some other countries) was Monday, Feb. 25.
I read my post with this "inside and outside" temperatures and I must admit that I could have cause some confusion by mu funny word order. Sorry about that. No harm, or God forbid - offense, meant!
Writing on this forum Andrew Fisher just mentioned that people at the St. Petersburg gig were not permitted to take pictures (using a flash), but in Warsaw the security wasn't so strict. People were taking pictures with their phones and flash-less film cameras and probably someone even recorder some sound as well....
I appreciated your comments.
Best regards to you in St. Petersburg,
Chris
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Re: Chris in Warsaw, on February 20, 2008

Post by Slava »

Hi Chris, i bought the previous album Blue Guitars in Oberhausen in Germany some month after release (february 2006) for 55 Euro (in Ice Palace in March 2006 the price was 140 Euro). I have asked the Manager and she brought it from the store. Not easy as you see.
And it was third big musicshop (Saturn in Centro) in Germany where i have asked for this album.
This time it seems i will do it the same way.
So it is the problem with this kind of CD pack. It is great wenn you get it, but you need some time because of the problem with the distribution.

Good luck

Slava
With best wishes
Chris
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Re: Chris in Warsaw, on February 20, 2008

Post by Chris »

Slava wrote:Hi Chris, i bought the previous album Blue Guitars in Oberhausen in Germany some month after release (february 2006) for 55 Euro (in Ice Palace in March 2006 the price was 140 Euro). I have asked the Manager and she brought it from the store. Not easy as you see.
And it was third big musicshop (Saturn in Centro) in Germany where i have asked for this album.
This time it seems i will do it the same way.
So it is the problem with this kind of CD pack. It is great wenn you get it, but you need some time because of the problem with the distribution.

Good luck

Slava
-------------------------

Hi Slava,

I bought my copy of the FHB earBook at the gig, all right, on Feb 20. I paid for it about 60 Euro.

Two internet shops in Poland listed the FHB for about 185 zloty (that's more or less 53 Euro)
The first is http://www.merlin.pl -- just go under music ("muzyka") and performer ("wykonawca")

http://merlin.pl/frontend/browse/search ... &sort=rank

The second store is called http://www.fan.pl
The FHB's price is quoted by them at 164 zloty (about 48 Euro)

http://www.fan.pl/shopping/lista.php?st ... &og=3&ot=1

The store price, at either "Saturn" (Poland), Media Markt (Poland) is about 195 zloty (that's 55-56 Euro) and I was told "it's on order and should reach the store anytime soon."

Take care,
Chris
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Re: Chris in Warsaw, on February 20, 2008

Post by Slava »

Thank you Chris,

i"ll ask tomorrow if lokal Media Markt will take the order for HBN album. Enjoy yours...

Slava
With best wishes
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