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some pictures from Warsaw gig, Feb. 20, 2008

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Chris
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some pictures from Warsaw gig, Feb. 20, 2008

Post by Chris »

Here you might take a look at some pictures from the Warsaw concert on Feb. 20, 2008.

http://www.cgm.pl/aktualnosci/wyswietl. ... 27d4bc6876
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Re: some pictures from Warsaw gig, Feb. 20, 2008

Post by alan1958 »

Fantastic photos ......can't wait for Glasgow, Scotland
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lilybee
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Re: some pictures from Warsaw gig, Feb. 20, 2008

Post by lilybee »

Excellent pix, Thanks so much! :D

(Are these your shots? Were you that close to the stage?)

Lily B.
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Re: some pictures from Warsaw gig, Feb. 20, 2008

Post by Chris »

Hi Lily,

I'm glad you liked these pictures.
No, they're not mine. I didn't take my digital camera with me and it was my mistake.
These pictures I sent the link to, were from one of the photo services documenting the event "just the way it was that evening."
I'm surprised there were not too many reviews afterwards and only a few photo shots published.
Anyone could walk closer to the stage - via central alley - and take pictures provided the device wasn't equipped with a flash.
As I was looking from the balcony, I've seen above people's heads these blue-light cellular phones - on the ground floor. People were taking pictures, shooting videos as well as recording the sound. So, contrary to previous concerts, the security wasn't that strict.

I waited tonight (Saturday) for reviews from Riga, Latvia and Tallinn, Estonia, but there are none.
Best regards to you,
Chris
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Re: some pictures from Warsaw gig, Feb. 20, 2008

Post by lilybee »

Thanks Chris,

I believe the reviews will come in due time, good and bad. But even if there may be some negative ones that we won't like, us true Rea fans, stick by his music. :D

Lily B.
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Re: some pictures from Warsaw gig, Feb. 20, 2008

Post by lilybee »

Hi Chris,

Did Chris Rea use those two Hofners (in these pix) throughout the concert?
Any of his Fenders, or others? Was the sound quality different on the guitars?
Also, I've heard here that Robert covers a lot of his guitar leads.
One more thing, someone here mentioned Chris is a lefty, but I see him playing "righty".

Thanks!

Lily B.
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Re: some pictures from Warsaw gig, Feb. 20, 2008

Post by Chris »

Hi Lily,

I already wrote a lengthy (Andrew Fisher dubbed it an "emotional") review from the Warsaw gig. Did you have a chance to read it, perhaps? It's right here, on this page, under "the tour" banner.
Chris Rea kept on changing guitars for each song. This was especially true in the second part of the concert. The technician was coming and going in-between songs, sometimes just ducking behind Chris and handing him yet another instrument or putting it on the guitar rack. Chris started off with a Hofner guitar and at that stage Robert Ahwai played almost all solos. Chris was getting ready to "join the action", so to say, and slowly was taking over from Robert. All this took place on the instrumental ("The Delmonts") part.
While playing "Josephine", just like on the "farewell tour", Chris switched from a "Fender" to a banjo. On the FHBN part he played mostly Fenders, including the "Pinky" (Pinkie?) and "Bluey" (described in several articles as being the oldest "Fenders" in Chris' possession), which I easily recognized as they are scratched and some paint on them is either peeling off or just fading away.... These guitars, though, are well maintained (up kept)...
Chris is a left-handed fellow, all right, but he played exclusively with his right hand (picking the strings with), although whenever he gestured he used his left hand. When he introduced (sort of) his musicians by name, when they played some long solos, he also used his left hand to do that, even though he would point out to someone at his right. The base player Colin Hodgkinson, being a lefty, played all the time with his left hand.
Robert Ahwai, as I already said, played solos on the Delmonts and in the second part, on the FHBN, but not as often as in part one. He used two, perhaps three different guitars in all.
The sound difference - between a Hofner and a Fender - was there and it's very characteristic, indeed. The Hofner sounds more like "The Beatles", "the Shadows", "The Ventures" and "The Searchers", as all of these bands played on Hofners.
The guitar technician (I once remembered his name) had a battery of guitars just standing in a stand to the left side of the stage near the curtain (lined up just like bicycles!) and he would mend them there sitting on the chair, being all the time at the ready.
He moved, as I noted, very gently in the shadow between Chris and Robert Ahwai. The base player - Colin Hodgkinson - played through the concert on his only guitar left hand tuned, most of the time bent over the instrument and rarely raising his head up. The drummer - Martin Ditcham - had the hardest job because the band played without any break (not counting even the breaks in-between some song, because some numbers just went from one note overlapping onto another.)
The atmosphere was (somehow) tense at the start of the concert, I would say, as people anticipated and awaited what's going to happen next. Furtermore, "The Delmonts" part was deliberately shortened to only six (6) songs played - in fact - en bloc. It all happened very fast.
And one more observation. After the gig, with only one encore, the stage hands moved in quickly to dismantle everything even though we hadn't left the hall....

You might get some answers to your questions in the "documentary" part of the two DVD recordings of "The Road to Hell & Back." If you don't have it yet, buy it, please.
I don't know if it's available over the big pond, though.

Take care,
Chris
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Re: some pictures from Warsaw gig, Feb. 20, 2008

Post by Tina3 »

Chris wrote:Here you might take a look at some pictures from the Warsaw concert on Feb. 20, 2008.

Hi Chris,
Thank you very much for this link.These pictures are amazing and Chris does look well and seems to be enjoying himself.I am looking forward to seeing him more and more as I hear the reviews and see the photos.Roll on Newcastle and Dublin :) :)
Kind regards
Tina :)
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lilybee
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Re: some pictures from Warsaw gig, Feb. 20, 2008

Post by lilybee »

Thanks again Chris,

I'm waiting for a big load of stuff I purchased on both amazons (.com & .uk), and the Back to hell tour dvd is available, but my wallet is not at the moment. I'll get that one with my next big purchase.
I should be getting my HBN by Thursday, can't wait. I also purchased a few cds, "Parting Shots", all the tour programs available from previous concerts, (including HBN), couple of t-shirts, lighters, teddy bears. and mugs. Still waiting for all these. :D

Thanks for all the detail info, it's good for fans like us who can't go to his concerts. I do try to read all the related threads whenever possible.

Cheers!
Lily B.
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Re: some pictures from Warsaw gig, Feb. 20, 2008

Post by Bart »

Chris wrote:Here you might take a look at some pictures from the Warsaw concert on Feb. 20, 2008.
Hello Chris...

Were these photos taken by you? If so, can I please use them for my website (and if they are yours, please let me know at webmaster@chrisrea.nl your full name, so I can refer to you with the photos - if you want me to of course!)
REAgards, Bart (webmaster)
Chris
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Re: some pictures from Warsaw gig, Feb. 20, 2008

Post by Chris »

Bart wrote:
Chris wrote:Here you might take a look at some pictures from the Warsaw concert on Feb. 20, 2008.
Hello Chris...

Were these photos taken by you? If so, can I please use them for my website (and if they are yours, please let me know at webmaster@chrisrea.nl your full name, so I can refer to you with the photos - if you want me to of course!)
------

Sorry Bart, they are not mine. I just provided your and our fellow CR fans with this link to the pictures from Warsaw.
Take care,
Chris
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