Today is the tenth anniversary of September 11th...
I had a day off that day. My oldest daughter went to school and I took my youngest daughter to pre-school. It was her first day in pre-school. After that I was running all kinds of errands. I wanted to go to Home Depot to get some lumber, but I didn't know if I had enough time. A few days earlier I had put my wristwatch trough the washing machine and it had stopped working. I turned the car radio on, hoping to hear a DJ announce the time. (Days later I realized that I had a clock on the dashboard.) I was listening to WFCR (local NPR station) and they were recapping the day's events: " ...8:46 AM an Airplane crashed to the North Tower of the World Trade Center....9:03 AM another airplane crashed into the South Tower....
10 AM the South Tower collapsed ...10:28 AM the North Tower collapsed...."
This was unreal... like the day the space shuttle Challenger exploded. I turned the car around, drove home and started to watch TV. I watched in a stupor the events unfold on live TV. It looked like a Hollywood movie, but this was real.
One section of Angry Johnny's song "Tennessee Air War" came to mind:
"...real planes, real flying,
real people really dying...."
I went to get my daughter from the pre-school. Many upset-looking parents were picking up their kids. My daughter was very quiet. I didn't know if she was this way because it was the first day or because of the day's events.
Later I went to get my older daughter from school. This was a Catholic school. At the door I met that O'Brien kid, who was studying to be a priest. I asked him if the kids knew about what was going on, and whether someone had talked to them or done any counseling. He didn't know. He was just coming in. I got my daughter and we went home. She had heard about a big fire in New York.
I later learned that all the experts seemed to agree on how to talk to children about this: answer all their questions honestly, but don't volunteer any information. Sure, I can do that.
I called my parents in Finland. I didn't think they would worry about me - after all I was three and half hours from New York City - but I felt that I should call them. They were watching TV too. I called my buddy Kari, in Lohja, Finland. He said that "... it is really nice to hear your voice today... "
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Camping in Maine
A couple of weeks ago I went to Maine for my annual camping trip there. This wasn't really "annual" in the traditional sense because I think it has been three years since my last camping trip.
Well...anyway. We got up to Bar Harbor Campground which is a great place to camp. If you are lucky, you can get a site with a great ocean view, next to a wild blueberry patch. We weren't quite that lucky this time. We did get a good site on top of the hill and we could see the ocean. Even the blueberries were nearby, but not right outside our tent. We put up the tents and eventually hit the sack. The weather forecast wasn't great - we were supposed to get wind and rain. And we did get wind and rain. 5 o'clock in the morning it felt like the tent was gonna fly away. I had to get out to tie down some some cords that had gotten loose. I was soaked by the time I got back to the tent. A few minutes later the our tent lost its battle against the wind. I crawled out. The tent looked like a big burrito. My wife was still inside. The burrito was moving. She eventually got out and we threw the remnants of the tent inside the minivan. My daughters' tent was weathering the storm just fine. My older daughter didn't even wake up. My wife and me slept the rest of the night in the van.
Here is my wife 5:30 in the morning on August 8th. The tent has collapsed. The rain and wind are not visible.
Things did get better after that. We managed to patch the tent with our repair kit, duct tape etc. We did get one of those great sites and the remaining three nights were really good. My daughters picked up those wild blueberries
and we made a blueberry pie when we got home.
My old tent has probably had it. It has lost its shape and there are way too many tears. We bought this tent in 1990 before we traveled through the newly liberated East-Germany and Czechoslovakia (do you still remember those countries?). I can't really complain though....I got twenty years out of that tent. Next summer I have to get a new tent.
But then again, at the campground I saw one of those little teardrop trailers and I have had daydreams about it ever since.
This picture is from Cadillac Mountain near Bar Harbor. The road up to the mountain must one of the most scenic and fun rides in the world.
Well...anyway. We got up to Bar Harbor Campground which is a great place to camp. If you are lucky, you can get a site with a great ocean view, next to a wild blueberry patch. We weren't quite that lucky this time. We did get a good site on top of the hill and we could see the ocean. Even the blueberries were nearby, but not right outside our tent. We put up the tents and eventually hit the sack. The weather forecast wasn't great - we were supposed to get wind and rain. And we did get wind and rain. 5 o'clock in the morning it felt like the tent was gonna fly away. I had to get out to tie down some some cords that had gotten loose. I was soaked by the time I got back to the tent. A few minutes later the our tent lost its battle against the wind. I crawled out. The tent looked like a big burrito. My wife was still inside. The burrito was moving. She eventually got out and we threw the remnants of the tent inside the minivan. My daughters' tent was weathering the storm just fine. My older daughter didn't even wake up. My wife and me slept the rest of the night in the van.
Things did get better after that. We managed to patch the tent with our repair kit, duct tape etc. We did get one of those great sites and the remaining three nights were really good. My daughters picked up those wild blueberries
and we made a blueberry pie when we got home.
My old tent has probably had it. It has lost its shape and there are way too many tears. We bought this tent in 1990 before we traveled through the newly liberated East-Germany and Czechoslovakia (do you still remember those countries?). I can't really complain though....I got twenty years out of that tent. Next summer I have to get a new tent.
But then again, at the campground I saw one of those little teardrop trailers and I have had daydreams about it ever since.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Impending doom
Today is August 25th. I have a feeling of impending doom. Earlier this summer we had that tornado in Springfield (MA). A couple of days ago we had an earthquake. Now hurricane Irene is heading this way.
My daughter got her driver's license a half an hour ago. "I see trouble on the way..."
I can hear CCR's "Bad Moon Rising" in my head.
update August 27th:
"I hear earthquakes and lightnin'..."
Just got back from Madison, Connecticut. We had to stormproof my wife's grandfather's (Grandpa Ben) cottage.
We covered the windows and pushed the grill between the shed and the fence. There was definitely a calm before the storm. Air was humid.
"I fear rivers overflowing..."
There might be some flooding...it is a low lying area about half a mile from the ocean. I am sure the cottage can survive the wind. One of the neighbors clearly wasn't feeling as confident about his cottage. He was emptying his cottage. He put everything in a rented truck and hauled it away. This cottage got destroyed by the 1938 hurricane like everything else in the area. Only the icebox and the floor survived. Grandpa Ben picked up the pieces and rebuilt it.
"I hear Hurricanes ablowing..."
The eye of the hurricane is in New Jersey right now. There are some tornado warnings down there. Things are gonna get pretty nasty in next few hours.
Update August 28th
8:45 AM We finally lost electricity.
9:30 AM I woke up and went to the front porch to check out the situation. I didn't see any flooding on my street. It was pouring though.... I guess you could call that torrential rain.
I was ready for breakfast. I was thinking whether I should I start the wood stove or get the camping stove from the cellar?
10:30 AM Yeah. The electricity came back. I am starting to make oatmeal and tea. The wife is checking the news from southern Connecticut. The situation down there looks pretty bad. They have some flooding. The newscasters are comparing this to the 1938 hurricane. Ouch!
Up here in Massachusetts we do have rain but no wind yet.
"And I wonder still I wonder who'll stop the rain"
John Fogerty sure has captured the mood of the day.
5:30 PM The wind finally came, but it didn't amount to much. I drove around town to see if there was anything to see. Some small branches were down. Ron's fields on Glendale Street had been turned into Ron's lake. I guess we survived Irene.
Update August 31st
We might have survived Irene, but our neighbors in Vermont got hit really hard. The rivers are really overflowing up there. I haven't been able to get to Madison,Ct. to see if the cottage survived. Too many roads down in Connecticut are still closed. Also too many electric lines are down. This coming weekend is a long weekend. Hopefully then we can cruise down and survey the damage.
My daughter got her driver's license a half an hour ago. "I see trouble on the way..."
I can hear CCR's "Bad Moon Rising" in my head.
update August 27th:
"I hear earthquakes and lightnin'..."
Just got back from Madison, Connecticut. We had to stormproof my wife's grandfather's (Grandpa Ben) cottage.
We covered the windows and pushed the grill between the shed and the fence. There was definitely a calm before the storm. Air was humid.
"I fear rivers overflowing..."
There might be some flooding...it is a low lying area about half a mile from the ocean. I am sure the cottage can survive the wind. One of the neighbors clearly wasn't feeling as confident about his cottage. He was emptying his cottage. He put everything in a rented truck and hauled it away. This cottage got destroyed by the 1938 hurricane like everything else in the area. Only the icebox and the floor survived. Grandpa Ben picked up the pieces and rebuilt it.
"I hear Hurricanes ablowing..."
The eye of the hurricane is in New Jersey right now. There are some tornado warnings down there. Things are gonna get pretty nasty in next few hours.
Update August 28th
8:45 AM We finally lost electricity.
9:30 AM I woke up and went to the front porch to check out the situation. I didn't see any flooding on my street. It was pouring though.... I guess you could call that torrential rain.
I was ready for breakfast. I was thinking whether I should I start the wood stove or get the camping stove from the cellar?
10:30 AM Yeah. The electricity came back. I am starting to make oatmeal and tea. The wife is checking the news from southern Connecticut. The situation down there looks pretty bad. They have some flooding. The newscasters are comparing this to the 1938 hurricane. Ouch!
Up here in Massachusetts we do have rain but no wind yet.
"And I wonder still I wonder who'll stop the rain"
John Fogerty sure has captured the mood of the day.
5:30 PM The wind finally came, but it didn't amount to much. I drove around town to see if there was anything to see. Some small branches were down. Ron's fields on Glendale Street had been turned into Ron's lake. I guess we survived Irene.
Update August 31st
We might have survived Irene, but our neighbors in Vermont got hit really hard. The rivers are really overflowing up there. I haven't been able to get to Madison,Ct. to see if the cottage survived. Too many roads down in Connecticut are still closed. Also too many electric lines are down. This coming weekend is a long weekend. Hopefully then we can cruise down and survey the damage.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Earthquake, August 23rd 2011
About half an hour ago my house was shaking. My wife was making lunch and the stove was moving enough to bump her hip. The house was gently rocking and swaying. There was no sound. In the past when I have experienced minor earthquakes there has been some kind of cracking sound, but this one was silent. I felt kind of dizzy. I have felt this kind of movement in the past in boats - never inside a house. After the movement stopped I looked into the dining room and the crystals in the chandelier were still swinging. Wow! This was pretty cool.
I turned on the TV. MSNBC reported an 5.9 earthquake in Virginia. According to MSNBC The Pentagon and the Capitol were being evacuated and the quake was felt in Manhattan. Well, the quake was felt in Western Massachusetts too.
A couple of hours later I saw on TV that the reporters were waiting for the President to make a comment. President Obama was vacationing at Martha's Vineyard so he probably felt the quake too.
Do we really need a comment? What is he gonna say? "Let me be clear: My administration has always strongly opposed earthquakes." ???
There has been no major damage and no casualties. Let Obama enjoy his vacation. Let Joe Biden handle this.
I turned on the TV. MSNBC reported an 5.9 earthquake in Virginia. According to MSNBC The Pentagon and the Capitol were being evacuated and the quake was felt in Manhattan. Well, the quake was felt in Western Massachusetts too.
A couple of hours later I saw on TV that the reporters were waiting for the President to make a comment. President Obama was vacationing at Martha's Vineyard so he probably felt the quake too.
Do we really need a comment? What is he gonna say? "Let me be clear: My administration has always strongly opposed earthquakes." ???
There has been no major damage and no casualties. Let Obama enjoy his vacation. Let Joe Biden handle this.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Dalai Lama in Finland
Today as I am writing this, the Dalai Lama is visiting Finland. The situation in Finland is the same as every time His Holiness the Dalai Lama has visited Finland. All the government officials are hiding and making excuses for not meeting His Holiness. Especially hypocritical are the politicians who pride themselves for being supporters of human rights, and yet are conspicuously missing in action. I am referring to sissies and wimps like our Minister for Foreign Affairs Erkki Tuomioja and our president Mrs. Tarja Halonen. Why are these pussies hiding? Because if they didn't hide, the human rights abusers in the Red China would get upset and probably yell at them.
I am a Finn myself and I find it disheartening that Finland has become a nation of candy-assed cowards. There are some bright exceptions though. Ms. Heidi Hautala (MEP, Green Party) is one of them. Even though I often (not always) find myself disagreeing with the positions of the Green Party I have to give credit where credit is due. I am proud to say that in 2000 I voted for Ms. Hautala for President of Finland. Right now we need more politicians with a spine.
( Added June 15th, 2014. Even though I voted for Ms. Hautala for president in 2000, I probably would not do it now. Back then she appeared to have a brain and a spine, but unfortunately she has done and said dumb things since.)
Thursday, August 4, 2011
More about Mohegan Sun
I have to make a couple of comments about the way the Mohegan Sun casino handled the distribution of the tickets. As I mentioned in my first entry the tickets were free, but I had to wait in line for one hour and fifty minutes to get my ticket. After I finally got my ticket I was assigned to a seat on the side because the good tickets were reserved for the "high rollers".
Sure, it does make some business sense to give the good tickets to the "high rollers", after all they are the best customers of the casino. However, while me and hundreds of other Thin Lizzy fans were standing in line we were not spending any money. We were not buying any food. We were not buying any drinks. We were not gambling. We were just standing around for a couple of hours.
If you are running a casino it is in your best interest to have people spending money instead just standing in line. You don't really need an MBA to figure this out.
Why didn't the business geniuses at Mohegan Sun give the tickets to those who wanted them and then set them free in the casino to spend money and have fun? The casino could have made more money and me and hundreds of other customers could have been happier.
Sure, it does make some business sense to give the good tickets to the "high rollers", after all they are the best customers of the casino. However, while me and hundreds of other Thin Lizzy fans were standing in line we were not spending any money. We were not buying any food. We were not buying any drinks. We were not gambling. We were just standing around for a couple of hours.
If you are running a casino it is in your best interest to have people spending money instead just standing in line. You don't really need an MBA to figure this out.
Why didn't the business geniuses at Mohegan Sun give the tickets to those who wanted them and then set them free in the casino to spend money and have fun? The casino could have made more money and me and hundreds of other customers could have been happier.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Thin Lizzy March 26th 2011. Animallblog
This is as good a reason as any to start a blog. I finally got to see Thin Lizzy live in concert. I had been waiting for this for over thirty years.
The reformed Thin Lizzy was playing at the Wolf Den at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasvile, Connecticut on March 26th. I have been boycotting Mohegan Sun since it opened because it is owned by the same company that owned that "for whites only" Sun City resort in South Africa. You know those crooked racist bastards. ( I have been boycotting all the other casinos too because I don't gamble.) However, for Thin Lizzy I am willing to ignore my high morals and compromise all my principles. I have been a rabid Lizzy fan since the late 1970's.
I printed out the directions ( I don't have a GPS ) and got to the casino parking lot without any major incidents. I only took a wrong turn once. I wish my wife had been there to read the directions. She was supposed to come with me but her head was little stuffy. The whole casino complex is huge. A shiny, mirrored tower surrounded by a huge structure that looked like mutated shopping mall.
At the casino I found the Wolf Den. A small venue surrounded by slot machines, electric poker etc. This was a free show but you had to stand in line to get the tickets. At 5 P.M. the line was getting pretty long. I had thought that I was the only Thin Lizzy fan in the Northeast but clearly I was wrong. Mohegan Sun staff told me that they will give out the tickets around 6:30 P.M. I wasn't exactly psyched about standing there for an hour and half, but then again, I had waited more than thirty years already.
6:50 P.M. the line started moving and I got in. The venue was like a big barroom with tables. Two levels. It kind of reminded me of Disney World because behind the stage there was this fake rock formation or a cliff. I got directed to my assigned table. It was a little bit to the side. Guitar amps were not directed at me and the PA was not directed at me. I heard later that the good seats were reserved for the "high rollers". From my seat I would be able to see Brian, Scott and Darren really well while the new guys would be further away.
At 8 o'clock - the show started on time. I'll get to the set list later on. Here is what I thought about the guys.
Scott Gorham. His extra long hair was gone and he was donning a beard. Scott has probably never gotten the credit he deserves as a guitarist and as a team player. He played a solid set and was clearly the leader of the band now. He appeared to have a vibrato arm in his Les Paul...I had never seen that before. Little piece of trivia: Scott and me share a birthday. We were both born on St. Patrick's day.
Brian Downey. Brian is the most underrated rock drummer ever. That's right, EVER! He could easily play circles around most of today's players while holding a pint of Guinness in one hand. He was as steady and articulate as ever. His drum sound was fantastic. I was soooo happy to finally get to see him play.
I am a Paiste player myself, but I have ALWAYS said that Brian is one of the only two guys that can make Zildijan cymbals sound good (Bill Stewart is the other one). His cymbals were probably rental cymbals for the U.S. leg of the tour because they did not look or sound like his usual cymbals. This didn't bother me that much because only two of those cymbals had that clangy Zildijan sound. You should check out Brian's cymbals on Gary Moore's "One Night in Dublin" DVD. Those cymbals sound great.
Darren Wharton. Darren played on the last two Lizzy albums while Phil lynott was still alive
( "Renegade" and "Thunder and Lightning"). I just read that he also contributed keyboard parts on "Chinatown". He seemed like a happy guy - he was smiling a lot. I could not hear his keyboards that much but once again, my seat wasn't the greatest. Surprisingly he sang "Still in Love with You".
Ricky Warwick. Lead vocals. Ricky had some big shoes to fill and he pulled it off. Ricky did a hell of a job! As a singer he was his own man. He was not trying to imitate Phil but he sounded close enough to him. To me - as a Lizzy fanatic - it was easier to listen Ricky Warwick singing Phil Lynott songs than it is for me to listen Brian Johnson singing Bon Scott songs. I am definately not slighting Brian Johnson who has done a great job with AC/DC. I am just trying to point out that Ricky's vocals sounded right and believable.
Ricky also kept hitting the right notes consistently. If you have checked out some old Lizzy stuff on YouTube or on some obscure live records, you'll notice that Phil's live vocals weren't always stellar. I also have to point out that Ricky's rendition of "Black Rose" was unbelievably good. Ricky also played guitar on some songs, but with the exception of "Whiskey in the Jar" I could not hear it.
Vivian Campbell. I had seen Vivian in the early 80's with Dio. Therefore I knew that he is a formidable player. I had seen some of the 2011 Lizzy shows on YouTube and on some of those Vivian's performance SEEMED little lackluster. Seemed like he was giving about 40%, so I didn't expect much. Luckily I was WRONG! Vivian was having a blast and kicking ass. He was fitting in just fine. One of the guys in my table pointed out that Vivian Should leave Def Leppard and do this full time. I agree.
Marco Mendoza. I didn't know him before but he was just fine. Solid bass player, good back up singer and great showman.
Here is the set list:
ARE YOU READY?
WAITING FOR AN ALIBI
JAILBREAK
DO ANYTHING YOU WANT
DON'T BELIEVE A WORD
DANCING IN THE MOONLIGHT
MASSACRE
STILL IN LOVE WITH YOU
WHISKEY IN THE JAR
EMERALD
SHA-LA-LA-LA
COWBOY SONG
THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN
(first encore)
ROSALIE
KILLER ON THE LOOSE
(Second encore)
THE ROCKER
BLACK ROSE
The show was just great. A real high energy show. I am wondering if there are any other bands today that can keep the energy level up for so long. This was especially great for me because I knew ALL the songs. I am wondering if an average American listener could have enjoyed the show as much as i did. Most Americans unfortunately only know "The Boys are back in town". For me the show was like listening to the soundtrack of me growing up all over again.
Visually the band looked different and this took some getting used to. The picture in the back of the tour t-shirt was so un-Thinlizzylike. When I was younger Thin Lizzy was a four piece band with a very distinctive look and today's Lizzy doesn't look anything like that. Of course when Thin Lizzy started it was a trio, then it became a quartet, then it became a five piece band and now there are twice as many guys as there were originally......I guess I can get used to this.
That T-shirt that I mentioned earlier is actually the first concert T-shirt that I have ever bought. Now I am wearing it all the time and I am embarrassing the crap out of my daughters. Iam feeling like a 18 year old. If I could lose 20 pounds I would probably look like an 18 year old too.
Then there is that big question: Is this really Thin Lizzy? It sure sounded like Thin Lizzy. Can there really be Thin Lizzy as long as Phil Lynott is dead? Should we see this incarnation as a Thin Lizzy tribute band?
Maybe the name should be spelled differently....Thin Lizzie? ....maybe? For years and years I felt that there can be no Thin Lizzy without Phil, but now I am not sure anymore. AC/DC is a great band without Bon Scott, but there is a difference. They have written and recorded new material since Bon Scott died. I don't know if Thin Lizzy is planning to write some new tunes and make another record. I certainly hope they are. After they do that I will be 100% sure that there can be Thin Lizzy without Phil Lynott. Until then I will see them again as soon as I can. Hopefully I don't have to wait for another thirty years for that.
The reformed Thin Lizzy was playing at the Wolf Den at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasvile, Connecticut on March 26th. I have been boycotting Mohegan Sun since it opened because it is owned by the same company that owned that "for whites only" Sun City resort in South Africa. You know those crooked racist bastards. ( I have been boycotting all the other casinos too because I don't gamble.) However, for Thin Lizzy I am willing to ignore my high morals and compromise all my principles. I have been a rabid Lizzy fan since the late 1970's.
I printed out the directions ( I don't have a GPS ) and got to the casino parking lot without any major incidents. I only took a wrong turn once. I wish my wife had been there to read the directions. She was supposed to come with me but her head was little stuffy. The whole casino complex is huge. A shiny, mirrored tower surrounded by a huge structure that looked like mutated shopping mall.
At the casino I found the Wolf Den. A small venue surrounded by slot machines, electric poker etc. This was a free show but you had to stand in line to get the tickets. At 5 P.M. the line was getting pretty long. I had thought that I was the only Thin Lizzy fan in the Northeast but clearly I was wrong. Mohegan Sun staff told me that they will give out the tickets around 6:30 P.M. I wasn't exactly psyched about standing there for an hour and half, but then again, I had waited more than thirty years already.
6:50 P.M. the line started moving and I got in. The venue was like a big barroom with tables. Two levels. It kind of reminded me of Disney World because behind the stage there was this fake rock formation or a cliff. I got directed to my assigned table. It was a little bit to the side. Guitar amps were not directed at me and the PA was not directed at me. I heard later that the good seats were reserved for the "high rollers". From my seat I would be able to see Brian, Scott and Darren really well while the new guys would be further away.
At 8 o'clock - the show started on time. I'll get to the set list later on. Here is what I thought about the guys.
Scott Gorham. His extra long hair was gone and he was donning a beard. Scott has probably never gotten the credit he deserves as a guitarist and as a team player. He played a solid set and was clearly the leader of the band now. He appeared to have a vibrato arm in his Les Paul...I had never seen that before. Little piece of trivia: Scott and me share a birthday. We were both born on St. Patrick's day.
Brian Downey. Brian is the most underrated rock drummer ever. That's right, EVER! He could easily play circles around most of today's players while holding a pint of Guinness in one hand. He was as steady and articulate as ever. His drum sound was fantastic. I was soooo happy to finally get to see him play.
I am a Paiste player myself, but I have ALWAYS said that Brian is one of the only two guys that can make Zildijan cymbals sound good (Bill Stewart is the other one). His cymbals were probably rental cymbals for the U.S. leg of the tour because they did not look or sound like his usual cymbals. This didn't bother me that much because only two of those cymbals had that clangy Zildijan sound. You should check out Brian's cymbals on Gary Moore's "One Night in Dublin" DVD. Those cymbals sound great.
Darren Wharton. Darren played on the last two Lizzy albums while Phil lynott was still alive
( "Renegade" and "Thunder and Lightning"). I just read that he also contributed keyboard parts on "Chinatown". He seemed like a happy guy - he was smiling a lot. I could not hear his keyboards that much but once again, my seat wasn't the greatest. Surprisingly he sang "Still in Love with You".
Ricky Warwick. Lead vocals. Ricky had some big shoes to fill and he pulled it off. Ricky did a hell of a job! As a singer he was his own man. He was not trying to imitate Phil but he sounded close enough to him. To me - as a Lizzy fanatic - it was easier to listen Ricky Warwick singing Phil Lynott songs than it is for me to listen Brian Johnson singing Bon Scott songs. I am definately not slighting Brian Johnson who has done a great job with AC/DC. I am just trying to point out that Ricky's vocals sounded right and believable.
Ricky also kept hitting the right notes consistently. If you have checked out some old Lizzy stuff on YouTube or on some obscure live records, you'll notice that Phil's live vocals weren't always stellar. I also have to point out that Ricky's rendition of "Black Rose" was unbelievably good. Ricky also played guitar on some songs, but with the exception of "Whiskey in the Jar" I could not hear it.
Vivian Campbell. I had seen Vivian in the early 80's with Dio. Therefore I knew that he is a formidable player. I had seen some of the 2011 Lizzy shows on YouTube and on some of those Vivian's performance SEEMED little lackluster. Seemed like he was giving about 40%, so I didn't expect much. Luckily I was WRONG! Vivian was having a blast and kicking ass. He was fitting in just fine. One of the guys in my table pointed out that Vivian Should leave Def Leppard and do this full time. I agree.
Marco Mendoza. I didn't know him before but he was just fine. Solid bass player, good back up singer and great showman.
Here is the set list:
ARE YOU READY?
WAITING FOR AN ALIBI
JAILBREAK
DO ANYTHING YOU WANT
DON'T BELIEVE A WORD
DANCING IN THE MOONLIGHT
MASSACRE
STILL IN LOVE WITH YOU
WHISKEY IN THE JAR
EMERALD
SHA-LA-LA-LA
COWBOY SONG
THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN
(first encore)
ROSALIE
KILLER ON THE LOOSE
(Second encore)
THE ROCKER
BLACK ROSE
The show was just great. A real high energy show. I am wondering if there are any other bands today that can keep the energy level up for so long. This was especially great for me because I knew ALL the songs. I am wondering if an average American listener could have enjoyed the show as much as i did. Most Americans unfortunately only know "The Boys are back in town". For me the show was like listening to the soundtrack of me growing up all over again.
Visually the band looked different and this took some getting used to. The picture in the back of the tour t-shirt was so un-Thinlizzylike. When I was younger Thin Lizzy was a four piece band with a very distinctive look and today's Lizzy doesn't look anything like that. Of course when Thin Lizzy started it was a trio, then it became a quartet, then it became a five piece band and now there are twice as many guys as there were originally......I guess I can get used to this.
That T-shirt that I mentioned earlier is actually the first concert T-shirt that I have ever bought. Now I am wearing it all the time and I am embarrassing the crap out of my daughters. Iam feeling like a 18 year old. If I could lose 20 pounds I would probably look like an 18 year old too.
Then there is that big question: Is this really Thin Lizzy? It sure sounded like Thin Lizzy. Can there really be Thin Lizzy as long as Phil Lynott is dead? Should we see this incarnation as a Thin Lizzy tribute band?
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