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Ian Holton:
Chas and Dave were great as
a warm-up act and I would probably go to one of their gigs if they have any around my area. There were a couple of shouts of "Bring out the Killer!" I didn't think they
deserved heckles, but there you go. The lads in front of us were having a great time, singing along and jumping up like Chas and Dave groupies!! Chas did Breathless with nice
comments about Jerry. Next it was the Killer band who were as tight as usual and having a great time.
Then the Killer was walking
on with GREAT attitude and smoking a cigar looking cool in a gold/beige suit. He turned to the crowd raising his arms. People were up shouting "Jerry Jerry!" Great
moment. Kenny made room for Jerry to get to the piano, which was set back too far as I was concerned, but the venue was very good and I reckon everyone would have great views.
Straight into Down The Line, which went down extremely well with the crowd already. The security were twitching! The sound was ok, but a bit muddy from where I was. No One Will
Ever Know was next, which was so great I think it was the best of the night. Then I Don't Wanna Be Lonely Tonight, another crowd pleaser.The blues next, with one of my fav songs
C.C. Rider. Why You Been Gone So Long was great and reminded me of that video of Jerry in a Spanish TV show! The crowd was calling out a lot. I called for High Heel Sneakers for
my wife (she calls it that Sesame Street song?), but to no avail. I was already hoarse! 'My new album' Before The Night Is Over, followed by You Belong To Me and then a great
version of Mexcali Rose, which was as good as any version I have ever heard and so close to be my fav for the night.
Someone was constantly
calling ''boogie woogie"; whether they meant Lewis Boogie, Boogie Woogie Country Man or New Orleans Boogie I don't know, but the familiar sounds of Whole Lotta Shakin' were
next, which I always
want to be the last song. Great version. There was a young girl at the front shaking it for Jerry Lee, but she got pounced on by security and moved back,
but she carried on anyway, well done girl! It seems to me that Jerry paced himself tonight for the last two numbers. His piano playing was notched up from earlier. I know that it
has always been that way, but the earlier numbers where performed with piano playing like on the Letterman Show. You got the impression that Jerry was a little tired, but then how
many 70 year olds can keep up a fast pace for a long time. I am just glad that Jerry paces himself so that we get the honour of being in his audience.
Great Balls Of Fire
was the last track tonight with the whole hall really getting into it. I guess the audience paced itself too. Movie ending was great. Rushing the stage; security had no chance.
Stool kicked. Crowd reaching out to Jerry who was having fun teasing people taking his hand away from outreached hands. A stagehand came across to walk Jerry off, went to shake
Jerry's hand who again jokingly went to shake it back before pulling away at the last moment. The stagehand went to put his arm around Jerry to which he recieved karate chops to
the head and chest!!!!!!!!!!!! Ha ha ha! Great show. Great attitude Thanks JERRY LEE LEWIS.
Some people may think it was
a short show. I was not counting time as I don't see the point. I was there to see Jerry Lee and I feel he has given more to us than anyone else I care to mention, so if he wants
to do 10 numbers and be gone that is fine. The overall feel of the gig is the important thing to me. I was hoarse at the end, but I was happy and let out a really loud yeeeehhhh
as I left the hall, getting some funny looks from a couple of people but I don't care. The lads who were in front of us who really got into Chas and Dave got thrown out
half way through the JLL set. I don't know why? I've taken my wife Karen to two JLL concerts: this one and Manchester 2004. At both of which the
security were paranoid and people got thrown out, so she thinks that's what happens everytime.
GREAT TIME WAS HAD.
Tony Papard:
It was very promising at the
start, kicking off with Down The Line then No-one Will Ever Know. Jerry walked on with a cigar in his mouth, wearing the smart suit he'd worn at the Rhythm Festival. He looked
really good, and fit.
The audience were enthusiastic, giving him standing ovations after several numbers, and there were chants of 'Jer-ry Jer-ry Jer-ry', so after 42 years
since the Star-Club recording was released, this chant seems to have finally spread to Jerry's shows in UK. However Jerry, due to his ear infection presumably, couldn't understand
what people were shouting.
I feel it is likely the shouting of requests for Lewis Boogie and boogie woogie led to Jerry going into Whole Lotta Shakin' before he would have
done otherwise. He said, after people were shouting Lewis Boogie/boogie woogie 'This is the closest thing I can find'. I was, of course, expecting the Country number, but was
disappointed to hear him go into Whole Lotta Shakin after about 35 minutes on stage. Still I hoped for You Win Again or some other number after Shakin', but of course he went
straight into Great Balls Of Fire.
It has to be said that all the versions were long ones, and good. Great Balls Of Fire was done movie style, ending with him standing up and kicking the stool back.
What
stopped it ranking with the best shows this year was that it was slightly shorter than some (Paris, Rhythm Festival for instance), and perhaps included too many numbers which
didn't fall into the straight country or rock'n'roll standards category. But at least nobody could complain he was singing Chuck Berry hits, there weren't any in this show. We had
three rock'n'roll standards, all Jerry's own, two slow Country songs, Mexicali Rose was done mid-tempo, C C Rider was the nearest we got to blues (as Keith Woods said, Paris beat
this London show because of Trouble In Mind/No Headstone On My Grave alone), and the other three songs were uptempo Jerry Lee numbers.
The two slow Country numbers were
sung superbly, with great piano playing from Jerry, and nice Country guitar from Kenny. Buck played some great solos too. The rock'n'roll numbers were good too, but Jerry seemed
less dynamic than the last show I saw him do in Paris - no foot on keyboard, for instance, though he did slam the piano lid once and do the famous 'devil's sign' wave of his. Of
course Before The Night Is Over was introduced as a song 'from my new album' as usual.
No flash photography, but I sneaked 3 pictures, don't know how they'll come out as
the piano was quite far back on stage, to leave room for Chas Hodges electric piano in the first half. Incidentally Chas and Dave were a great warm-up set for Jerry Lee, and Chas
did Breathless as a tribute to the Killer who he said he first saw on the 1958 tour.
So it was a good show, Jerry looked and sounded good, but perhaps didn't have the energy he appeared to have at the Rhythm Festival and Paris.
Oh yes, at the end of the
show Jerry walked to the front of the stage, then turned back to the piano because he'd forgotten his cigar. He walked off unaided, and the band continued playing for several
minutes with a crowd gathered around the front of the stage. I imagine few people were really disappointed with this show, maybe thought it was a little short, but of course not
as short as some shows Jerry has done.
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