The Review...
Warm reception from a cold city.
Venue: Glasgow Cottier Theatre
Date: 06th February 1999
At last it had arrived. So many people had been talking about the concerts on the Secret Agent Discussion Group and on the new message board at The Official Judie Tzuke Site. I had already been teased by the excellent Bilston Review that's on my site.
Now it was my turn. It would be the first visit to the Cottier Theatre but, more importantly, this was the first time I'd see Judie Tzuke in Glasgow! Previous concerts had included Birmingham, Edinburgh and London but never Glasgow.
Suffice to say I was looking forward to it!
I'd managed to arrange for several friends to meet up before the concert. A small drink and a meal and off we went. We drove to the venue and after spending what seemed like ages trying to find somewhere to park! We were handed a leaflet about the Cottier that advises as there is no parking available people should travel by underground! Too late!
The Cottier Theatre is an old church that has been turned into a theatre. It looks very impressive, from the outside, but does require a bit more work inside!
On entering the theatre I met with Gill who was minding the merchandise stall. I could already feel the cold! We entered into the hall, having spent so long driving around in circles had paid it's price! The front rows were full and, as there was a group of us, we were only able to squeeze into about the seventh row.
I saw the familiar head of Gordon in row 2 which is where Gill would be sitting later, row 2 that is, and I later found that the distinguised gentleman to his right was Ian Taft!!!
I looked around the venue and I could easilly understand the discussions that had taken place recently. The age group of the fans varied drastically. The youngest member of my group was a 25 year old girl who had NEVER heard of Judie Tzuke! Not even 'Stay With Me Till Dawn'. Unfortunately she looked to be about the youngest of the audience which ranged from 25 to about 55!
It's a shame because I'm sure Judie's Music would appeal to the younger generation - it's just they don't get a chance to hear it! Even if their parents are playing it - their friends aren't and that's what counts! No one will admit to likeing the music their parents like unless their friends like it to! Judie needs to get back into the public eye again. A single would help but the main thing is to get the CD's back into the record shops!
The old albums still sell ('Shoot the Moon', 'Best of', 'Ritmo', etc.), if they didn't then the shops wouldn't still stock them!
Okay back to the venue. Now to say it was cold would be an understatement! I swear at one time they opened the doors to let the heat in! The front of the stage, which was incredibly small, was filled with wooden seats that were so close together you could hardly move! This area was level, further back the seats went up in stages. Seats were also at either side, sideon to the stage. A small upper balcony seating area was available and had it not been so far from the stage I think more people may have ventured this way!
The heating provided consisted of a dozen or so electric heaters, they weren't even fan heaters! In fact they DEFINITELY weren't FAN Heaters, or Judie Heaters for that matter! The heaters were hanging on what looked like bits of string a few feet below the ceiling. Hasn't anyone told this venue 'Heat rises'! I'll bet the pigeons had warm feet.
The venue was just over 80% Full. A good turn out I thought for a venue that looked like it could take 400+?
Judie came on the stage and the first thing she did was thank everyone for coming and asked if it was as cold out there as it was up here?!
Judie looked a little shaky but seemed quite calm. I take it the shakiness was the cold?! The starting song was again 'Tonight' but I won't go deeply into the songs as the set list was very simialr to the Bilston Review but in a slightly different order. Judie's voice was amazing and the band shone. I was impressed at how well they managed to cope under the obvious difficult circumstances!
Now I remember my grandparents talking about 'Led Zeppelin' and the 'Who' and when they used to play on stage it was coldand all they had was a 60 watt light bulb above their heads. This wasn't far off!
Judie was stopping occassionally between tracks or solos to drink some bottled water but I think as the water started to turn to ice(?) she decided better tactics were required. Glasses of warm water were duely delivered! This helped a little but with such a small stage the glasses had to be laid on the ground! Another song and someone delivered a stool for Judie to sit her drinks on. This was then followed by the provision of a small fan heater. As you can imagine a small stage was now getting even smaller!
It was obvious that Judie was upset about the cold but she joked about it between songs. She says it had never dawned on her how many songs she had written about getting away from the cold (One Day I will Live in France, Fly, Bring the Rain - oh no maybe not that one!) and this was especially expressed in 'Let Me Be The Pearl' where Judie paused and smiled after singing the opening line, 'It Feels so cold Today!'.
Judie introduced 'Stay With Me Till Dawn' and suggested that everyone join in to try to keep warm!
After the first set Judie suggested everyone go away somewhere warm and get a heat before the second set starts. There would be coffee available at the front of the hall. The coffee had ran out by the time we got there! After 10 minutes though they did bring a refill!
The second set commenced and only Judie and Brandon came on stage, Judie started to sing and in doing so extrated a pair of black gloves from her pocket! Putting them on with a smile on her face to a cheer from the crowd!
The rest of the band came on stage, Mia was now wearing a wooly hat, scarf and gloves! Okay it was only as a joke but I was getting worried incase Dave Goodes decided to wear gloves as well. Some of Paul's Drumsticks already had little woolen muffs on them! ;-)
The second set was even more impresseive than the first although I didn't think Dave's guitar solos were as good as at Birmingham but then that could have been the frost bite setting in!
The whole group were obviously enjoying themselves and I think the extreme cold had caused enough humour to keep their spirits up!
Cups of Coffee were now being delivered to Judie! As stated above the lighting was terrible! The conditions very cold. The inside of the venue still requires some work. I had my camera with me and had attempted to take some photos without a flash! I decided to give up and put the camera away! In the second set though there was a couple of flashes from the audience. I couldn't resist. The thought of getting a picture of Judie on stage wearing gloves and drinking coffe from a polysterene cup was just too much. The camera came back out and so did the flash! Sorry Simon!
I only hope the pictures turn out okay, I have been warned that Judie sometimes zaps the camera, Judie even smiled after one shot. She knew she'd been caught and commented after the show that she hoped I'm be 'kind' with the photographs!
The second set finished with the now powerful 'Bring The Rain'.
Judie returned after a few minutes, unsure if everyone was clapping for more or just trying to generate heat! :-)
Two encores, 'Joan of Arc' (Which was particularly beautiful tonight) and 'Sukarita'. This was followed by shouts for 'Bully'. Okay it wsa me shouting! It wasn't needed though as Judie's stage hands wouldn't let her off the stage until she'd done it!
Jamie of course made his way on to the stage for his usual part in the backing vocals. Superb. Still better live than on the CD but it's nice that a lot more people will get to hear it thanks to this months 'Classic Rock' Magazine Cover Disc.
The concert finished and the majority left content that they had seen a good concert. A few people stayed behind and waited. While the band vanished through to the bar Judie came out to sign autographs and talk to waiting fans.
'It was you taking photographs?', she said.
'Who me? Okay, maybe one or two!'
'It was more than one or two,' she said, 'everytime I made a silly face there was a flash!'
:-)
I explained that I couldn't possibly resist taking photographs of the band in hats and scarves!
We only now hope that the single happens! Judie says she's in discussions about it at the moment, so we'll see! Now that the album is also on Radio 2's playlist, thanks to Bob Harris for that, hopefully a much wider audience will be found!
As for now. I'm just disappointed. It's over. When will the next time be? Judie has said that Bailey and Kirsty will be at the QEH Concert in London and some special things will happen at Hayes!!! I can't be at either! :-(
I've no doubt though that someone will tell us what happened! ;-)
Overall comment about the concert?
The venue could have spoiled a great night - if it wasn't for the professional approach of Judie and the band. The cold, dark venue which was dreadfully organised, wouldn't have met with such an understnding crowd if it had been anyone else other than Judie playing. I imagine most groups wouldn't have put up with such a place and would have walked off stage! I'm just greatful that Judie is such a nice person, and put up with the cold for 'her fans'. After all - that's why she was there!
In discussions after the concert there was a very varied selection of comments, from 'I thought the band were too heavy for Judie'. The usual 'Bring the Rain' discussion started. The song used to finish quite nicely but now, just where it used to finish, bursts into blistering Guitar, keyboard and drum solos.
This isn't unusual but it isn't just on 'Bring the Rain'. The above also happens in 'Let Me Be The Pearl' and sometimes other tracks. It was said that if these were dropped then other songs could be included into the set list, possibly from the 'Ritmo' or 'Cat is Out' era? Now I'm all for that! These songs are sadly missed out and form what, for me, was Judie's greatest era.
Let's not forget though that the idea of these solos is to demonstrate the ability of the band, without whom Judie couldn't tour! She could still do the albums, which unfortunately are 'too electric' these days - let's get some real instruments back in there! It's also to give Judie a break from singing, get a drink, warm the hands! ;-)
I like the solos and think that 'yes' they should remain. If however I was advised that they could drop one or two of the solos for an additional couple of tracks from Ritmo!!! Then I know what I'd choose! ;-)
Keep the solo in Let me be the Pearl though! ;-)
Don't forget though that Judie still appeals to a very mixed market, Heavy Metal to Soft Ballads! If you dropped the solos you might also drop some of the fans?
I'd be interested to know what your views are on the solos, etc. Please E-Mail me with your views!
Davie......