The Review...


Judie played Newark Palace, England, on the 11th of April 2000...

Out of the Flames...


Judie Tzuke on Stage

The tour was billed as the Phoenix 2000 tour, programmed to commemorate the re-release of Judie's first three albums on CD. I had arrived at Newark to see the timid '2000' version of Judie Tzuke. Having just turned the ripe old age of 44 it would be unfair to expect anything other than a few ballads and some bad notes here and there.

The show commenced with almost the entire album version of 'For You' blasting from the speakers, Judie strolling on to the stage to finish the last few verses with tape accompaniment. It is easy to appreciate why so many have fallen in love with Judie. Her sensational beauty remains, she still dons her flowing blonde hair and that sensuous pout. I'm not so sure about the footwear though... a high-heeled 'Doc Martin' boots effect obviously trying to lift her height to that of a similar level to her group.

The track fades and Judie greets the audience with a smile, the hall is almost at capacity which, considering Judie hasn't seen single chart success for 21 years, is pretty impressive! The show has purposely been divided into two sets described by Judie as a quiet set and a more noisy assemblage after the interval.

Judie Tzuke on Stage The rest of the group enters the stage. The band is pretty much that of last year's tour but witnesses new members Dale Davis, on Bass guitar, and Ali Kane on Backing Vocals and keyboards.

The set continues with 'Molly' and 'Joan of Arc', Another two ballads separated by in excess of a decade but timeless in comparison. These tracks are beautiful and received with warm affection from the crowd, but I can't help feeling a little disappointed. I had came to see the Judie that I could remember - the one with a rapid mixture of tracks randomly alternating between power thrusting guitar solos and gentle ballads.

'Man and a Gun', from Judie's 1992 Wonderland Album, does offer a surprising twist with a soothing duel between Dave P. Goodes, on Lead Guitar, and Brandon Fownes, on Keyboards. It is clear from watching these guys mould together that Brandon and Dave are a team. They work well together and, along with Judie, it is clear that they enjoy working with each other.

Dave Goodes on Stage But it's on 'Parallel Lives' than Brandon begins to shine... he lifts the Acoustic Guitar and reveals that his skills go further than merely the stroking of the keys. He shows the flexibility and versatility that any group would be proud to contain within their ranks. He is also taking a much greater personification with regards to the backing vocals and almost drowns poor Ali into insignificance!

Ali is the only one who looks slightly out of place. It's her first tour and she doesn't look too comfortable on stage. I'm confident that that will change though - she proved after the concert that she has the personality to evolve with the rest of the group, and maybe by the end of the tour she will have found her niche.

The general feel on stage is of pure professionalism, but not the type of clinical professionalism that prohibits enjoyment and has the band standing rigid! The three Judie, Dave and Brandon share several jokes throughout the show and are there to take pleasure from the experience - the fact that the audience loves every minute of it is a bonus. Sure mistakes are made but even when Judie surprises them by suddenly getting the track order wrong, announcing 'Come Hell or Waters High' as the next track, it's all taken in good fun and after a quick shuffle and retune (!) they're off again!

Brandon Fownes on Stage It becomes evident to Judie that it was probably a 'private' joke, so, after completing the song she announces that she'll now sing the track she was SUPPOSED to sing, 'Living on the Coast'.

The group are really enjoying themselves on stage, an atmosphere that permeates the hall, and everyone joins in the fun. Especially when, after Judie announces the next track to be another old tune, Brandon bursts into the opening bars of 'Come Hell or Waters High' again. The innocent look on his face, as he points out that it's next on the list, doesn't hide his foolery and is met with a roar of laughter.

Ali Kane on Stage So far I had been treated to a back catalogue of Judie's ballads and was immensely satisfied with what I had heard, and observed, but nothing could have prepared me for what was about to come next... For over the next hour Judie would perform some of her greatest, and probably hardest, tracks. And I use the word hardest in it's truest form - both in the sheer skill and determination required to meet the very challenging altercations in vocal diversity and also in the 'hard rock' tracks that were forthcoming.

This was to commence with Dave Goodes demonstrating his excellent guitar skills during a heavy lead break in 'You are the Phoenix', giving Dave his first real chance of the evening to take the lead.

But it was the next track that confirmed what a sensational singer Judie really is. 'Understanding' is a song that Judie admits is extremely difficult to sing, not only because of the sheer complexity of the vocal structure but also owing to the lyrics being rapid and comparable...

Judie Tzuke on Stage "I nearly always forget the lyrics to this one..." Judie jests as she announces 'Understanding' as the next track. The concentration and determination were obvious on her face as she pushed herself to the limits to reach those ever so critical high notes. She really gave her all on the track. But she didn't forget the lyrics and presented us with a fantastic demonstration of her pure unadulterated talent! The relief was unmistakable as she giggled and smiled at the end of the track, knowing perfection had transpired.

The second set commenced with 'Stay with Me till Dawn'. A track that I will never tire of hearing Judie sing live but must confess to skipping past on CDs! It is NOT Judie's best track - no where near - but is usually the only track of Judie's to receive radio recognition or appear on endless love compilation albums.

'Welcome to the Cruise', which personally I feel should have opened the show, was a joy to listen to and the 'non-vocoder' version of 'That's Where my Heart used to be' was stupendous. This brought Judie's show up to present date and illustrated the instrumental characteristics of Judie's voice - something that she is obviously proud of as she glimpses across to her faithful fans for recognition of her achievements.

Dave Goodes on Stage Remaining with the latest album Judie continues with the title track, 'Secret Agent'. From this moment on she is unstoppable and pushing towards becoming the best concert I have attended in years! Sorry Alice!

'Secret Agent' transforms me from someone watching the show to someone who wants to get involved. It feels like the audience is now a part of the show and, although there isn't the mad rush to the stage that I remember from the 80s, the whole theatre has a buzz going around it. The show is rapidly transforming into a true rock gig as I suddenly feel as if I've been transported through time. This is the Judie of the early 80's, in the prime of her career and, with the possible exception of 'Ladies Night' the rest of the set clearly demonstrates why Judie proved such a big hit with the rock press all those years ago.

'Wonderland' was fantastic to listen to, with 'Ladies Night' keeping our feet on the ground before blasting us into hyper space with a blistering exhibition of how, with regards to rock bands, Judie Tzuke is still up there with the best of them! THIS LADY ROCKS!

Even the bass player, Dale Davis, is beginning to really get in on the action and shares some friendly banter with the audience. Throughout the show he has maintained a steady bass line and gracefully strutted around the stage in a cool manner. He's still relatively new to Judie but is clearly beginning to gel with the rest of the group.

Dale davis on Stage 'Let Me be the Pearl' was as glorious as usual. Dave Goodes again displaying his skills on the guitar and then rapidly reaffirming this point with a slightly altered 'Sports Car'. This tour is the first time that Judie has performed this track in years, but she now sings it with a certain attitude and arrogance in her voice that she must surely have acquired from her kids?

It would have been delightful if her old friend and former musical partner, Mike Paxman, could have joined her for 'Sports Car', but Dave Goodes proved that Mike wasn't needed. The old master of the strings would probably have had his work cut out to compete with the talented Mr. Goodes. Something that would be clarified during the encores; slightly revamped versions of 'Black Furs' and 'Bully'.

'Black Furs', always my favourite HEAVY Judie track, has undergone a slight transformation and, I suppose as the 'Dirty Nails' appear to have gone, you could say it has been cleaned up.

'Bully' has already received a warm reception in the rock world, after appearing on a 'Classic Rock' magazine cover disc, but this new, funkier version has the crowd chanting frantically as the show comes to an end.

If I wanted to pick fault then I'd be hard pushed. The only criticism would probably be the track order. I felt that Judie started the show slow and melodic and finished in a roaring fashion that had the audience pleading for more! But they weren't going to get it tonight and, as Judie stated after the show, they probably wouldn't be treated to the likes of 'Sports Car' and 'Black Furs' in any subsequent tours!

It might have been better if the order was a bit more varied but...

I can't complain.

The show was fantastic and trying to improve on that would be extremely difficult. Judie was on fine form and proved herself worthy of a much higher status than the one that the world appears to have bestowed upon her.

SUPERB!!!



For more details visit Judie's Web Site at http://www.tzuke.com


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