Ralphy's Concert Reviews
Fish - Concert at Muziekcentrum Vredenburg in Utrecht 12-09-1999
All the best freaks were there
Normally I don't drive more than 2 hours to visit a concert, but Fish is an exceptional artist in the music business. I've seen him perform twice before. The first time (in Aachen, Germany) was when he was still at the commercial peak of his career as the lead singer of Marillion on their "Misplaced childhood"-tour. That concert was a bit disappointing to me, maybe because of my high anticipations at that time. A few years later I saw Marillion with their new singer Steve Hogarth at the Bospop-festival and then they were absolutely outstanding. The second time I saw Fish in concert was a couple of years ago (on my birthday in Sittard) when he was on the "Sunsets on empire"-tour, that concert renewed my shaken interest in his music and although I don't consider his latest album "Raingods with Zippos" as one of his best works (see the review on the CD Review Page), when a few friends told me they were going to this concert I immediately decided to join them.
Any comments you might have on these reviews
Visit my message board: Ralphy's Music and Stuff Forum
For me it was the first time I visited this venue, Music Center Vredenburg in Utrecht, and I must say I was very impressed by the acoustics, which made Fish sound very good. Not that he needed it, but he himself complimented the venue in between songs. They started furiously with "Faith healer", the most up-tempo and (to me) best song of his latest album although it's a cover that has been performed throughout time by Fish. What followed was a mediocre version of "Lucky" and then "Just good friends" song as a duet with backing vocalist Elisabeth Antwi. She has a good voice, but her presence except for this song and some 'Ohoh's' on "Sunsets on empire" wasn't required at all, in fact she only uses space on stage with this setlist without "Incomplete". After that Fish sang "Brother 52" (dedicated to the recently deceased Doc), which also wasn't his best performance of the day, but then the fireworks began. They played the 3 opening songs of the (Fish/)Marillion album "Clutching at straws" namely "Hotel hobbies", "Warm wet circles" and "That time of the night". As true Fisheads know those songs are intertwined by beautiful guitar solos and the new American guitarist John Wesley mastered them magnificently. Fish himself was also at his best during these songs and also for the rest of the concert, also because he had noticed that all the best freaks (nickname fo Fish-fans) were present and cheering every action of Fish. Even when Fish removed his shirt they cheered, leading him to say that if they wanted that sort of stuff they better go and see the fucking Backstreet Boys. True is that Fish has developped a belly over the years, but I shouldn't comment to much on that, 'cause we're built about the same (tall and beerbellied). I've got more hair, but would trade that easily for his talent.
What is your opinion about the CD's I reviewed? Vote for your favourite CD in this booth! You can only vote once a day.
Ralphy's CD Review Voting Booth
The setlist continued with "Tumbledown" and the great "Goldfish and clowns", before Fish took a pause to read from 'the book of rubbish'. He told how he reflected on his life in back of the tour bus during the "Sunsets om empire" with his only companion, a bottle of vodka, and that this led to the next song (probably the next single according to him, but I highly doubt that), the epic "Plague of Ghosts". Not my fave song(s), but beautifully performed and at the end the musicians one at a time left the stage leaving the faithfull audience to sing "We can make it happen", until they returned for the first encore. This was made up by "Cliché" (maybe my favourite Fish solo song) and an abreviated version of "The perception of Johnny Punter".It wouldn't be the only encore for the evening. Twice again the audience demanded the musicians back on stage. The first time they performed "Sunsets on empire" and the final song of the evening was "The company", not by accident (I think) the song that inspired the name of the Fish-fanclub of whom a whole lot of members were present. Fish himself was visibly content with the show, the audience and the whole atmosphere. My rate for this concert an 8.5 .
Back to Ralphy's 
Cool Music Site
| |