Tour Reports 2010

[Tina3]

Hi Zeljko
In all honesty do you think Chris is prejudice??
You have every right to be disappointed with the way that you were treated by Chris's management in Serbia whoever was in charge that night.I have heard it said that John Knowles was not present at that concert.
Maybe I am defending Chris but did you not say there was other problems at that venue about no hot water etc.
Maybe it was a case that Chris had had enough for one day and just wanted to get back to his hotel room as something similar happened at Bush Hall last September and Chris didn't come out to the fans after that show either.One fan managed to get an autograph and that was long after the show was over.
How can a musician who tours most of Europe be prejudice.He would see so many different people and nationalities.I have heard many things said about Chris over the years but being prejudice is not one of them.I am not saying your wrong but hand on your heart do you believe this....or maybe I still have my rose tinted glasses on as it is Chris we are talking about
Tina

[Bart]

Zeljko, I have edited your post. Don't use the caps lock (all capital letters) to express your anger on this forum, and don't use this language! As I have told you before, we all know about your frustration and perhaps even understand part of it. But you cannot keep adding this language. This was the last warning, otherwise I will have to ban you (temporarily to begin with).

[Zeljko]

Tina of course I dont think that CHRIS is prejudice. But I am beggining to think that his management team said to him "It will be better off if we dont accept anything from fans here in Serbia for your safety, nor having any contact outside concert organisation. After all, wars happened in the Balkans, who knows what they think of us westerners ".

I don't know. Maybe they advised Chris this. I waited for 20 years to present Chris a painting, and then some stupid things happened and influenced in my failure of presenting my painting to Chris.
I dont know. I listen his songs with my heart. I wanted to present him my painting from my heart. I failed.

[Jim M]

Zeljko
I know you are disapointed about not presenting your painting but I would think this policy is not related to what country you're in.I would imagine any public person is very cautious about who they speak with or what they accept from them.You may have the best intentions but just think of the crazies that are out there and what a celeberty could be exposed to ! I would think it could be a scay thing to have people coming at you from all directions with motives your unsure of.
It must be very difficult to be a public figure and not know the motives of people approaching you.
JIm

[blueskev]

Hi Zeljko,
I have to agree with Jim, I'm sure nationality doesn't come in to it. They probably have a policy of not accepting anything like that from fans anywhere. I can understand it, they would have to carry your painting around for the rest of the tour and if they accept lots of gifts they would need another tour truck!

The head has to rule the heart sometimes, and this is one of those cases.

I hope you can enjoy your wonderful painting and put the disappointment of what happened behind you.

Regards,
Kev.

[Zgred]

Are these your photos from the concert ? They are great.....just look at the expression on Chris's face.I hope he is as happy as this when he gets to Dublin at the end of the tour and not too tired to still enjoy it.

As for the Angels it is difficult to answer.I love the idea of Angels and been able to fly... flying away from sad and difficult times,if it was just that simple. The whole meaning of that song "Dancing The Blues Away" I love.This is not the correct section of the forum to post this :)....hope I don't get told off sorry guys :)

Hello Tina, yes these are truly mine illegal photos, illegally made by illegally smuggled camera ;) unfortunately not much of them are worth showing, but here you go. Let's not report this to any authority ;)

Oh my, it's nice to know your opinion on angels, but actually I was referring to the typo, "Angles" instead of "Angels" :) - anyway, a point for you for this extensive reply ;)

[Zgred]

Well, that was ment to be positive thing, that they do enjoy themselves on stage, of course they have to enjoy of it, otherways there would not be any tour at all. And for sure, that was not any blame to mention their enjoying themselves, are you nuts? About plain talking, well there´s action in it as well, if the tour would have been a whole lot of different with the setlist I would have to think of the going to gig seriously and that would have to mean of going to whole another country to see a show, which I have done two times so far. So, do not talk about talking when you can go to show in your own country, if not in your own home town?

And what comes to same old setlist, I rather go see unknown local blues band with rarely the same setlist twice than see the show which has all the same songs during the whole tour. That is like getting milk from store and live performance should not be like that.

Hi Mr Blues.
I get your point. But our Chris is just like that... he decided to launch this tour the way it looks. The only voting you can do, is going to see him or not going. Having choice limited to this two options, I would rather swallow those bits of dislike for hearing almost the same stuff, and go see the Man.
You fired the gun, but you missed :) concerning the "own country/home town", you are mistaken my friend. It's true that Warsaw is my home town, and going to see CR is not really an effort. Do not start blaming me for that, would you? ;) I'm sorry for you being forced to make a long trip, just to spend 2 hours, and yet with Paul Casey warming you up ;) ;) If you consider it worthwhile or not, is up to you.
During previous tour, I was at Warsaw show of course, but also in Prague about month earlier, including logistic problems and spending the night at railway station. BUT. I don't give a **** if it was not in my country, and I would go to another country even knowing there would be 5x RtH played with same red lights ;)
I would like humbly to repeat myself, that Electric Guitar hit the spot, I could as well enter the concert, hear it once, and go out being satisfied :) it was i-n-c-r-e-d-i-b-l-e.

You can call this eating marketing **** or whatever :) but this is my way of showing respect to him. I owe him something big, probably like many of us here. Yet I have the whole discography at hand, and I can arrange me any tracklist I want in a few seconds. Let him play what he wants to play, go and enjoy.

Respect for supporting local unknown (blues) bands! :)

Peace!

Please do not use bad language like this even with the middle letters blanked out.
Kev.

[Tina3]

Hi Zgred,

yes these are truly mine illegal photos, illegally made by illegally smuggled camera unfortunately not much of them are worth showing, but here you go. Let's not report this to any authority

Funny Still great photos though

Oh my, it's nice to know your opinion on angels, but actually I was referring to the typo, "Angles" instead of "Angels

Thanks for pointing out my typo error
Tina

[Mr_Blues]

Well, that was ment to be positive thing, that they do enjoy themselves on stage, of course they have to enjoy of it, otherways there would not be any tour at all. And for sure, that was not any blame to mention their enjoying themselves, are you nuts? About plain talking, well there´s action in it as well, if the tour would have been a whole lot of different with the setlist I would have to think of the going to gig seriously and that would have to mean of going to whole another country to see a show, which I have done two times so far. So, do not talk about talking when you can go to show in your own country, if not in your own home town?

And what comes to same old setlist, I rather go see unknown local blues band with rarely the same setlist twice than see the show which has all the same songs during the whole tour. That is like getting milk from store and live performance should not be like that.

Hi Mr Blues.
I get your point. But our Chris is just like that... he decided to launch this tour the way it looks. The only voting you can do, is going to see him or not going. Having choice limited to this two options, I would rather swallow those bits of dislike for hearing almost the same stuff, and go see the Man.
You fired the gun, but you missed concerning the "own country/home town", you are mistaken my friend. It's true that Warsaw is my home town, and going to see CR is not really an effort. Do not start blaming me for that, would you? I'm sorry for you being forced to make a long trip, just to spend 2 hours, and yet with Paul Casey warming you up If you consider it worthwhile or not, is up to you.
During previous tour, I was at Warsaw show of course, but also in Prague about month earlier, including logistic problems and spending the night at railway station. BUT. I don't give a **** if it was not in my country, and I would go to another country even knowing there would be 5x RtH played with same red lights
I would like humbly to repeat myself, that Electric Guitar hit the spot, I could as well enter the concert, hear it once, and go out being satisfied it was i-n-c-r-e-d-i-b-l-e.

You can call this eating marketing **** or whatever but this is my way of showing respect to him. I owe him something big, probably like many of us here. Yet I have the whole discography at hand, and I can arrange me any tracklist I want in a few seconds. Let him play what he wants to play, go and enjoy.

Respect for supporting local unknown (blues) bands!

Peace!

Please do not use bad language like this even with the middle letters blanked out.
Kev.

Now well, I would have to travel too long and spend night or two to be able to see the show and my choice is not to go. Takes too much time and euros for a one show which doesn´t satisfy me in its current form. But sure you do go if you want to, won´t be stopping you with gun in my hand or anything

Now local blues bands or band not so local but playing in the area, that´s a great thing Will have two gigs that I will see during the next month or so and those I can´t wait Other thing that you can do is to bring the bands to your hometown like I do every year, we have little blues festival which will have this summer bands from Russia, Denmark, Sweden and USA (and of course from Finland), that will be great And the festival is free of charge, so no entry tickets at all

[don corleone]

Chris Rea in the Black Forest

First (short) Netreview of the Concert at Rothaus (famous local Black Forest Beer)arena in Freiburg/Black Forest:

"The mood: even with track 13 of the 16's the day: Südbaden lives up to its reputation as a mood volcano credit. A woman in the third row jumps up and wag. After that there is no stopping it. Several dozen of the 2,000 audience it pulls from the chairs to the front to the stage. There they organize to end a stand-in and can not sell from those who wish to settle their expensive seats to the end and because of the obstructed view to complain.

Best public comment: "Status Quo?" They're too rocking to me "(concert-goers to discuss the program of the tent music festival 2010)"



http://www.badische-zeitung.de/wie-war- ... n-freiburg

My personals thoughts:

Chris Rea in Freiburg. Well obviously he is healthy again. On stage, he looked remarkably fit, motivated and played an excellent gig.
Musically, there was nothing to suspend. The light is very subtly and tastefully used, the background paintings, tasteful, stylish and very surprising. A concert in a soecial class.

Nevertheless, a few critical comments:

A part of the audience obviously came to die in the arena. OK, we are all getting older - but should I go, therefore, forced into a suit and tie or opera wardrobe? Do I have fallen in two hours and rigor mortis me completely still hold without having to move a millimeter in my chairs. Are they sleeping??? Is there anybody out there? ...under the age of 120? Obviously, a not too small, part of the Pensioners Boring old farts League wanted to see the old commercial Cuddle rockers Chartära. Well that these expectations have been thoroughly dissapointed.

The Rothaus Arena has a very good sound. Why are so brutally loud?
It is not cool not to communicate. More than one "... Focking Lights" and "Danke schön" would have been allowed.

Concert halls with chairs are really annoying and frustrating. To date the majority of rocking music by Chris Rea does not fit at all. But perhaps he only wanted to do the seemingly dead in the audience a favor.

The ticket price! Chris Rea, even now, some will scream, now commercially plays in the second division. That's hard, but true! 58 euros for a place in the last third of the hall is simply not justified. For 70 euros you can see Springsteen (3 hour concerts, changing setlists every gig) at the stadium and choose the place itself. I have tickets for the summer tour of U2. Price? 38 euros. And while seats in the front third.
.... Well he has succeeded in the Black Forest and it was great that it has not a majority of the audience kept their seats.

[blueskev]

The ticket price! Chris Rea, even now, some will scream, now commercially plays in the second division. That's hard, but true! 58 euros for a place in the last third of the hall is simply not justified. For 70 euros you can see Springsteen (3 hour concerts, changing setlists every gig) at the stadium and choose the place itself.

Hi Don,
That's an interesting comment, in the UK the concert prices are very reasonable compared with "first division" groups but I did think it was a bit more expensive this time. Who decides the ticket prices I wonder? Maybe the venue thought Chris would attract a smaller crowd so they charge more per ticket?
Regards,
Kev.

[Tina3]

Hi Everyone
My ticket cost €50 this time. If I remember correctly slightly more expensive than last time but still great value for what you get
Tina

[Mr_Blues]

The ticket price! Chris Rea, even now, some will scream, now commercially plays in the second division. That's hard, but true! 58 euros for a place in the last third of the hall is simply not justified.

If I recall right my ticket was around 40 € when I saw Chris back in 2008, gig was in Tallinn, Estonia.
That ticket was for standing place in front of the stage (thank God no seats front of the stage in that arena).
Ticket prices seems to rise, though I think it also depends on in which country the gig takes place.
Anyhow, 18 € rise seems rather high, think how much that makes in percents....

And what comes to Springsteen, well this man will bring you satisfaction to each euro and even more, no matter how high the price is. He has really great work ethics when it´s about live shows, he doesn´t settle for 1½ - 2 hour and all obvious setlists, for sure you got that right

[don corleone]

Hi Everyone
My ticket cost €50 this time. If I remember correctly slightly more expensive than last time but still great value for what you get
Tina

Sorry, I can't degree. That sounds like that you say that if the Ticket costs 300 Euro!

Anyway, I can not exactly say what I really like this keeps the concert as breathtakingl, brilliant or designated. It was good, OK, but it was lacking halt a few percent, something, not accurately determined, was missing in the end. Maybe have seen too many concerts in the last few years? Was it the missing element of surprise? An artist with no potent new material will get problems in today's musical world . If I watch, for Example, to Carlos Santana ago then it always blow me away in any case. Live it's ithe pure power. Al Di Meola! No show, but communication with the audience. Chris Rea, in my opinion, is not necessarily in a position to make as little persuasion with regard to self-promotion. The story of a fan elsewhere in the forum speaks for itself (The one with the Drawing)

[Tina3]

Hi Don

Sorry, I can't degree. That sounds like that you say that if the Ticket costs 300 Euro!

I hope I have understood your post correctly but if I have misunderstood I ask for patience as I speak English and not another language (shame on me)
In honesty I couldn't afford to pay €300 a ticket to see Chris and thankfully it has never come to that.I always feel blessed that he comes to Ireland on every tour unlike some of us fans around here who have huge problems getting to see Chris sing live

Anyway, I can not exactly say what I really like this keeps the concert as breathtakingl, brilliant or designated. It was good, OK, but it was lacking halt a few percent, something, not accurately determined, was missing in the end. Maybe have seen too many concerts in the last few years? Was it the missing element of surprise?

I have yet to see Chris on this tour but I can accept that there is nothing new this time round so yes it could lack that certain something to make it outstanding as there is no new material to offer.This is one tour in a whole history of touring....some 30 years now.... so I think we can accept this for what it is....Chris singing his best known songs and that's it.I don't know why "Still So Far" has gone largely unnoticed but it is fairly new but so be it.

Chris Rea, in my opinion, is not necessarily in a position to make as little persuasion with regard to self-promotion.

Hopefully his new album due out later this year will do more to promote Chris as you are correct that Chris needs to keep his fans interested and promote himself like every other musician around.

The story of a fan elsewhere in the forum speaks for itself (The one with the Drawing)

Zeljko is this fan and he was treated very badly but how to sort this one out is difficult unless he want's to make an official complaint to Chris's management but if that was done it still would not make up for his disappointment assuming Chris's management followed up on his complaint
Tina