WE GOT TO CAMBRIDGE earlier than expected so decided to see if Pan Ram had improved as the tour had been going on. I think they have (rash statement ;-)). The sound was much, much better than at Reading and they seemed a little more confident with their material. The audience gave a fair reaction to them and seemed (in part) to enjoy them (I'm definitely getting older!).
At 8:50pm, house lights down, crowd explodes and suddenly the air conditioning unit is switched on again ;-)
Fireball: This is a great opening song. The sound is very well balanced and crystal clear (well it was standing where I was - just to the right of the sound desk). IG singing sounds better than it did at Reading so the touring doesn't seem to be taking a toll :-)
Maybe I'm A Leo: I like it but maybe we should have something else popped in here just for a change?
Vavoom - Ted the Mechanic: There was a good crowd reaction to the announcement of the first new song of the evening - so perhaps the album is selling well? Does anyone know the UK chart position for _|_? This is a good live song.
Pictures of Home: Storming version of this great song. It has really taken on a "classic" status on stage! Ian Paice has already impressed me. His power and stamina are amazing!
Black Night: Nice long duelling section (seems longer than Reading) between Steve and Jon. There are 5 broad grins on stage and they are loving every minute of it.
Cascades - I'm not your Lover: Still not one of my faves from the new album but it does lead very nicely into Steve's solo. I like the harmonics that he builds on and the "Brian May" style echoes.
Sometimes I feel Like Screaming: Nice duel acoustic opening from Steve and Rog and a very good version of this song. This an essential live track!
Woman From Tokyo: Another highlight and a major crowd-pleaser. The middle section is again, done very well. IG's singing is right on the button.
Mary Long: This is much more solid than the Reading version.
Purpendicular Waltz: This one seems to be getting better. The delivery is more confident and the power behind it is beginning to show (IMO).
No One Came: Still the highlight of the night for me. This song was made for live performance. Great stuff!
Rosa's Cantina: This song definitely gets people moving around. A great "shuffle" to it and seems to go down very well.
Smoke on the Water: A little bit of a guitar twiddle and then..... that famous riff. Crowd sings along but once again the song is kept tight and close to the original. Although it has been played for years and years it still sounds good, especially in this form.
Jon's solo section: A nice mixture of Organ and piano work. Couldn't pick out anything particular to Cambridge ;-) Also couldn't understand what some audience members were shouting - it seemed good humoured enough though!
When a Blind Man Cries: still the second highlight for me! The synth/guitar intro is wonderful and IG just gives the right emotion to the song. Wonderful stuff!
Somebody Stole My Guitar: One of those tunes that gets stuck in your head ;-)
Speed King: Nice soloing/duelling and gives the chance for a little bit of extended jamming ;-) This is an excellent way to finish the main set - Loud and raucous.
End of main set.
The band appear a lot more confident with the material and are obviously really enjoying themselves (What had you taken before the show Rog? ;-))
Perfect Strangers: Once again, we get a very strong performance of this song. Superb!
Hey Cisco!: Another of my faves off the new album and another tune that gets stuck in your head.
Highway Star: Good choice to end the show.
Overall around 128 mins (again from recorded source ;-)).
This gig was sold out and it certainly felt that way (a very tight squeeze). There were a few requests for "Space Trucking" but other than that most seemed very happy. No "Rat Bat Blue" (which was a shame) and "Woman From Tokyo" has been moved down the running order (compared to Reading)
Next stop is Brixton in March ;-)
Howard Surridge
PS I would like to throw in a " I Thaaaaaannnnnk Youuu!" to the sound and light guys on this tour because they are doing a great job. Well done guys!
Newsgroups: alt.music.deep-purple Subject: Cambridge, UK 24/2/96 - Review From: Howard.Surridge@brunel.ac.uk (Howard Surridge)
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