PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
On this tour Mr Big have opted not to have a support band, but this is only because they want to have longer to play themselves. In a time when most bands play for 90 minutes or less, Mr Big have a two and a half hour set lined up for fans – great news for the band’s fans.
The band take to the stage at 8.15pm in front of a large crowd although its noticeable that more people arrive over the next 45 minutes – presumably expecting the usual 9pm start time for a headline band, but with an 11pm curfew at the venue then that wouldnt give them long enough, hence the early start.
Huge cheers greet the band as they come on stage and kick off with some great rock music – “Daddy, brother, lover, little boy” being the first song. We get some unusual use of power tools during Alive and kicking – I’ve never seeon a cordless drill used by a guitarist or bassist before !
Paul Gilbert demostrates his guitar skills throughout the show, but particularly during his solo. Bass solo’s are generally the most boring thing you’ll ever experience at a concert, but somehow Billy Sheehan manages to make his solo enjoyable and keeps the crowds attention throughout his solo – an impressive feat and one which shows how talented he really is.
The band are clearly loving what they do – they can barely stop grinning, and as they blast out song after song, the fans are loving it too judging by the amount of people singing along to many of the songs as well as clapping and cheering between songs.
The surprise for most people is that “To be with you” is the first song of the encore – most bands would have used their biggest song to end the night, but with Mr Big there are still several songs still to come after their massive ballad which they play acoustically. After “To be with you” the pace rapidly increases with a serious rock track – “Colorado bulldog”. Then comes another classic song – but its not a Mr Big song – its the Deep Purple classic, “Smoke on the water”. The band end the night with an excellent rendition of The Who’s hit song “Baba O’Riley (known to millions of TV viewers as the theme music to CSI:NY).
As singer Eric Martin says during “Addicted to that rush” – “Mr Big are back”. They’re back, and happily they’re having too much fun to want to stop anytime soon.
Setlist:
Daddy, brother, lover, little boy
Alive and kicking
Green tinted sixties mind
Undertow
American Beauty
Take cover
Just take my heart
Once upon a time
A little too loose
Road to ruin
Temperamental
Paul Gilbert Guitar solo
Still aint enough for me
Price you gotta pay
Take a walk
Around the world
As far as I can see
Billy Sheehan bass solo
Addicted to that rush
Encore:
To be with you
Colorado bulldog
Smoke on the water
Baba O’Riley
