Setlist:
Hooked on Music / Life in London / Just Enough Money / The Pain / Elijah / Medley:
Makin' Magic - Rock 'n' Roll Susie - Gettin' Betta - I La La La Love You / Bass
Solo / Whipping Post / Snortin' Whiskey / Drum solo / Boom, Boom! Out Go the
Lights // Born Under A Bad Sign /// Crewe Blues
You know, it's like this: You don't see someone for twenty years and then they
come along twice in twelve months. Hey, that's rock and roll. And Rock and Roll
is what we got at Crewe's Limelight Club last Tuesday - big time. What's more,
anyone within a three-mile radius of the building probably heard it too. For
those of us inside the building it was loud, hot, packed and crackling with
anticipation and excitement.
The last time I saw PTB was at that fine Wolverhampton establishment, The Robin 2, last November. I had been surprised then, just how good and tight the band was. I personally rate both drummer Eric Frates and bass player Rick Navarro - they make a good sound, interact well with Pat and each other and generally give you maximum groove for your money.
On this tour though, they are either on big bonuses, or steroids. Not only do they play a full set with Pat; before that, they get the job of backing another guitar legend: Rick Derringer. After a very brief comfort break, Rick Navarro and Eric 'The Freight Train' Frates returned to the stage, this time to provide a rock solid rhythm section for the man from Toronto.
Travers is deceptive. When you first think about 'Pat Travers', you do not associate him with being loud and heavy - but in Crewe, this power trio was both. It came as somewhat of a surprise to me that they were better than last year at The Robin (I believe that this year's appearance at The Robin also eclipsed last years performance too.)
One of the big differences was the crowd.
Here's a question for you…
A Tuesday night crowd in Crewe is not widely known for being...
a) large
b) awake
c) present
d) receptive
e) forthcoming
The correct answer is all of them.
However, this crowd was awesome and is currently in first place for The God of Thunder's Crowd of the Year Award. As a regular at The Limelight, this was quite extraordinary, especially for a midweek slot, straight after a bank holiday. Looking around the crowd, it became obvious that PTB had some touring fans along too - you just can't buy those T-shirts locally - and I think that this did a lot to lift the atmosphere in the room.
By The Pain, Pat was dripping with sweat, but very talkative and in great form. The audience was well into the band and they reacted to it, giving everything that extra little bit of zing that makes a good show a great show. The last time I saw a crowd so into a band, it was my all-time favourite gig: Man at The Mean Fiddler in 1999.
I know PTB is always good, it was just that somehow this one felt just that little bit more special. As with the aforementioned Man gig, which had support from sometime Manband members, Alkatraz, on that occasion, Travers had an excellent opening act in Rick Derringer. Warming up a crowd is a difficult task, the majority of the audience doesn't want to see you, they want the headliner, but when it works, everyone benefits. This was such a night. Everything clicks and it just gets better and better as the night progresses.
After Elijah, a song about Travers' young son, we were treated to a medley of old songs, which turned up the heat another notch. Makin' Magic, Rock 'n' Roll Susie, Getting' Betta, then one of my own favourites, I La La La Love You, led into Rick's bass solo, which is quite impressive every time. Arguably the highest point of the night came next with an absolutely astonishingly good rendition of Whipping Post. I'm not kidding, this was so good, I actually forgot to take any photos during it, I was so engrossed.
Taking the set home, a rumbustious rendition of Snortin' Whiskey climaxed with a short and brutal drum solo, before we got into everyone's favourite, Boom, Boom! Out Go the Lights. Tonight the crowd needed very little encouragement to howl-along-a-Pat during the chorus. Much shouting, screaming and stomping resulted everyone coming back on stage for the encore, Born Under A Bad Sign, only this time the three-piece was a four piece, with Rick Derringer jamming along, looking as composed and relaxed as only a man who has found his faith, can possibly be.
After the show, I got Pat to sign my ticket stub, right next to Rick Derringer's moniker. A perfect end to a fantastic night of loud, screaming, guitar music, from two of the best in the business. Now tell me that ain't rock 'n' roll!
A review by…
Mark L. Potts
The God of Thunder
Saturday, 11 May 2002
