Journey/Styx/Foreigner, Newcastle Metro Arena, 7th June 2011

Styx Setlist :

The Grand Illusion | Too Much Time On My Hands | Lady | Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man) | Blue Collar Man | Miss America | Come Sail Away | Renegade

 

Foreigner Setlist :

Double Vision | Head Games | Cold as Ice | Waiting For A Girl Like You | Feels Like the First Time

Urgent | I Want to Know What Love Is | Hot Blooded | Juke Box Hero

 

Journey Setlist:

Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) | Only the Young | Edge of the Moment | Ask the Lonely | Send Her My Love | Resonate | Stone in Love | City of Hope | Lights | Open Arms | Mother Father |Chain of Love | Wheel in the Sky | Be Good to Yourself | Faithfully | Don’t Stop Believin’ | Any Way You Want It

Encore:

Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’

 

Rock fans are undoubtedly the most loyal music fans of any that are around. They seem to latch on to a band or artist and stick with them through thick or thin. Being so loyal though often means they don’t take to change so readily. You will always get the ‘original line-up is the only line-up’ factions and they come up against ‘ as long as the band is still out there I don’t care about the line-up’ factions. Prime examples are Lynyrd Skynyrd aren’t Skynyrd without Ronnie Van Zant, or there can’t be an AC/DC without Bon Scott.

However, changes are inevitable, given the longevity of those still touring. So to have 3 bands on the same bill who have ridden this line-up controversy probably isn’t unique. What is similar about the 3 is that it’s the lead singer slot in each that has caused the great debates.

First Journey, who’s initial success came with Steve Perry on lead vocals. Perry left the band in 1998, to be replaced by initially Steve Augeri, then Jeff Scott Soto and more recently Arnel Pineda. Diehard fans though still hang on grimly to the Perry era, and can’t see past this (I personally like Augeri as well).

Next we have Styx. Formed by the Panozzo brothers and Denis De Young in their teen years had major successes in the 70s and 80s with De Young on keyboards and lead vocals. However, an acrimonious breakup in 1999 saw De Young replaced on keyboards and vocals by Canadian Lawrence Gowan, much to the chagrin of loyal Styx fans.

Finally, the third of the trio is Foreigner. Formed in 1976 by veteran English musicians Mick Jones and ex-King Crimson member Ian McDonald they had American vocalist Lou Gramm as their front man. Once again though this wasn’t to last with Gramm leaving the band in 2003, and Jones stating that he and Gramm split because they weren’t communicating. Gramm was replaced by current vocalist Kelly Hanson in 2005.

What is also common to all three is that in replacing the originals, the bands haven’t gone for a ‘new sound’ as such. Each replacement certainly having a similar vocal sound to those that have gone before.

Styx surprised everyone by being first in the line-up, and hitting the stage 10 minutes early. As usual they put in an immaculate performance. Opening with Grand Illusion it was a nice mix of ballads and upbeat hits. As has become the norm, we had an appearance from founder member Chuck Panazzo on bass during ‘Fooling Yourself’, and despite his illness looked great. The 45 minute set concluded with ‘Come Sail Away’ and my personal favourite ‘Renegade’. My only gripe was the shortness of the set. Styx have toured Europe doing festivals or as support for other bands a couple of times in the last few years. All I would say is guys, there are a lot of Styx fans out there who would love for you to do a big European tour, where hopefully we could get a full Styx set. C’mon, you know you want to!!!!

Being second on the bill, Foreigner were allowed an extra 15 minutes. Starting with late 70’s hits ‘Double Vision’ and ‘Head Games’, after which Mick Jones told the audience it was only a short set, so you’ll be getting all the hits. And as good as his word next up was ‘Cold as Ice’, which hit #6 in the Billboard charts back in 1977. Halfway through the song, vocalist Kelly Hanson seemed to decide he wanted a wander!! He leapt from the stage, joined the audience, and then proceeded to walk along the back of a row of seats just behind where we were seated. While he was doing this I glanced at the stage, and Mick Jones had this perturbed look on his face, although I’m sure he had seen this all before. Following this excursion, we got the crowd pleasers ‘Waiting For A Girl Like You’, ‘Feels Like the First Time’ and ‘ ‘I Want to Know What Love Is’, before the hour set finished with ‘Hot Blooded’ and  ‘Juke Box Hero’.

And so to headliners Journey. Promoting their new album ‘Eclipse’ they hit the stage running with the 1982 hit ‘Separate Ways’. The set was a nice mix of the old and new. Songs from the new album ‘Edge of the Moment’, ‘Resonate’, ‘City of Hope’ and ‘Chain of Love’  fitted in nicely with the more recognisable hits of yester year. Another nice inclusion in the set was ‘Mother Father’ from the 1981 album ‘Escape’. The song allows drummer Deen Castronovo to showcase his vocal talents, normally just heard doing backing vocals. It was noticeable that there were younger females in the audience than is the norm for an AOR gig. This of course is down to the popularity of the Journey songs used in the US hit show Glee. This was evident when the 3 songs used by the show ‘Be Good to Yourself’, ‘Faithfully’ and ‘Don’t Stop Believin’ ended the set to rapturous female audience participation!! The encore of ‘Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’ isn’t a favourite of mine, and I would have liked the set to finish with something different. After a great set, I wouldn’t normally end with a complaint. However, I have to ask the question ‘How many similar guitar riffs can Neal Schon fit in to a set?’ Schon is a great guitarist, but I personally feel that he does go too far with the guitar solos.

All in all an excellent night of AOR, and I can’t wait until I get the chance to see all three of these bands again.