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So, as if
I was going to miss this? Mr Big are back in the UK after, frankly, too long.
It’s been 3 years which isn’t actually that long, but I have been hungry for
more.
As it
turns out, they have had a lot of things happening. Eric has been touring
extensively and Paul too, with their solo projects. Billy has been busy with
Winery Dogs and there is of course, the sad news that Pat now has Parkinsons’
disease.
Mr Big
are still Mr Big. That means they blow your fuckin’ head off, and that they did.
I’ll
admit it took a little while to warm up, Eric for the first couple of songs
seemed to really need the back up of the other band members on vocals, but wind
forward to Alive and Kickin' and everything just kept getting better. It started
with Paul and Billy playing having one of their famous duels before Paul
finished it with the signature intro to Alive n Kickin to which Billy shouted
“….and speaking of Alive and Kicking, here’s Pat Torpey” to which the crowd
roared. Pat came on to assist with percussion and at the end of the song
everyone was shouting out his name to which he was visibly emotionally touched.
Due to
the curfew, Mr Big decided to keep the solo parts of each member to a minimum
and just keep playing and they got through over 20 songs.
Before I
go on, I must give deserved credit to Matt Starr for taking on the main drum
duties. He has big shoes to fill and it must be strange to be in a band for the
kind of reason he is. His presence is well received.
The set
is mainly a blend of the last two albums and Lean Into It, with some tracks from
their earlier material. Thing is, a Mr Big record really is timeless.
The
highlights of the show for me and many others were when Pat actually got behind
the drumkit for a couple of ballads, the first being the much loved classic from
Lean Into It ‘Just take my heart’, followed by this years ‘Fragile’.
Those of
you that have seen Mr Big in recent years will know that it is customary at the
end of the gig for them to swap instruments and cover a well known classic rock
track. This year they chose Judas Priests’ ‘living after midnight’. Pat singing,
Eric on Bass, Paul on drums (if you didn’t know, you’d think that was his
instrument) and Billy shredding on Paul's Ibanez ‘Iceman’.
Unfortunately this was the only UK show but it was great to see that they are
still going strong and even better is that Pat is with them. If you haven’t seen
Mr Big, you suck at being a rock fan. Get to it!
Set
List:
Gotta Love the Ride
Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy (The Electric Drill Song)
American Beauty
Undertow
Guitar/Bass Duel
Alive and Kickin'
I Forget to Breathe
Take Cover
Green-Tinted Sixties Mind
Out of the Underground
Guitar Solo
The Monster in Me
Rock & Roll Over
As Far as I Can See
Wild World (Cat Stevens cover)
East/West
Just Take My Heart
Fragile
Around the World
Bass Solo
Addicted to That Rush
Encore:
To Be With You
The Stories We Could Tell
Colorado Bulldog
Living After Midnight (Judas Priest cover)
Mr. Big (Free cover)
Attending:
Matt Fabi |
