edcult
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Excellent Pro-Ian article.....
Astbury channels Lizard King's spirit in Doors revival show
By Hector Saldana
San Antonio Express-News
Web Posted : 03/31/2003 6:21 PM
The Cult's Ian Astbury was born to play Jim Morrison.
There have been other pretenders to the throne. The late Michael Hutchence of INXS and Creed's Scott Stapp come to mind.
But only Astbury, who always came across onstage and in interviews as a reincarnated, hard rock version of the Lizard King, could have pulled off
Sunday's gig at the Freeman Coliseum fronting the reformed Doors with keyboardist Ray Manzarek and guitarist Robby Krieger.
More than 30 years after Morrison died of a heart attack in Paris, this is as close as anyone will ever get to the mystical rock band that was (long
before Aerosmith took the title) the American Rolling Stones.
There is an element of nostalgia that certainly attracted some 1,200 fans here, nothing much different from catching Robert Plant and Jimmy Page or
the Rolling Stones or the Who or any other time ravaged legend missing an original member or two.
But equally important — and let's get this cleared up without any revisionism — The Doors: 21st Century absolutely rocked.
Forget the tripe about the Doors penchant for cheap poetry, waltz time lounge music and shaman swagger. The music was principally based on a hypnotic
derivative of the electric blues. The other stuff was the icing.
Witness the sheer lascivious power of "Back Door Man," driven by Krieger's nasty guitar slurs, which can still send electrified chills, or the
rollicking "L.A. Woman," which incited a joyous, quasi mosh pit of pogo dancers as Krieger and Manzarek exchanged riffs.
The Doors: 21st Century are not quaint.
Admittedly, it's not easy to pinpoint exactly what the fascination is. The audience included a large contingent of young people who couldn't have
known the original '60s group.
"I like the sound, the organ and the keys, the way that Manzarek and Krieger play together," said 33-year-old David Sims of Houston.
When pressed for further explanation for coming to such a show, Sims added, "What does a door do? It opens and closes, just like life does."
Didn't see that one coming.
For teenage sisters Jenni and Jessica Covell, with parents sitting in tow, it was simply that the Doors bridge a musical generation gap.
"This is the only music we agree on," said Jenni Covell. "You're never too young to know the Doors." Both girls, fans of electronica, techno and
Radiohead, further expressed a love of the Doors mysticism and Morrison's sexiness.
Their father, Patrick Covell, claimed he wasn't there for nostalgia.
"I'm anxious to see them live. It's not exactly everybody, but it's half of them," he said. Actually, Astbury, Manzarek and Krieger were supported by
excellent musicians, drummer Ty Dennis and bassist Angelo Barbera, who likely generated a better sound onstage than the original lineup.
Astbury danced lightly on Morrison's grave, careful not to cross into parody. But the bellowing ex-frontman of the Cult can't help that he eerily
invokes the young Morrison with his leather jacket strut, wrap-around shades and shoulder-length hair.
The opening song "Roadhouse Blues" set the tone that this was a rock show. Krieger, who looks these days like a Depression-era farmer with an electric
guitar, plowed the blues with authority on his Gibson SG.
It was odd to see a close-cropped Manzarek stage left behind a skimpy, modern Alesis keyboard instead of the Vox Continental organ of yesteryear. But
he still loses himself in the music.
Glassy slide guitar, hypnotic tom-tom and reedy raga organ fills fueled the brilliant "When the Music's Over," a haunted lounge dirge that still
managed to enthrall.
"We want the world and we want it now," Astbury screamed. This was, after all, the original rage against the machine.
In the dark and on its feet, the excited audience undulated like the Woodstock generation. Manzarek was appreciative and cleverly made reference to an
old Doors track.
"It's good to be with 'Texas Radio' people," Manzarek said. "You know what 'the Big Beat' is all about."
Krieger rewarded the fans with hammered trills on "Love Me Two Times" before taking off on a jazzy progression up the guitar neck.
A stinging "Moonlight Drive" offered little relief to the senses at a concert that featured psychedelic video montages behind the band.
Manzarek and Krieger played for the first time anywhere a new Doors song called "Cops Talk (What Do They Say)" arranged in the band's old style. A
future album is promised, a prospect as scary as a Morrison autopsy.
Later, "Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar)," a psychopathic waltz about whisky bars and little girls, and the staggering anti-war statement "Five to One"
re-created the tongue-in-cheek drama that made the band famous and unique.
Perhaps best left buried was "Ghost Song" off the posthumous "American Prayer." Awash in mescaline and alcohol platitudes, the poem did provide a
visual delight as two Pueblo Indians from New Mexico danced ritualistically around Astbury. It was an Oliver Stone moment.
If the obscure "Maggie M'Gill" induced euphoria, then the buildup to the set closer "Light My Fire" was off the charts. And judging from the smell of
things in the old arena, a good part of this audience was "stoned immaculate."
"Light My Fire" offered a perfect snapshot of Morrison-style power, as Astbury vocally doubled (an F-word chant too rude to print) Krieger's signature
guitar riffs back to the refrain.
Called back to the stage twice for long encores that included the songs "Riders on the Storm" and "Soul Kitchen," the band's ancient music conjured
ominous danger and euphoric freedom.
And unlike at most oldies shows (and many new ones), The Doors: 21st Century had the audience on its feet all night, which is testament enough that
they can still break on through to the other side — or is it that people are strange?
woke up this morning, my head felt like a warzone cause I drank a river last nite on route #66 to Zap City..................
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moya
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Registered: 10-4-2002
Location: lisbon-portugal
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Mood: moody as always
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 i want.... i need.....
*** All the suffering in the world arises out of wanting happiness for self. All happiness in the world arises out of wanting happiness for others
***
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edcult
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And another one from a self-proclaimed Ian convert!!!!! :
OK folks, here goes:
The Doors played at a new venue called "Nextstage" in Grand Prairie,
Texas (a suburb of Dallas) last night. I met Ida before the show and
had some wonderful conversation. If you're wondering, Ida is as sweet
in person as she is here in this forum; nice, personable, and very
vibrant.
I will say that I was a huge skeptic of Ian Astbury's. I saw the Cult
perform 10 years ago and he cheated severely on the vocals and
sounded terrible. But this night changed everything. The Doors took
the stage sometime after 8:00 (designated start time), probably 8:30
to 8:40. Like the other shows the Doors have done, there was not an
opening act, which was fine by me. I sat pretty close, about 7 rows
back and a little to stage left. Excellent seats. A projected image
of the Joel Brodsky "young lion" Jim was seen on the backdrop of the
stage before the show started.
Ida will probably post the setlist, but they started with RH Blues
and then went into B. on Through. After that I don't remember the
order. They played:
RH Blues
B. on Through
5 to 1
Back Door Man
Wild Child
Ghost Song
Texas Radio and the Big Beat (spoken by Ray over his accompaniment)
The Hill Dwellers (maybe A Little Game before this?)
Flamenco guitar intro
Spanish Caravan
When the M. Over
Riders On the Storm
Cops Talk (new song)
Alabama Song
LMF
LA Woman
Soul Kitchen
*remember that this was not the order except for the first two. I may
have left out a song or two.
Ray Robbie, Angelo and Ty all played great! They were tighter than
Dick's hatband! Ian's vocals were perfect. I am truly amazed that he
did what he did. He looked to be a combination of himself and Jim.
About 50/50. He had the grunts, the "shut the fuck up" yell during a
quiet passage, the shamanistic dancing, some posing, all down pretty
good. He also seem to bring a little of his own personality. I think
Ian is naturally like Jim in a lot of ways. I was knocked out.
The video graphics projected against the back of the stage were
highly appropriate. Psychedelic oils/lighting, cogent images for the
music. During LA Woman and Wild Child, you saw the same material that
is in the home video versions of those songs. Overall, the graphics
were great and helped to set the mood and add a different visual
element.
Two Native Americans from the Lakota tribe in New Mexico came
onstage, dressed in their native garb, danced to an extended version
of the Ghost Song. Very well done, very spiritual, and visually
hypnotical.
The last encore (of 2 encores, can't remember the first encore song)
was Soul Kitchen. The house lights had came up and everyone was
filing out when all of a sudden they came back onstage and started
again. Lots of people jumping up onstage for this, even a naked girl
dancing to boot! I jumped onstage as well. People all over Ian, Marco
was protecting Robbie, and I couldn't see Ray at all. Pure Dionysian
frenzy.
In summation, if you don't go see this show, you are missing the
opportunity of a lifetime. I will say that of all the concerts I've
ever been to, this was the best ever! My expectations were kinda low,
really because of Ian. But lemme tell ya, The Doors took me on a
journey the whole night, leaving me spellbound and wanting more. The
magic is there people. As Jim said "People get ready, there's a train
a comin', don't need no ticket, your just climb onboard". I can't say
enough about the band and Ian. I am truly a convert. My cousin who
went with me, who's not the biggest Doors fan, was raving over and
over about what the music had done to him. He said he was enjoying
the music and all of sudden it just overwhelmed/overtook him. I will
say that I had the same spiritual experience, the music took
posession of me. I was entranced.
I talked to Ida after the show and I told here about how fabulous I
thought it was. We parted and say good bye and I went home knowing
that I may never experience something like that again. Moreover, I
thought that that must've been what it was like for Ida and thousands
of others who saw the Doors with Jim, something that leaves a lasting
impression on you and you can never get enough of.
woke up this morning, my head felt like a warzone cause I drank a river last nite on route #66 to Zap City..................
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moya
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Location: lisbon-portugal
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i posted a link for her review on the other side....
*** All the suffering in the world arises out of wanting happiness for self. All happiness in the world arises out of wanting happiness for others
***
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moya
Member
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Registered: 10-4-2002
Location: lisbon-portugal
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Mood: moody as always
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what about photos?? i NEED photos!!!!!
*** All the suffering in the world arises out of wanting happiness for self. All happiness in the world arises out of wanting happiness for others
***
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romi
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| Quote: | Originally posted by moya
what about photos?? i NEED photos!!!!! |
All we need is our photos taken by our cameras in the portuguese Doors concert. Oh, Moya.... we need to see them.... snif...snif....
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