Moscow 22 March 2005

[tullmaniac]

First of all, I had no hope for this concert. After lousy concerts in 2003, after weak albums, after never-ending best-of tours for the last ten years, I was walking to the concert hall just because I made a stone promise to myself a long time ago – it they will ever visit us, I will watch them from the first row (I'm not counting 2003 due to some good reasons).

I've never thought how great being wrong could be!

They started at full cylinders with FOR A THOUSAND MOTHERS. I've bought a ticket wishing to see Martin well. Ha! Martin stood the whole concert near his amp, while Ian ran all over the stage with the firework in his arse and played right in front of me from time to time... Man, seeing him gave me chills! His tricks, jumps, rolling eyes... He could be a high-class mime!

Continuing the up-tempo mode, the band started NOTHING IS EASY. Martin gave us a cool solo and Ian gave us a puzzle of words. Great and funny!

In the middle of BEGGAR'S FARM the flute amp went crazy, so Ian should have left the stage, leaving us with Andy and Martin covering the boss with an unexpected improvisation. Excellent work, boys!

Next came EUROLOGY – as far as Rupi's Dance is a blue-print of Secret Language
Of Birds, this piece is a blue-print of Boris Dancing. But it was played well and Ian stood right in front of me... When he gave me an autograph in 2003, he was tired deadly with a "hell with all ya" on his face... Now it was a different time and different Ian – a Gameln flautist led us all whenever he wanted us to lead...

WITH YOU THERE TO HELP ME brought nothing new. Great song, great playing. Should we ask for me? Alas, Ian's age takes it's toll – he couldn't make a long flute solo at the end

The first great surprise of the evening came with UP TO ME. Listening recent boots, I continued to ask myself again and again – the band had a huge amount of songs, so why did the chew just a few standards over and over the years? Thank you, XML lads, for forcing Ian to revive the Aqualung stuff at least... and there are many more albums left

IN THE GRIP OF STRONGER STUFF... oh here we come again, you stubborn old man! Like a fighting bulldog you will play any good song until I'll start to hate it (like it came with Hunt By Numbers... not the worst piece of Dot Com, after three years of listening on every bloody bootleg it became my curse and forced me to hate all cats all over the world and yours especially, Ian!) Don't get me wrong, folks, it was played nicely, but aren't any other songs on Divinities?

WEATHERCOCK – every listening of Heavy Horses finished with thrills. New Christmas version has a sweet instrumentation, but no thrills now. But when Martin took his mandolin, he was just like a granddad playing some pretty Scottish lullaby to his little grandson... Awesome!

Cue sheet from Vilnius said “Bouree or Pavane”. While Vilnius and Kiev got Bouree, we got a PAVANE. Martin played electric... not a good move IMHO... the song became less gentle...

But then MOTHER GOOSE highlighted the show! Ian and friends made a great performance – Martin and Andy played recorders (Andy did it with his own nose!), Jon and Doane made their own spots, and Master was around, joking, running from kids and kissing beauties...

Someone at DP.RU forum said that knowing of a set-list kills the excitement. I disagree here. Not knowing of a set-list, but knowing of an arrangements... like it killed all good things at 2003 shows... now I had an experience and wisely didn’t trade any boots from 2004 tours

But knowing that Martin solo spot would be MORRIS MINUS, I didn’t recognize it in the first place. Martin rocks!

Surprises weren’t over! God made a look at our side, so Ian removed all taped tricks from SONGS FROM THE WOOD / TOO OLD TO ROCK'N'ROLL, TOO YOUNG TO DIE / SMOKE ON THE WATER... sorry, HEAVY HORSES medley... now backing vocal supports by Doane Perry! All false pretension is gone, so when Ian played a flute a chorus line from HEAVY HORSES, I’ve almost burst with tears

Next was FARM ON THE FREEWAY (I prefer Jump Start, so make a mental note for a future, Ian, OK?). Another stomping-ground piece (Doane’s drums shook like Pompeii under the Vesuvius)... are you still guessing why critics gave Tull a Metal Grammy? They were at their 1987 shows!

WE FIVE KINGS was the low-point this evening (hey, Ian, where is Greensleeves? Or at least God Rest You Merry Gentlemen?) But any new and rare stuff is a fresh breath now.

Before HYMN 43 Andy made a mistake and played opening note for BUDAPEST... thanks for correcting him, Ian! Another rare piece and another revelation... (I’m bowing again for Russian postal service for crushing a copy of XML recording!) Celtic version! Wow!

And BUDAPEST itself then – I have nothing against Ian’s favourite... just play it longer... like in 1995!

Finished BUDAPEST, Martin drove at full speed to AQUALUNG. A masterpiece of masterpieces... no more, no less! And when Ian started to make pirouettes with his hands at the coda – I really believed that he could jump like a young man!

I wasn’t the only one who lost his voice and beaten his hands to pain inviting the band to encore...

Short version of WIND UP flowed into LOCOMOTIVE BREATH / PROTECT AND SURVIVE
/ CHEERIO and guess what? I’ve touched a balloon! Still guessing why I kept my sanity

So, Mr. Ian Anderson, thank you for a wonderful concert. I’m sorry for doubting your abilities and I’m humbly asking you to take your place among best rock performers of all times. You’re a bloody genius.

THIS IS AN ABRIGED VERSION OF MY REVIEW. FULL VERSION CAN BE FOUND AT http://www.j-tull.com.ru/forum/index.ph ... 139cd469e3
BUT YOU HAVE TO LEARN RUSSIAN FIRST

[Whistling Catfish]

Thanks a lot for this enthusiatic review.

Reading this felt like caress for my tortured soul - as one of the
very few JT 2005 enthusiasts left on this board!

Best wishes,
J.

[tullmaniac]

Now with the less adrenaline, some thoughts of the band and its future.

The superb concert showcased all best sides of Tull. Ian was in great form... well, his voice isn’t ideal, but who cares? Ian and Martin aren’t young anymore, from time to time I felt how hard they worked... and they worked out for 101 percent. 2003 shows were a kind of warm up for European tour. This time guys played with real fire!

Funny enough, but now I know why there is no chance for Martin to get into any kind of Guitar Heroes Top. His technique is brilliant, but he has no charismatic power. He'll never make the whole crowd to stop breathing with a wink of an eye like Ritchie Blackmore does. And he has no desire for it. He doesn't want to be a star in any kind of way. He stood the whole concert hugging his guitar like a mother holding her baby. Ian could jump, swirl and twist all over the stage any way he liked – and Martin wanted just to stand aside and play some fine music, that's all.

Andy G is the best key-man since John Evan's days. The only thing he missed – some emotional power like guys from 70's had. Everyone from the glory days was a persona onstage – Jon Noyce (tough player indeed!) looks like a mannequin against John G or Peggy. Send him to acting school, Ian!

In 2003 Doane astonished me when I saw him walking around the fans (no one ever mentioned him!), now he struck me with his singing abilities I had no idea, is he good singer, or bad, but the move is damn right – to hell any kind of taped voices from Tull concert!

So the band kicked ass well, some problem didn't spoil the mood, the set-list was fresh enough... so what's next? I still have hope for Tull... have you, Ian?

Where the hell is new album? Postponed due to heavy over-touring! For Christ sake, Ian! You're going to play in more and more exotic places... how many more times? Another ten years of concerts in Australia and South America? Another "Ian and some band" tour? Another boring Rubbing Elbows show? And after all that - another lifeless solo piece like Rupi?

C'mon man, if you don't wanna to turn Tull to a rock pension band, stop the damn engine, make a good long breath and write another Roots To Branches (or another Rock Island, Minstrel, whatever!). Make it good, make it alive and play it all over the world. Ten long years passed since you've done it for the last time. Now it's time to celebrate the jubilee!

PS. And the last word, Ian. There are few little tunes I'd like to hear during Tull's next world tour - To Cry You A Song, A Passion Play's The Foot Of Our Stairs / Overseer Overture, The Third Hurrah, Minstrel In The Gallery, Black Satin Dancer, Baker Street Muse, Orion, King Henry's Madrigal, Jack Frost And The Hooded Crow, Broadsword, Seal Driver, Part Of The Machine, The Whaler's Dues, Strange Avenues, Rosa On The Factory Floor, Rocks On The Road, Valley, Another Harry's Bar, Wicked Windows, Bends Like A Willow, A Gift Of Roses, Little Flower Girl, A Raft Of Peguins, The Last Man At The Party... you make a promise to play 'em all and I make a promise to buy a ticket for your concert

ONCE AGAIN THIS IS AN ABRIGED VERSION OF MY REVIEW. FULL VERSION IS AT http://www.j-tull.com.ru/forum/index.ph ... 139cd469e3
DON'T FORGET YOUR RUSSIAN LANGUAGE BOOK!