Mini Nashville Show Review

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cooperrocks
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Mini Nashville Show Review

Post by cooperrocks » Tue May 03, 2016 6:35 am

Went to the Nashville show since I already had tickets and bought them when I thought this was going to be a new show, but wanted to give my opinion.

The crowd was decent, though lots of empty seats in the middle and top sections. That is a nice theatre, my first time there. It was fun before the show talking to some other great fans talking about the shows we have previously been too. My memory failed me a couple of times on which city I had seen certain shows at, but I had a blast.

Alice looked great and his voice was strong. The band sounded really good as well and Nita Strauss can flat out play. She got the strongest reaction by far of anyone outside of Alice.

The show started about 15 or 20 minutes late but was still over just before 10. It might just be my imagination but the show seemed a little short this year but that might just be me.

I thought "Long Way To Go" came across really well but Public Animal #9 didn't get a major reaction like I expected. I actually thought despite having less theatrics than some tours, the ones used worked fine except the toy box seemed kind of pointless. It didn't really add to anything.


I give the band five stars on how they sounded.

Now to the constructive criticism. The show lacked a good flow in my opinion. There was no real buildup to the execution other than a few songs though Sheryl Cooper is a great performer in her own right and still can flat out dance.

The lack of a modern song didn't help things either.

Now on to the covers sections. It didn't work especially the first two songs. The crowd only politely clapped for the most part and I saw a lot of arms folded. The last two, Fire and Suffragette City got better reaction especially Suffragette City. It was blatantly obvious four was too much but keeping Fire and Suffragette City might be okay. Then after four covers, you only got a few more songs with Elected being the lone encore. It really felt like with the covers there was no second half of the show. This one came across as the show was rushed and lacked ebb and flow. I would give it three stars out of five.

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Re: Mini Nashville Show Review

Post by Si » Tue May 03, 2016 9:07 am

So was it exactly the same setlist? just need confirmation.

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Re: Mini Nashville Show Review

Post by cooperrocks » Tue May 03, 2016 11:32 am

Yes, it was the exact same setlist.

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Re: Mini Nashville Show Review

Post by wind_up_toy » Tue May 03, 2016 11:37 am

cooperrocks wrote: The crowd was decent, though lots of empty seats in the middle and top sections.

Public Animal #9 didn't get a major reaction like I expected.

Now on to the covers sections. The crowd only politely clapped for the most part and I saw a lot of arms folded
So the rare songs aren't really well received and the covers definitely aren't?

I guess there lies the impossible challenge! Does Alice have enough in 2016 to keep and maintain healthy audiences at his concerts? Or is teaming up with another big band, and playing shorter hit-filled sets, the best way to go in future?
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Re: Mini Nashville Show Review

Post by cooperrocks » Tue May 03, 2016 1:12 pm

It is hard to say on the rare songs because the crowd reacted to Long Way To Go very well. Part of the problem with Public Animal, it appeared to me was because the crowd was going nuts when Alice came out and started with a minute of Black Widow and then it switched over to Public Animal. I would have separated the two and let the crowd take it in. I heard a few people talk about how they didn't consider any of the 70's stuff from the 70's rare, whether you agree with that or not. I honestly think something like Freedom or Love's a Loaded Gun would get a stronger reaction. As far as the covers go, the first two got little reaction and the covers drained the end of the show as there wasn't the same energy after the covers were over. Surprisingly Eighteen, School's Out and Elected while getting a better response than the covers had a more subdued response than the first two-thirds of the show.

My opinion is the band is great but the setlist needs some reworking. The band is great and Alice sounded good. I think part of the problem is, and you can only tour where promoters book you, but the show is too predictable to play the same cities every year. This was pretty much the same show from four years ago. As far as doing tours with Motley, etc. I think financially it makes plenty of sense and most reviews will tell you Alice continues to blow the other band off stage but that is where the casual fan is usually at, so a greatest hits show there is fine. But despite the exposure to a larger audience, if isn't translating in terms of getting better crowds at solo shows or many album sales (not that people buy albums much anymore). I also think there is a section of the crowd who wants to hear the heavier Brutal Planet stuff and I will tell you there is a bigger demand for the early 80's stuff than Alice and management realize.

I think the time has come for Alice to go crazy with the setlist and do a 50-50 split of hits and rare songs. I think it would bring in people who haven't seen Alice in years. One final thought, though the Frankenalice prop is very cool, Feed My Frankenstein felt weird with this setlist. Outside of Poison, which got a loud response, everything else was 1970-1976 material. I know a lot of you don't care for FMF as song, but I like the the song and love the Hey Stoopid album. A song like "Love's a Loaded Gun" would work better in this set or "Might As Well Be on Mars." FMF sticks out like a sore thumb.

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Re: Mini Nashville Show Review

Post by SickThings » Tue May 03, 2016 1:44 pm

cooperrocks wrote:As far as the covers go, the first two got little reaction
From where I was (10th row center on the floor), "Pinball Wizard" seemed to get a very good response from the crowd, though "Suffragette City" definitely got the best. "Love Me Two Times" was a show killer. It sounded good, but I just think that's a horrible song to play live (unless you're The Doors, maybe). "Break On Through" was a much better Doors choice, IMO.
and the covers drained the end of the show as there wasn't the same energy after the covers were over.
I agree.
Surprisingly Eighteen, School's Out and Elected while getting a better response than the covers had a more subdued response than the first two-thirds of the show.
It did feel like a climb back up after the covers.
My opinion is the band is great but the setlist needs some reworking. The band is great and Alice sounded good. I think part of the problem is, and you can only tour where promoters book you, but the show is too predictable to play the same cities every year. This was pretty much the same show from four years ago.
Except Nashville didn't get this show four years ago, so for (I would guess) the majority of the crowd, it was an all-new show.
FMF sticks out like a sore thumb.
I agree. In this show, it didn't fit well. And Frankie is showing his age. Still cool, and they had new hands for him, so no more missing fingers. :)

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Re: Mini Nashville Show Review

Post by The son of Don Quijote » Tue May 03, 2016 2:05 pm

Would it be too far-fetched for Alice to perform those covers in a medley form? I mean make 4-5 minute cover medley (instead of playing them one by one) and add one or two original gems from the last 25 years after them. It would do wonders to the pacing of the show and probably flow much better. It would still honor the dead rock stars and make loyal fans a little happier.

Of course the best solution would be scrapping the covers section completely.

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Re: Mini Nashville Show Review

Post by Si » Tue May 03, 2016 2:32 pm

cooperrocks wrote:Yes, it was the exact same setlist.
Thanks

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Re: Mini Nashville Show Review

Post by Si » Tue May 03, 2016 2:41 pm

The son of Don Quijote wrote:Would it be too far-fetched for Alice to perform those covers in a medley form? I mean make 4-5 minute cover medley (instead of playing them one by one) and add one or two original gems from the last 25 years after them. It would do wonders to the pacing of the show and probably flow much better. It would still honor the dead rock stars and make loyal fans a little happier.
You aren`t the first to suggest that and I agree completely. A 5 minute run through of as many classics as you want in a medley, maybe with Alice kinda switching persona on the fly, would work much better. I remember Dweezil Zappa's old party trick of playing snippets of over 100 classics or something in about 10 minutes. Saw him do it at the Marquee and it was great fun trying to spot them all.
The son of Don Quijote wrote: Of course the best solution would be scrapping the covers section completely.
This. haha

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Re: Mini Nashville Show Review

Post by Lucius Morthem » Tue May 03, 2016 4:43 pm

Public Animal °9 is a great song, and it could do great with audiences... but NOT as a second song.... This tour needs an intro (more than a shortener Black Widow) Due to election years... ending with Elected.... Freedom looks like a perfect choice (even for an encore) If not, they must find a song to fill in before PA°9.

Pinball Wizard: Great song but is not specifically a killer song that everybody would go nuts over it...
Love me 2 times amazing song but not for playing it live IMO

Fire iss great live (though it's never been my favorite, but it sounds awesome)

Sufragette City is definetely the best, and as Bowie died recently it will get the best reaction always...

See, these are the little things that drives me wild (Ha!)

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