Êîíöåðò Uriah Heep-98 - ìîé ðåïîðòàæ ïî-àíãëèéñêè...

Here is my review, as I promised...

Vladimir.

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First time for me, third time for Heep…

A day after a magical night spent on Heep concert, it seems possible for me to set my senses straight and write something above the HEEP RULEZ statement I did the night after concert…

Here we begin… Everyone knows that Heep was first heavy band that came to (then) Soviet Union, it was long ago in 1987 - see it, 11 years ago. Current lineup was almost new-born then, and… I shouldn’t tell more about this because those who were there can say it better. I was too young then, and I still envy for those who tells me they’ve been there. Next time Heep came in Moscow in summer 96. This time, I was heavily into Heep, but circumstances were against me then - I had a very important exams - graduating exams in Moscow University the day after concert. You can imagine my disappointment! Partially it was cured when I saw superb show Deep Purple gave few weeks after, to full stadium of Purple fans, myself including. After a while I heard that concert on tape - it was broadcasted on one of russian radios, and despite of poor cassette tape I used to record it, I liked that recording, it was (musically) almost on same level as Spellbinder. But the bitter feeling that I’m perhaps a biggest Heep fan around (almost, almost!) and I never seen Heep live, remained.

It was two week before a concert when I received a call from ‘monster’ Heepster from Omsk Alexander Kolesnikov. We exchanged emails before, but I didn’t expected him to make a long-distance call anyway. He said Heep will come in Moscow, I couldn’t believe that! I asked few peoples from music magazines, and they said me it’s not possible, because two weeks before concert there should be some traces of advertising campaign, but nothing they knew. Few days after that, of course, they were noticed about concert, and a week before concert I begun to hear from various people - "do you know ‘your band’ is coming?" OK, I knew that. And when just few days were left, they went really wild, with actions like sending "spam" faxes to offices asking to buy tickets, or giving free tickets to "one who will make seventh call to ‘Radio 7’", one of Russian pop radios. Yes, not someone who will win the quiz and answer some clever Heep-related questions, but to one who will rang to radio until his phone turns blue.

Two days before concert, Alexander flew to Moscow and I met him in person - I must say it was one of kindest Heepsters I ever met! His knowledge about Heep was boundless, and we spent a lot of time discussing "all things Heep". He was organizer of Heep concert last year in Omsk, you can read his report in ## issue of UHASmag.

At the very day of 8th July I was waiting near the concert place… Concert place was called MDM, which is roughly translated as "Moscow Youth Palace", and venue was like a very large club - i.e. there were bar stands, stage was not very large, and just a few seating places somewhere at the rear end of hall. Maybe it’s for good, because I can’t imagine being on Heep concert seating in comfortable chair!!! :-) Capacity is, I think, about 1000-1500, and it wasn’t empty hall, surely. Near the entrance, I saw a lot of Heepsters, some were even with UHAS badges, I talked to one of them but sadly forgot to ask his name… I hope he will contact me later via internet - <uheep@aha.ru> . Interesting fact was that most of crowd was young, and they weren’t just casual concert goers - they was in various Heep t-shirts, it’s the best evidence of a Heep fan, I think… It wasn’t my intention to speak with everyone around, but it’s a very good sign - Heep fanbase is not staled. We’ve met again with Alexander Kolesnikov who said he will do everything he can to get me backstage (and he did!). Next, the very young Heepster (Dmitry) approached me, he saw my UHAS badge and asked me how can he join it too… He made a long way from Smolensk (russian town to the west from Moscow) just to see Heep. He wrote a letter to Mick & Co - I hope Mick haven’t lost it somewhere. :-) I also said hello to internet Heepster Andrey, but lost him afterwards.

Me and Dmitry entered hall when stage was already surrounded by a serious crowd, but it was quite a while until Heep appeared on stage. But it was obvious to guess by a looks of their faces that it’s not just usual event for them! I was firstly disappointed for not getting to a barrier, but after a few songs I was there. It wasn’t too difficult comparing with usual metal concert, when everyone who is close to stage is like 2-meter high sweaty metaller-bodybuilder. :-) A setlist was - I fear I don’t remember exact order but I’ll try to think harder:

Taped intro to Universal Wheels Universal Wheels Time of Revelation Stealing Sunrise (!!!) Mistress of All Time (Mick’s acoustic intro to) The Wizard Words In The Distance Dream On Love In Silence July Morning Gypsy Look At Yourself (encores) Bird of Prey Lady In Black Easy Livin’ Taped outro of Land of Heep and Glory

If someone can correct me order of songs, please do.

As you see, nothing from Goalby-era, nothing from totally 20 years - 74-94. Maybe it's for good - because SOL is excellent, and songs from older albums is all that crowd wants usually. But I wouldn't mind to hear Wonderworld, RTF, Sympathy or It Ain't Easy, for example - there are so many superb tracks in Heep history and I know it's impossible to please everyone, but you had to hear people's reaction to Sunrise. It worth it.

Random notes about songs… I don’t know if Universal Wheels is a good opener, it’s not bad but I think something like Sunrise might make it much better. There weren’t any speeches on UW, at least I haven’t heard any. TOR was as usual, great fast rocker, almost power-metal rocker! Sunrise was one of greatest surprises (sun-rise – surp-rise), although I knew they will play it. They haven’t played Come Away Melinda, which I expected a lot… Next time, I hope. I asked Bernie about it and he said something like "why? I don’t know why? Sometimes we play it, sometimes not, it depends of kind of event - we needed to play more fast, heaviest songs like Bird of Prey". Of course he was right, but my personal guess was that it was replaced back by "The Wizard". Mistress of All Time sounded as usual - sweet and candy, I like it but I don’t think it reproduces classic Heep image very well - it’s more like Yes… Bernie singing was very fine and smooth on it, so I can honestly say I liked this tune. He sang some vocal melodies a bit different than on album… The Wizard was, as usual - what can happen to this tune? Acoustic intro incorporated short part of Paradise intro, but he played it note to note similar to 96 version, which was a bit of disappointment. Words in the Distance was OK, much better than studio version and as good as in Spellbinder… Dream On - Bernie said "here will be a song written by our bassist, Trevor", and immediately someone shouted - "Dream On"! Bernie was cheered and shook his hand. Dream On version was perfect, I always loved that tune and I think it’s very Heepish - I hope Trevor will write more such great tunes on Sonic Origami as he did on SOL and Conquest. Love in Silence was OK, and July Morning was impossible to miss! Bernie did it well, and when singing he kept shaking hands. Box solo at the end was superb, what I can’t say for Lanzon - I can hardly hear his playing in this song at all. Whatever he played in this song, it wasn’t Hammond. Then there was a perfect pair - Gypsy/LAY, there was nothing new in Gypsy, and some interesting and very unusual Mick’s solo in LAY - you have to hear this! Exactly as I expected, they went off stage after this song, just to appear few minutes again (of course, crowd didn’t miss their chance to scream "Uriah Heep" all that minutes). First appeared Lee Kerslake, he shows his singing talents in "yeeeee-oooop"s, to which crowd, of course, responded. One of times, he sang "boooool-sheeeet" instead of "yeeee-oooop", and crowd recognized the joke and sang this word too. Entertaining. Why not to play KBFH version of Sweet Freedom - it would fit well there. :-) Bird of Prey was great - another "Heep-power-metal" tune. Lady In Black was Lady In Black - everyone was singing. And of course last song was Easy Livin’ - it was just impossible to miss! It was so sad their haven’t played twice as longer, or at least haven’t came for second encore. That taped outro just leaves no possibility for more encores. In time of outro Lee threw his drumsticks - one of them hit me right in hand! And until I reacted, it bounced back to stage. Notes about show itself… It was excellent, no less. I was impressed, but I can’t say I was terrified… Something was still missing. Perhaps sound wasn’t perfect - too much distortion on highs, sometimes I couldn’t hear Bernie and Phil at all… Perhaps material was too familiar for me - I heard Spellbinder, that Moscow-96 tape and Vienna-95 tape for a lot of times, so I knew all riffs and solos.. I understand Heep knows it’s time to change their set, and they will present totally different set in Sonic Origami tour. Everyone knows they wouldn’t play new songs this time, but I still was disappointed a bit by this. And Come Away Melinda was missing too… About Heep musicians… Mick - he is perfect, a core of a band, looks like smiling is his natural way of life. The way how he acted on stage was the best I only can imagine for rock artist, except vintage Heep, of course. I was at left side, so at the end of concert I was looking right at him. Of course the price of it was that I couldn’t hear Bernie and Phil very well… Trevor - he was at another end of stage so I couldn’t see him well, but his playing was very inspired. Lee - not the greatest drummer in the world but his style fits Heep very well. Sometimes he gave out excellent breaks and solos. Again, he might be a bit higher in the mix. Phil - on new, synth-oriented songs he was making his job very well, on older songs he was either too low, almost unaudible, or hammondless… I think it was better on Spellbinder. Or perhaps I was just on a place when Mick guitar was too loud to hear keyboards. And, finally, Bernie. I know how much you, heepsters, wait for my word about him. :-) Wait, you wouldn’t be disappointed. First thing. I realized it’s totally different perception when you seat in comfortable chair watching something like "Raging Through The Silence" and another is being in audience, looking up at him… This way I like him much better. Of course there still isn’t much of artistism in his attitude, but comparing with RTTS he changed a lot - not much of useless leaps, everything became better, even voice - much more smoothness and passion. Unfortunately, sometimes it was very hard to hear him at all - for example, I still can say how he sang high notes in July Morning - I didn’t hear them! [People said he missed them…] Let’s wait for Sonic Origami, and I hope it will make us forget about Raging Silence and Different World, those worst nightmares in Heep history… There isn’t too much to wait. But if you think I’ll say Bernie is "best Heep vocalist, past or present", it’s not so. I still like you_know_who better. But after zillionth Mick’s statement about this matter, I tend to believe that he wouldn’t be back, so we had to accept Bernie, and Bernie had to adjust himself to Wonderworld of Uriah Heep music. It was not easy road from likes of Stratus and Praying Mantis, through commercial abomination of Different World, to excellence of Sea of Light. Let’s hope Sonic Origami will continue this line. And there was one song - Sunrise. It shows Bernie could really sing with same passion as David, when he wants it. Much heavier version. Simply excellent. BTW one funny thing - I fould one article in Internet, it was live report in Belarus newspaper, they called him "Bernie Soul". Nice one, isn’t it? After show was over, we (I and Dmitry) waited, hoping to meet someone of Heep. As promised, Alexander took us with him backstage (I don’t know what I would do without him!), there was already a couple of journalists, most of them were, as we are, just Heep fans waiting for authographs… So we waited, everything was very uncertain, because we haven’t had press-cards and we might be driven back in any moment. First, someone asked us to gave all items to him so he will bring them to Mick and band - I was a bit not sure if it will really work but I received them back with authographs finally… And after a while, first Lee, next Bernie left their rooms and talked, posed for photos and gave authographs. I talked a bit to Bernie, showed my UHAS members card and of course he said it’s good to see fanclub member here! I asked him about Come Away Melinda (see above) and about Sonic Origami songs - he replied that (not exact quote, of course!) "Nooo! We will not play them until album will be out. But then it will be totally different set, you’ll see." Lee looked very friendly, although I only succeeded in saying ‘Hi, I’m a Heepster on the Web!" to him, but I made a photo of Dmitry with him… And finally Kolesnikov succeeded in taking me to the "Heep room", and I saw Mick!!! Not sure if he recognized me, maybe it was just my selfish illusion, but I hope he really remembered me from those very few emails I wrote him a year ago. :-) Yes and from Dave’s "reminder" too. Anyway, I said "Hello from Heepsters on the Web, and from Dave White [sign of recognition], and from Alex Gitlin [sign of recognition] and from John Lawton [he looked surprised!!!]", and he gave me nice looking souvenir guitar pick. After this, "security" carefully took me by a shoulders and directed to the door. Basically, it was all over, I went away with Alexander Kolesnikov, he wanted to catch Heep in restaurant (as appeared later, they never went there) and I went home with (almost) last metro train… I feel sorry I didn’t said goodbye to Dmitry because it was just like a newfound friend, I hope he found his way safely to home.

P.S. If someone will want to reproduce it or send to someone, please remove last part, about backstage. I’m sending it to the circle of friends on Heeplist and few others, and I’m not sure everyone else needs to read my long and twisted sentences about it. P.P.S. Russian version will follow shortly.

10 July 98. Morning, yes, almost - 3:30AM.