Dublin gig review - 29th October 2016
Oct 30, 2016 21:21:29 GMT
Whoppa Choppa, vivfromcov, and 2 more like this
Post by therockdoctor on Oct 30, 2016 21:21:29 GMT
The massive 3 Arena was home to Quo's second night in a row on the Emerald Isle, on Saturday 29th October.
Most known in Quo circles as the venue for the 'final' Frantic Four gig in 2014, this time the venue was partially curtained off and filled with 3-4000 fans. The queue for the standing area formed early and Richie Malone wandered past at one stage, stopping to chat with friends and fans alike. It was a surreal moment when a knock off T-shirt seller tried to sell Richie a piece of his dodgy merchandise, Richie taking it all in great spirits.
The pre-gig action was centred in the nearby Green Room bar, with a big turnout of Quo fans eager for a drink, meeting up with friends and a good Quo singalong. The craic was great, a really enjoyable few hours before heading to the gig at about 6.45pm. Doors were already open but we easily secured a central spot one off the barrier, perfect.
Uriah Heep took the stage at 7.30 and blasted their way through the same hour-long set as in Belfast. It was seriously loud and well received by this audience starved of any live performances by the band in Dublin for over 35 years. Their music is not really my cup of tea, lacking as it does that melodic element that makes Quo so engaging (for me at least).
With the Heep set done and dusted, the Quo crew did their usual clockwork job of preparing the stage for Quo and they appeared at just after 9pm. The venue (in its reduced capacity mode) was full by now (with no standing tickets left on the day and all the raised seating well-filled). The setlist remained as it was in Belfast, but the band's performance was raised up a notch from the previous night I thought. The vibe on stage was really good, with Richie being involved and embraced - and also receiving something of a hero's welcome from this home country crowd. The crowd was vocal and involved from the start, especially so for the "big" songs later in the set. Leon had a top night and Francis appears to be relishing his role as ringleader, never missing anything that was going on around him and keeping everyone in check (including Rhino for fluffing a few lines).
As the band left the stage, Andy went over to Richie to make sure he received acknowledgement for his efforts, a nice touch for his home crowd, and Richie donned Blues Brothers gear and the Irish flag very proudly too!
The post-gig action was once again at the Green Room, so the evening was far from over! A big day of Quoing with great mates, happy times and, even though it's not the same without Rick of course, the band still puts on a great evening's entertainment. Here's to the next one! (7 down, 17 to go)
Most known in Quo circles as the venue for the 'final' Frantic Four gig in 2014, this time the venue was partially curtained off and filled with 3-4000 fans. The queue for the standing area formed early and Richie Malone wandered past at one stage, stopping to chat with friends and fans alike. It was a surreal moment when a knock off T-shirt seller tried to sell Richie a piece of his dodgy merchandise, Richie taking it all in great spirits.
The pre-gig action was centred in the nearby Green Room bar, with a big turnout of Quo fans eager for a drink, meeting up with friends and a good Quo singalong. The craic was great, a really enjoyable few hours before heading to the gig at about 6.45pm. Doors were already open but we easily secured a central spot one off the barrier, perfect.
Uriah Heep took the stage at 7.30 and blasted their way through the same hour-long set as in Belfast. It was seriously loud and well received by this audience starved of any live performances by the band in Dublin for over 35 years. Their music is not really my cup of tea, lacking as it does that melodic element that makes Quo so engaging (for me at least).
With the Heep set done and dusted, the Quo crew did their usual clockwork job of preparing the stage for Quo and they appeared at just after 9pm. The venue (in its reduced capacity mode) was full by now (with no standing tickets left on the day and all the raised seating well-filled). The setlist remained as it was in Belfast, but the band's performance was raised up a notch from the previous night I thought. The vibe on stage was really good, with Richie being involved and embraced - and also receiving something of a hero's welcome from this home country crowd. The crowd was vocal and involved from the start, especially so for the "big" songs later in the set. Leon had a top night and Francis appears to be relishing his role as ringleader, never missing anything that was going on around him and keeping everyone in check (including Rhino for fluffing a few lines).
As the band left the stage, Andy went over to Richie to make sure he received acknowledgement for his efforts, a nice touch for his home crowd, and Richie donned Blues Brothers gear and the Irish flag very proudly too!
The post-gig action was once again at the Green Room, so the evening was far from over! A big day of Quoing with great mates, happy times and, even though it's not the same without Rick of course, the band still puts on a great evening's entertainment. Here's to the next one! (7 down, 17 to go)
