London Apollo Hammersmith

chris hovell   02-07-2007

Lou Reed - July 07What a mess! No delicacy. A horn section out of a Las Vegas hotel. A drummer behind glass screens (very rock 'n roll). Lou can't sing this album. It doesn't matter he can't sing anymore on stuff like Sweet Jane or WOTWS, but vocals on How Do You Think It Feels or Oh Jim can't be shouted like that.The audience gave him a standing ovation. They should take their children away.

daniel.burgess   06-06-2007

Having seen Stone Temple Pilots the last time they were here at Brixton and loving Velvet Revolver's first ablum I knew I was in for a treat.The anticipation before the band stepped foot on the stage was massive and when they finally did a roar arrupted which drowned out most of their first number, inbetween songs myself and an austrailian gentleman started chanting STP, STP and Crack-er-man. We were paid off in the end when the band performed vasaline from STP's second ablum purple. The band also performed a guns'n'roses number, but i have no idea what song this was as I am not a fan of G'N'R.Hats off to the band though, Slash and Scott Wieland are showman of the highest order and it was amazing to see them perform live in such a small venue. Best number of night- BIG MACHINE, not the best song on the first album but it sounded fantastic live.The new ablum should have been out 2 weeks ago but has been postponed. The band performed a number of new songs from the new album, unfortunately the atmosphere faded slighty as no one had heard any of these before. The songs sounded really good and I feel that if people were more familiar with these tracks they would have really taken the roof off that place.

bevweber1   16-04-2007

What a disappointment! My teen heart throb appeared on stage to the raptuous delight of an audience of mainly women of a certain age. But then it all went downhill. David initially lapped up the adoration of the women clambouring to the front of the stage, often to the detriment of his actual singing. He then spoke to a younger member of the audience - telling him to make an effort to enjoy the concert in an extremely insulting way. The audience began to feel uncomfortable. This was not the cheery, smiling David that we all remembered and loved. He then sang a couple of old favourites, and the audience seemed willing to forgive him his outburst. But then he started to talk between songs ...and talk... and talk...and talk. Repetitive, gushing, and sometimes incoherent ramblings that led us to wonder what he had taken before the show! During the interval it was announced several times that the concert would not continue until everyone had moved away from the stage and returned to their seats. Eventually everyone sat down and David came back on. His behaviour was if anything even more erratic. He did admittedly apologise for offending someone - so obviously someone had had a little word in his ear during the break. But by this point I think that it was too late to salvage the evening. David was dismissive of the audience, and finally killed the atmosphere stone dead by telling everyone to stay sitting down as if they were listening to a classical concert - listening to violins - if we knew what they were. Amid one of his interminal ramblings someone started to laugh, and he told them that they should leave the concert or go outside and get a drink. His attitude was really condescending and quite honestly most of the audience sitting near me were beginning to wonder what on earth he was going to do or say next. He then confessed to being nervous about performing his songs using modern technology. He said he had been performing them for so long that it was impossible to find a new way to perform them that was different - so why not stick to performing them in the way that the audience remembered and loved - rather than the lacklustre, boring, interpretations that he gave of our old favourites - even if he was supported by his friend from over the water that he named so often that I have forgotten his name! During the concert several people walked out, and I would have done so myself if I wasn't waiting for him to suddenly shine. Unfortunately I waited in vain. David - how could you do this to so many of your loyal fans? You need to stop the naval gazing and remember that the fans you so patronisingly dismiss are the ones who gave you fame and fortune. The only saving grace was that Showaddywaddy were really good, and created a fantastic party feeling in the audience. They should have been the stars of the show.