Who: The Eagles
Where: Allphones Arena, Sydney
When: 4 March 2015
Support Act: None
Where: Allphones Arena, Sydney
When: 4 March 2015
Support Act: None
Kitch’s Rating: 9.5/10
I realised about forty-five minutes into the three-hour-plus
The History of the Eagles set last night that the country-rock outfit has an
extraordinary amount of hits. More than I really considered until the words of
classic rock anthems were bouncing off the walls of a sold-out Allphones Arena
at Sydney Olympic Park, and being sung back to the Californian country-rock
outfit with great gusto by upwards of fifteen thousand people. At the end, no
one wanted to leave.
The format was something like a live documentary. You know those shows where band members talk about a song or an important before switching to a film-clip of the song they’d just discussed? Well, on stage, the core of the band – Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Timothy B. Schmidt and Joe Walsh – would talk about a song or a moment, either live or on taped video for the big screens, and launch into the songs.
Early on, it was just Frey and Henley, undoubtedly the driving forces behind The Eagles, who recalled their early days out in Los Angeles, jamming in a small room behind a bottle shop, a space that cost them $6 an hour. They were sitting on amps back then because they didn’t have enough money to afford seats.
So, joined by founding guitarist Bernie Leadon – a nice surprise from a band who is noted for various line-up changes for various reasons; conspicuously absent from the narrative was another long-time member, Don Felder – Frey and Henley sung a few songs which they noted weren’t big hits, but were important moments in Eagles history. That, of course, was the whole idea of the night, to cover the band’s high points, without really touching on their lowest points.
A little while later, Joe Walsh wandered out onto the stage without much introduction, which was curious given the fact that every other member had a little story told about how they joined the group, and suddenly the classic Eagles line-up was out front of a band that included a percussionist, multiple keyboard players and Felder’s replacement, Steuart Smith, who is an extraordinarily good guitarist.
Man, did the hits roll out, one after the other, and then another, and the vocals of Henley and Frey and even Schmidt have stood the test of time. Yes, their voices are a little more weathered – old age will do that, I’m told – but the familiarity was there. Henley, particularly, sounded great, often singing whilst playing drums. That can’t be an easy thing to do.
Pretty much every song I wanted to hear, the band played, with the exception of Don Henley’s ‘Boys of Summer’, which was apparently shelved in favour of Joe Walsh solo numbers, and I thought that Walsh’s vocals were the worst of the night. He just didn’t seem to nail them. On guitar, the man is still a God – “the master blaster with the Stratocaster,” as Glen Frey introduced him – but he didn’t sound good singing. ‘Boys of Summer’ is one of my all-time favourites. Disappointed it wasn’t there, and it’s the only reason I didn’t give this gig a 10/10!
Honestly, though, my complaints were minor compared with the impressive production. A modest stage, a great band, great songs, an enthusiastic crowd and, importantly, a perfect sound mix. It wasn't the loudest show I’ve ever seen, but it was well-balanced. The instruments weren’t overawed by the vocals or vice versa. In a cavernous arena, getting the balance right isn’t easy, but it was well done.
If you think of your ideal Eagles set list, chances are it would look very much like the one they rolled out last night. Amongst others, we heard ‘Life in the Fast Lane, ‘Tequila Sunrise’, ‘Lyin’ Eyes’, ‘Take it to the Limit’ (which Frey sung, in place of original bassist Randy Meisner, after a tribute to the founding bassist), ‘Heartache Tonight’, ‘One of these Nights’, ‘The Long Run’, ‘The Best of My Love’, ‘Already Gone’ and, of course, two of the biggest hits for the band, ‘Hotel California’ and ‘Desperado’.
I’m happy to say I can tick listening to ‘Hotel California’ live off my Bucket List. It is a tremendous song as a studio track, and epic live. Steuart Smith’s command of the double-necked guitar, trading riffs with Joe Walsh, over Henley’s vocals is a combination best seen to be believed.
There were some veiled suggestions that the legendary band might not reach Australian shores again – they’re not getting any younger, after all – and if that’s the case, at least I can say that I saw The Eagles once live in concert and that, unlike a lot of bands from that era still doing the rounds, they certainly didn’t disappoint.
The format was something like a live documentary. You know those shows where band members talk about a song or an important before switching to a film-clip of the song they’d just discussed? Well, on stage, the core of the band – Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Timothy B. Schmidt and Joe Walsh – would talk about a song or a moment, either live or on taped video for the big screens, and launch into the songs.
Early on, it was just Frey and Henley, undoubtedly the driving forces behind The Eagles, who recalled their early days out in Los Angeles, jamming in a small room behind a bottle shop, a space that cost them $6 an hour. They were sitting on amps back then because they didn’t have enough money to afford seats.
So, joined by founding guitarist Bernie Leadon – a nice surprise from a band who is noted for various line-up changes for various reasons; conspicuously absent from the narrative was another long-time member, Don Felder – Frey and Henley sung a few songs which they noted weren’t big hits, but were important moments in Eagles history. That, of course, was the whole idea of the night, to cover the band’s high points, without really touching on their lowest points.
A little while later, Joe Walsh wandered out onto the stage without much introduction, which was curious given the fact that every other member had a little story told about how they joined the group, and suddenly the classic Eagles line-up was out front of a band that included a percussionist, multiple keyboard players and Felder’s replacement, Steuart Smith, who is an extraordinarily good guitarist.
Man, did the hits roll out, one after the other, and then another, and the vocals of Henley and Frey and even Schmidt have stood the test of time. Yes, their voices are a little more weathered – old age will do that, I’m told – but the familiarity was there. Henley, particularly, sounded great, often singing whilst playing drums. That can’t be an easy thing to do.
Pretty much every song I wanted to hear, the band played, with the exception of Don Henley’s ‘Boys of Summer’, which was apparently shelved in favour of Joe Walsh solo numbers, and I thought that Walsh’s vocals were the worst of the night. He just didn’t seem to nail them. On guitar, the man is still a God – “the master blaster with the Stratocaster,” as Glen Frey introduced him – but he didn’t sound good singing. ‘Boys of Summer’ is one of my all-time favourites. Disappointed it wasn’t there, and it’s the only reason I didn’t give this gig a 10/10!
Honestly, though, my complaints were minor compared with the impressive production. A modest stage, a great band, great songs, an enthusiastic crowd and, importantly, a perfect sound mix. It wasn't the loudest show I’ve ever seen, but it was well-balanced. The instruments weren’t overawed by the vocals or vice versa. In a cavernous arena, getting the balance right isn’t easy, but it was well done.
If you think of your ideal Eagles set list, chances are it would look very much like the one they rolled out last night. Amongst others, we heard ‘Life in the Fast Lane, ‘Tequila Sunrise’, ‘Lyin’ Eyes’, ‘Take it to the Limit’ (which Frey sung, in place of original bassist Randy Meisner, after a tribute to the founding bassist), ‘Heartache Tonight’, ‘One of these Nights’, ‘The Long Run’, ‘The Best of My Love’, ‘Already Gone’ and, of course, two of the biggest hits for the band, ‘Hotel California’ and ‘Desperado’.
I’m happy to say I can tick listening to ‘Hotel California’ live off my Bucket List. It is a tremendous song as a studio track, and epic live. Steuart Smith’s command of the double-necked guitar, trading riffs with Joe Walsh, over Henley’s vocals is a combination best seen to be believed.
There were some veiled suggestions that the legendary band might not reach Australian shores again – they’re not getting any younger, after all – and if that’s the case, at least I can say that I saw The Eagles once live in concert and that, unlike a lot of bands from that era still doing the rounds, they certainly didn’t disappoint.
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