Peter Green and Band Paradiso Amsterdam 21.2.2009

[Ms Moose]

I have not been able to record the show, but I really hope someone else did! IT WAS GREAT! I am happy I travelled all the way to Amsterdam to attend to this occasion. The concert lasted about one hour and ten minutes. The band was late because they had not been able to find their way around the streets of Amsterdam.

Unfortunately I could not keep track of all the numbers, and I can't remember them all (maybe somebody else can fill in here) because I was too busy listening to the music (I am sure you get this doodyhead), (but amongst others) they played:

Blues Don't Change (the first number) - Canvey Island Session arrangement.
Some Hank Marvin piece that I don't remember the title of, but played brillianly by Green - very very good, clear tone and determined..
On The Hook
I was A Fool To Love You - A Billie Holiday song?
Long Grey Mare - PG had trouble with the harmonica there. They had trouble with the sound some of the time. The sound technician sometimes held his head in his hands!
Albatross Lovely tone, but played a bit too fast for my liking.
Still beautiful!
The Stumble - in a much more vital version than with Splinter Group. Great! Closer to the original version in my opinion.
Black Magic Woman - the audience sang along and knew every word. He seemed a bit taken aback by this...
The Thrill Has Gone - Canvey Island arrangement. Beautiful - "B.B. eat your heart out" - I really mean this and I love B.B. King! A very sad slow version. It was the last number before the encore which I don't remember.

Peter Green sat down during the whole of the show, but compared to five years ago with S.G. he was in a much more central position. He didn't have any guitar changes at all. His singing is much better too. Most of the time he seemed to enjoy playing immensely - and we were treated to those moments of pure bliss. Sometimes he seemed to get lost though, and loose contact with the core within himself where the music comes from. When that happened the other musicians seemed very concerned. Mike Dodd had a kind of "Master of Ceremonies" position and helped PG overcome his insecurities. He was doing a great job getting PG back on the right track when this happened, having eyecontact with him all the time. The 'down-side' of this was that the music sometimes were played too fast, because Mike Dodd acted as a kind of energy booster

I stood very close to the stage and was able to watch the interactions very closely. PG does not seem to be pressured to do the FM stuff (which the audience cried out for), and with the help of the band (and especially Mike Dodd) you got the feeling that you were participating in a session with friends practicing. It was very laid back in a way.
Matt Radford played up-right bass (do you call it that?) and Geraint Watkins played organ beautifully giving the whole show a godspell-like feeling. He is really really good.

The Amsterdam audience loved Peter Green. Mike Dodd commented at one point that he would love to take us with him on the rest of the tour. The audience loved PG when he goofed as well as when he was brilliant - just like it should be.

A great show - and this was only the second show of the tour!!!
I heard rumours that they are planning a small tour of Engalnd in april. I hope everybody here will get a chance to see and hear Peter Green and his Band.

Ms Moose

[librax2]

Originally Posted by Ms Moose

I have not been able to record the show, but I really hope someone else did! IT WAS GREAT! I am happy I travelled all the way to Amsterdam to attend to this occasion. The concert lasted about one hour and ten minutes. The band was late because they had not been able to find their way around the streets of Amsterdam.

Unfortunately I could not keep track of all the numbers, and I can't remember them all (maybe somebody else can fill in here) because I was too busy listening to the music (I am sure you get this doodyhead), (but amongst others) they played:

Blues Don't Change (the first number) - Canvey Island Session arrangement.
Some Hank Marvin piece that I don't remember the title of, but played brillianly by Green - very very good, clear tone and determined..
On The Hook
I was A Fool To Love You - A Billie Holiday song?
Long Grey Mare - PG had trouble with the harmonica there. They had trouble with the sound some of the time. The sound technician sometimes held his head in his hands!
Albatross Lovely tone, but played a bit too fast for my liking.
Still beautiful!
The Stumble - in a much more vital version than with Splinter Group. Great! Closer to the original version in my opinion.
Black Magic Woman - the audience sang along and knew every word. He seemed a bit taken aback by this...
The Thrill Has Gone - Canvey Island arrangement. Beautiful - "B.B. eat your heart out" - I really mean this and I love B.B. King! A very sad slow version. It was the last number before the encore which I don't remember.

Peter Green sat down during the whole of the show, but compared to five years ago with S.G. he was in a much more central position. He didn't have any guitar changes at all. His singing is much better too. Most of the time he seemed to enjoy playing immensely - and we were treated to those moments of pure bliss. Sometimes he seemed to get lost though, and loose contact with the core within himself where the music comes from. When that happened the other musicians seemed very concerned. Mike Dodd had a kind of "Master of Ceremonies" position and helped PG overcome his insecurities. He was doing a great job getting PG back on the right track when this happened, having eyecontact with him all the time. The 'down-side' of this was that the music sometimes were played too fast, because Mike Dodd acted as a kind of energy booster

I stood very close to the stage and was able to watch the interactions very closely. PG does not seem to be pressured to do the FM stuff (which the audience cried out for), and with the help of the band (and especially Mike Dodd) you got the feeling that you were participating in a session with friends practicing. It was very laid back in a way.
Matt Radford played up-right bass (do you call it that?) and Geraint Watkins played organ beautifully giving the whole show a godspell-like feeling. He is really really good.

The Amsterdam audience loved Peter Green. Mike Dodd commented at one point that he would love to take us with him on the rest of the tour. The audience loved PG when he goofed as well as when he was brilliant - just like it should be.

A great show - and this was only the second show of the tour!!!
I heard rumours that they are planning a small tour of Engalnd in april. I hope everybody here will get a chance to see and hear Peter Green and his Band.

Ms Moose

Thank you for this review. I have waiting for someone to say something about PG's shows. Sounds pretty positive. Hope he decides to come to the US with this band.

[doodyhead]

like librax said, it sounds like a goot time was had. lucky folks

I also hope they are encouraged to want to take the show on the road,

or at least make a live video/audio recording for us out here in the wilderness

the road is ha harsh task master and I would not blame them for a modest adventure

doodyhead, mel and vinnie

[Ms Moose]

Originally Posted by doodyhead

like librax said, it sounds like a goot time was had. lucky folks

I also hope they are encouraged to want to take the show on the road,

or at least make a live video/audio recording for us out here in the wilderness

the road is ha harsh task master and I would not blame them for a modest adventure

doodyhead, mel and vinnie

Yes it wold be great if they filmed and recorded the five concerts. At one point Mike Dodd said - that was very appropriately - following 'Dance On' - that they had recorded and listened to the first show in Leffingen in the band car on the way to Amsterdam, and said that it was like a sixties revival for them

Wouter thanks for the set list! But to me it was like they didn't quite follow it, especially at the end. I am looking forward to see your impressions of the concert. I was with two friends who don't know anything whatsoever about PG (or music for that matter), so it would be nice to get another opinion from someone who is actually knowledgeable about PG when you get the time.

For those who asked about guitar and equipment (which I don't know so much about) - I think he played a blue stratocaster and used a funny little chubby almost "retro design" amp that I have never seen before (please don't laugh at me for this description)!

I wish some 'reviews' from Leffingen, Tillbourg, Hamburg and the 66 concert in ? will appear here soon.

Ms Moose

[Wouter Vuijk]

Originally Posted by Ms Moose

Wouter thanks for the set list! But to me it was like they didn't quite follow it, especially at the end. I am looking forward to see your impressions of the concert. I was with two friends who don't know anything whatsoever about PG (or music for that matter), so it would be nice to get another opinion from someone who is actually knowledgeable about PG when you get the time.
Ms Moose

Well, as for following the setlist, they turned Stranger Blues and Off The Hook around, but that's all.

Sorry I missed you at the show, don't know what you look like. I was standing in the middle at the right of the hall, just behind the old fireplace. That gave me the opportunity not to have anybody in front of me and thus interfering with the music getting to the microphone. I wore my GREENY T-shirt.

As for the show, during the show I felt Peter had been much better as a vocalist as well as a guitar player during his Splinter Group period. Now that I've listened to it again, I'm not as critical anymore. However, I still feel that the Splinter Group was much better at supporting Peter as well as taking lead. Mike Dodd's voice is not as powerfull as Nigel Watson's. Also he did not do any lead guitar. When he made a false attempt to the second verse of Off The Hook, he did not just proceed, making the band having to follow him. He actually apologized, which he did quite often, saying it was only their second gig. This is IMO rather amateuristic. I mean, who in a regular audience would ever notice???

The next day I walked around in Amsterdam and suddenly Peter end Mike crossed my path. Although still wearing my GREENY T-shirt I did not have the nerve to speak to him. I was afraid he might ask me what I thought of the show. I'd hate to have to lie, or to have to tell him (and Mike) what I really thought of it at the time.

Anyway.... I have my recording ready. Just wondering how to get it to you all. I don't know how to transform to a torrent file and upload.
Anybdy got any suggestions?

[bjornense]

Hi Wouter, Register at, for example

http://www.thetradersden.org

There's a FAQ there on how to seed files and create a bittorrent. There's some learning and work involved especially if it's your first time but not overly complicated. Looking forward to hear the show!

Bjorn

[Ms Moose]

Originally Posted by Wouter Vuijk

Well, as for following the setlist, they turned Stranger Blues and Off The Hook around, but that's all.

Sorry I missed you at the show, don't know what you look like. I was standing in the middle at the right of the hall, just behind the old fireplace. That gave me the opportunity not to have anybody in front of me and thus interfering with the music getting to the microphone. I wore my GREENY T-shirt.

As for the show, during the show I felt Peter had been much better as a vocalist as well as a guitar player during his Splinter Group period. Now that I've listened to it again, I'm not as critical anymore. However, I still feel that the Splinter Group was much better at supporting Peter as well as taking lead. Mike Dodd's voice is not as powerfull as Nigel Watson's. Also he did not do any lead guitar. When he made a false attempt to the second verse of Off The Hook, he did not just proceed, making the band having to follow him. He actually apologized, which he did quite often, saying it was only their second gig. This is IMO rather amateuristic. I mean, who in a regular audience would ever notice???

The next day I walked around in Amsterdam and suddenly Peter end Mike crossed my path. Although still wearing my GREENY T-shirt I did not have the nerve to speak to him. I was afraid he might ask me what I thought of the show. I'd hate to have to lie, or to have to tell him (and Mike) what I really thought of it at the time.

Anyway.... I have my recording ready. Just wondering how to get it to you all. I don't know how to transform to a torrent file and upload.
Anybdy got any suggestions?

Thank you very much, Wouter! I was standing at the right side too, but close to the stage wearing a large orange scarf. I know that music is actually better heard at the back, but I was worried that I wouldn't be able to see anything if I didn't get close to the stage (the dutch seem very tall!). I knew that PG is usually standing at the right side of the stage (from the audience point of view) but I hadn't counted on him sitting almost sideways, so I couldn't see his fingerwork proberly or the print on the guitar, but it gave me a pretty good view of the dynamics on the stage. Compared to my memory of Splintergroup - where Peter seemed to want to hide most of the time - it didn't appear like that here. He seemed more relaxed and part of things.

I had never been to a concert in Amsterdam and did not know the building. I had brought case for The Anthology for him to sign (as I could not drag my entire record/cd collection with me on a plane) but it was hopeless getting near him. A good thing maybe if they want to keep him away from stress and horrible fans I can understand your reluctancy about contacting him on the street.
I never noticed the GREENY T-shirt! I would certainly have asked were you got that from if I had! What is it?

Thanks for all the trouble you have had recording it and now trying to distribute it to all us grateful ledgies.

Ms Moose

[sharksfan2000]

Originally Posted by Wouter Vuijk

Anyway.... I have my recording ready. Just wondering how to get it to you all. I don't know how to transform to a torrent file and upload.
Anybdy got any suggestions?

Would uploading to something like Rapidshare work also? I'm also not that familiar with this stuff.

[Popmuseum]

Dear Ms Moose , thank you for your very interesting review.

[dino]

Tack så mycket, Ms Moose!

[dansven]

Thanks a lot Ms Moose, I had really been looking forward to your "review".

"Long Grey Mare" must have been cool!
Perhaps the Hank Marvin song was "Midnight", which he did on the Shadows tribute album "Twang!".

Do you know what guitar he played?
Did any of the other musicians sing any songs, as I remember they where listed on vocals?
And did Mike Dodd do much lead guitar, or did Peter do most of the soloing?

It must have quite an experience for you to see Peter back onstage and enjoying himself without any pressure. That's the way it should be!

[Wouter Vuijk]

Originally Posted by dansven

Thanks a lot Ms Moose, I had really been looking forward to your "review".

"Long Grey Mare" must have been cool!
Perhaps the Hank Marvin song was "Midnight", which he did on the Shadows tribute album "Twang!".

Do you know what guitar he played?
Did any of the other musicians sing any songs, as I remember they where listed on vocals?
And did Mike Dodd do much lead guitar, or did Peter do most of the soloing?

It must have quite an experience for you to see Peter back onstage and enjoying himself without any pressure. That's the way it should be!

I'll get back to you folks later, i'm very busy with my work at the moment.
I will too make a review because I experienced the gig completely different. I thought it was terrible! I made a rcording but haven't found the time yet to find out if it worked allright (it was a complete new recording device for me, and I didn't have time to see how it worked). Then I had to use it in the dark....
For one thing Mike did not do any lead guitar, did some vocals, but no character in his voice. I have to stop now. Till later

[fantomfingers]

Interesting review. Many thanks.

I guess that the Shadows number they played may well have been 'Dance On!'
They played that tune when I saw them rehearse toward the end of last year in East London.

[dansven]

Thanks for the youtube link, Dino! Wonderful!

Originally Posted by fantomfingers

I guess that the Shadows number they played may well have been 'Dance On!'
They played that tune when I saw them rehearse toward the end of last year in East London.

Hi, fantomfinger! Could you tell more about attending the rehearsal?? That must have been awsome! What is your impression? Is this a promising band?

Thanks very much for the setlist, Wouter!
Did Peter sing "Lucky Old Sun"??
Would you care to say more about your impressions of the gig?

[julianindica]

When he hit the lead on 'Albatross', that was just supreme. Reminds me of 'Canadian Sunset' by Santo & Johnny. His tone especially.