Tina Turner in Montreal

[Nicks Fan]

So I finally got to see Tina Turner in concert. I have to say it was OK, but I wasn't blown away. the show started at just after 8 and she came out in some slinky dress opening with Steamy Windows before launching into Typical Male. She was accompanied on stage by a large baking band including some sexy dancers in very revealing outfits. For most of the first half of the show they did most of the footwork while Tina stayed at the Microphone. At times you couldn't see Tina from where I was sitting because the dancers were in the way. Also in certain spots the sound was bad and as a result we couldn't hear what she was saying.

As for her voice She didn't miss a beat when it came to the high notes she was spot on. In respect to her voice she's till got it. At one point before the intermission she emerged high atop the stage after a ninja stunt team / Tina's dancers did a little stunt show. She was decked out like her character from Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome and so she played the theme song from that film "We Don't Need Another Hero". She only sang nine songs before the intermission which I thought was kind of a rip off. During "What's Love Got To With It" she asked the ladies of the house to chant "What's Love Got To with It"? before turning it over to the few men in the audience saying to sing it rough like the way all those Men treated me rough. That was kind of corny.

She was pretty good in the 2nd half of the show which opened with a video showing clips of her through the years set to her song "I Don't Want To Fight No More". When the curtain lifted she was siting on a stool with her band and snag a few acoustic numbers including "Undercover Agent of The Blues, "Let's Stay Together" and "I Can't Stand The Rain". For "Goldeneye" the theme from the 1995 007 movie with Pierce Brosnan there was another stunt show which led to her emerging through a gold shape circle similar to the ones made famous in the 007 movies for the pre title sequences. She emerged all dressed in gold.

For her first encore she did "Nutbush City Limits" singing high atop a catwalk that was very small and it looked like she might fall to her death when she sauntered from one end to the other getting each section of the crowd to chant Nutbush one more time Also in certain spots the sound was bad and as a result we couldn't hear what she was saying. Still I am glad I got to see her live . I think If I had seen her 10 years ago maybe I would have enjoyed it more then since she obviously can't move around as much now. It seems like she saves all of her energy for the 2nd half.

For her first encore she did Nutbush City Limits singing high atop a catwalk that was very small and it looked like she might fall to her death when she sauntered from one end to the other getting each section of the crowd to chant Nutbush one more time.


One thing that bugs me though is how back in 2004 when she was on Canada AM promoting her All The Best CD she was asked about touring and she said something about in the back of my mind I have been thinking but not seriously about putting something together that wouldn't be a carbon copy of what I have already done. Then she does this tour which is just a hits package with no new album to promote. so how is this different from other tours?

My verdict is this. Tina : Great Legs Great Voice. 5 out of 5 Actual Show: Too much pyrotechnics and other distractions. Overall 3.5 out of 5

On a side note some of the songs she sang (namely the Robert Palmer /Rolling Stones covers were only portions of the song)

Set list

"Steamy Windows"
"Typical Male"
"River Deep -- Mountain High"
"What You Get Is What You See"
"Better Be Good to Me"
"The Acid Queen"
"What's Love Got to Do With It"
"Private Dancer"
"We Don't Need Another Hero"
"Undercover Agent for the Blues"
"Let's Stay Together"
"I Can't Stand the Rain"
"Jumpin' Jack Flash"/"It's Only Rock 'n Roll"
"GoldenEye"
"Addicted to Love"
"The Best"
"Proud Mary"

"Nutbush City Limits"
"Be Tender With Me, Baby"


Matt

[Lee]

Hey, thanks for the review, Matt. I wanted to see her when she came to Philly in November, but I went to my high school reunion instead. I wish I would have went to the concert instead because the reunion was a snoozer!

Lee