GIG NUMBER ONE HUNDRED AND ONE
Who
We turned up to the South Bank Centre reasonably promptly for 7:30pm. I can't claim much experience of what old fogies would deem "proper" shows but I'd expected a support band and for Brian to treat us to 90 minutes or so from 9pm onwards. We were sitting right in the middle of the rear stalls towards the back and observed that this was a massive and supremely modern room, with comfortable seats and lots of balconies which looked like pods. I couldn't quite believe my watch when, just after 7:30, the lights went down and BRIAN WILSON took to the stage! What the hell? Somehow, everybody else seemed to have magically known about this early start and the hall was pretty full, but it is far from normal to have no support and to actually start the main show so early. I'm grateful that we had turned up on time, but would have been devastated beyond words if we hadn't! He kicked off with the very pretty and unexpected Girl Don't Tell Me, following it up with Dance, Dance, Dance, which is a good song but is perpetually dwarfed by the rest of his catalogue. Things really took off with Salt Lake City, which was just so tuneful and happy it's since become one of my favourites. The crowd remained seated at this point, apart from a small ovation as Brian took to the stage, and I wished I had better glasses so that the band would be more than a distant blur. The sound was fantastic though and the sheer quality of tuneage ensured that even at our distance we could feel the excitement in the air. What it would be like if you were a lucky millionaire dancing in a balcony or right down the front I can't begin to imagine. There were even some distinctly unroyal-looking people in the Royal Box, and I could still see that Brian was surrounded by a dozen or so musicians who provided him with much supporting vocals and a dense layer of sound. Brian had his usual keyboard in front of him and, although he was in strong voice and confident (!) mood, he barely played anything. Then I Kissed Her did little to change my mind about it being a low-point for the band, and Surfer Girl, as lovely as it was, should maybe have been saved for later on when we'd warmed up a bit. We'd naturally been making lots of jokes beforehand about Brian being insane and the chances of him freaking out onstage, but all doubts about his mental state were dispelled as he asked us if we were ready for That Lucky Old Sun then launched into an extremely catchy newbie called Roll Around Heaven. One of his band then asked Brian if he was sure he wanted to play it yet, and after a bit of banter decided they'd continue with some more hits first! Brian had succeeded in charming us and making us WANT to hear new material with this taster, which is a hell of an achievement for any band. Plus he had made us all smile and really appreciate the next barrage of hits - the guy is probably saner than I am! He also asked how many people were in their teens, their twenties, their thirties etc, and it said much about the diverse crowd that every age group was almost evenly represented.
The barrage of hits such as Do You Wanna Dance?, When I Grow Up (To Be A Man) and She Knows Me Too Well which followed made me wonder whether we were here to celebrate the 42nd anniversary of 1965! That had been a great year for the band, but for the most part I prefer other time periods. I'd Love Just Once To See You was a delightful romp, and was sufficiently obscure that most thought it was a random improvisation a la Half Man Half Biscuit to laugh along to! Thanks to being delivered a bit later in the set, In My Room was so moving it actually sounded better than Surfer Girl. Things were all going great, but were about to enter another realm with what must surely rank as the best eight songs played in a row by any band in the history of the world ever. Do It Again started with an unrecognisable intro but got us all singing along once it revealed itself. Sail On, Sailor usually sounds a little awkward, but its full brilliance was demonstrated tonight. As it was a tune that Brian was forced to write at the height of his insanity, it was heartening to see him reclaiming it as his own masterpiece. As you'd expect, the introduction for California Girls caused a buzz of excitement and applause, and he followed up one of the most perfect pop songs ever with Wouldn't It Be Nice and Sloop John B from Pet Sounds - this was heaven!! Next up was God Only Knows (!) and around this point the show ground to a halt for a few minutes for a spontaneous standing ovation. You could feel the love for Brian oozing out across the room, and if I were in his position I'd had been overcome by emotion. If anything though, he just wanted us to stop applauding so he could continue unleashing hits on us. I let out yet another gasp of joy as he launched into a near-definitive version of Heroes And Villains and, just when I thought it couldn't possibly get any better, he closed out the first section of the show with Good Vibrations!! We were all in raptures and for anybody reading this, just recite the last eight song titles again and I confirm that YES it really did happen!
Brian left the stage and I turned to Matt to check that I wasn't imagining it and he had in fact just played all those songs. The first half of the set had shocked us both to the core and even if that was all we were getting, I couldn't have complained. We stretched our legs then decided to swap our seats round for what would be That Lucky Old Sun, fortunately letting me escape the large and jerking head in front of me! I had no idea what to expect, but was so happy now I was open to anything. Brian returned and explained that he was going to launch into his new suite, that he hoped we'd like it and that he'd let us know when it's over so we don't applaud at the wrong times. We then had the best part of an hour of entirely new material, all of which sounded good - Maybe a bit too good! That Lucky Old Sun had the trademark Beach Boys sound and passed the time very nicely. I'm looking forward to the day it gets recorded and released, when no doubt I will appreciate just how good it actually was. Around 30 minutes in I did tire, expecting it to end soon, only for it to keep carrying on. I always find new tunes difficult to enjoy, and I couldn't believe that Brian had the stamina to sing for so long. There were some spoken word bits that had been pre-recorded and accompanied by videos, where Brian just sat back in the dark, and we also had some lyrical references to Surfer Girls and California sunshine. My favourite bit was when the lighting took on the colours of the Mexican flag for a segment called Mexican Girl, which was thoroughly wacky and made me smile. There was also a touching bit of Can't Wait Too Long thrown in, accompanied by pictures of Carl And Dennis. Once again I questioned how Brian could stand the poignancy of such a moment, and it further demonstrated just how sane and downright on form he was. The end of the suite was met by a very sincere standing ovation, and assuming that SMiLE doesn't count, That Lucky Old Sun sounds like the most promising thing that Brian has done for 30 years - and that's high praise indeed.
After another short break, the band returned to the stage one at a time for a self-congratulatory introducing the band segment. Each member was introduced individually, and then whoever had just came on introduced the next person, and so forth. It sounded like quite a few of the band were important players, one of them having done the arrangements of That Lucky Old Sun. It really made me wonder how important Brian is to their set-up, but he's always been great at collaborating, so I'd hate to think he had next to no input! Brian was last to take to the stage and his praise of London was so high that it really made us believe it is his favourite place in the world. After the inhuman bombardment of hits earlier, I kept going over in my mind what he could do next, little realising that he would again surpass all my hopes. The Beach Boys had played Johnny B Goode live, so there was a good reason for it to start things off again. The band then followed this with five songs that were probably even better than the run in the middle, as we finally all rose to our feet to clap along and dance without rest. I Get Around, Help Me Rhonda and Barbara Ann were dispatched one after the other, and this was beyond my wildest Brian Wilson-related dreams, as now he was performing the hits he didn't even sing much on! Surfin' U.S.A. may have been the highlight of the night, as Brian stood up to play guitar. Suddenly he unleashed the energy of his younger self while still keeping it tight and sweet. This segued into a triumphant rendition of Fun, Fun, Fun, which I hadn't had the slightest hope of him playing. Wow! If I could travel back in time, seeing The Beach Boys live at Knebworth in 1980 has always been one of the destinations I've thought most about. However, this killer climax utterly eclipsed that show, and even the average man in the street would have recognised a healthy proportion of the tunes we'd enjoyed tonight. There was a rapturous ovation then Brian and the band returned for one last number, dedicated to Paul McCartney, who "couldn't be here tonight". She's Leaving Home may be off Sgt. Peppers, an album we are meant to believe is just about the best ever, but it was an anti-climax and one of the lows of the show! Brian Wilson has completed SMiLE, toured Pet Sounds, unveiled a fantastic new work and regained his sanity, so making The Beatles look hopelessly inferior seems like a good way of topping things off!
We had been treated to a stonking THIRTY-SIX songs tonight, and the evening had finished quite late in the end. Brian had demonstrated his skill in doing both fantastic pop and art, also with the ability to rock out when required, and showed the stamina that would be the envy of many new acts today. Criticisms are few and far between. The main issue was that we were sitting so far back, but that's hardly Brian's fault. The setlist was better than I'd had dared hope. On the other nights he'd played classics such as Catch A Wave, Love And Mercy and Drive-In, and bigger hits he'd missed out altogether included Don't Worry Baby, Caroline, No, Surfin’ Safari, All Summer Long, Let Him Run Wild, Surf's Up, 'Til I Die, Fire, Darlin', Feel Flows, Forever... The list goes on, but that says it all about how many great tunes Brian has written. I was surprised that he hadn't played anything from Love You, as Honkin' Down The Highway or The Night Was So Young would have been highlights wheeled out to celebrate the 30th anniversary of an L.P. I'd choose over Pet Sounds any day. Shocked into submission by a tidal wave of hits, Matt had been similarly shaken by just how amazing Brian had been, and we discussed how the older people here probably did not absorb just how good the show was, being unable to appreciate how well it stands up to music being made today. We went out onto the balcony for some photos and had a long conversation with a stoned American who was apparently going to be seeing Brian backstage in a bit, which gave us a chance to see who had the most obscure Beach Boys knowledge (result - he knew more about who played/sung what, I knew more about the songs and albums). And this drew a memorable evening to a close, although we were sufficiently energetic to go to a pub or two, and I was listening to Beach Boys music more than ever in the weeks afterwards. And what's that you say? This review is too long? Well I didn't write it until the following month, so who knows how long it would have been if these events had been fresh in my mind. Brian Wilson. Greatest musician of the 20th century and, at this rate, the 21st century too!
Mark: 9.5/10
Brian Wilson
Where
London Royal Festival Hall
When
12th September 2007
Price
£45.00
Who with
Matt
Position
Seated, towards the back
Comments
After missing out previously due to unemployment, nothing short of brain-death could possibly have prevented me from seeing the legendary Brian Wilson this time. Both Pet Sounds and SMiLE tours had passed and I never heard anything except good words about them. Ever since becoming a Beach Boys fan in 2002/3 I have grown steadily more obsessed. No compilation albums out there do justice to the depth and quality of the work of this group, and I now love the 70's output so much I'd consider it equal to the bands work of the 60's in its own special way. I was fortunate that Matt was also up for this show so I didn't have to go alone, and we got tickets for what I was sure was the second night (Wednesday) but my research tells me was the third. In fact this show was the second of three London-based gigs for me, sandwiching The Good, The Bad And The Queen and Arcade Fire. My previous visit to London has already been extensively chronicled, and this excursion was almost as excellent, taking in a trip inside The Houses Of Parliament, a keenly fought game of air hockey, walking past Charles Kennedy and having my photo taken with the recently unveiled Nelson Mandela statue... And that was just on the day of this show! I hadn't moved down south mind - I've simply started taking advantage of all the gigs on down there. It's a bit sad that foreign acts feel that a few nights in London is all they need to bother with, and don't deem the rest of the country worth visiting but, if you can't beat them, join them. And full praise to Brian for travelling around the rest of Britain after this stint. We'd spent the previous evening having a Beach Boys music session so were definitely in a good frame of mind for the show, and had spent much of the day exclaiming that we will actually be seeing Brian Wilson later on! We also debated what he would play with such a wealth of material to choose from. I'm sure I'd heard mumblings of an anniversary, so guessed we'd have songs relating to the Love You L.P. (great!) but knew that this show was being advertised as the unveiling of a new suite, and I never expected anything more than two encores with some hits - how wrong I was!
Setlist
Girl Don't Tell Me
Dance, Dance, Dance
Salt Lake City
Then I Kissed Her
Surfer Girl
Roll Around Heaven
Do You Wanna Dance?
When I Grow Up (To Be A Man)
She Knows Me Too Well
I'd Love Just Once To See You
In My Room
Do It Again
Sail On, Sailor
California Girls
Wouldn't It Be Nice
Sloop John B
God Only Knows
Heroes And Villains
Good Vibrations
Morning Beat
Good Kind Of Love
Forever My Surfer Girl
Live Let Live
Mexican Girl
California Role
Oxygen
Midnight's Another Day
Going Home
Southern California
Johnny B Goode
I Get Around
Help Me Rhonda
Barbara Ann
Surfin' U.S.A.
Fun, Fun, Fun
She's Leaving Home
n.b. This might be in the correct order. Maybe.
