Who
Brian Wilson
Where
Birmingham Symphony Hall
When
17th May 2016
Price
£55.00
Who with
No-one
Position
Seated, in the middle
Comments
It was advertised as Brian's final European tour, and he was accompanied by Al Jardine, so how could I possibly resist? I was less fussed by the fact it was the 50th anniversary tour of Pet Sounds too, but more on that later. I did consider attending the same show at the London Palladium, which would also have been a fantastic chance to visit a great music venue I've yet to set foot in, but as no-one would join me I thought it easier to settle for Birmingham. Also the Symphony Hall is a great venue, and by this point I'd ceased to care about if my social outings would clash with arbitrary overtime at work, foreshadowing my eventual escape from that hellhole. This was to be the fourth and surely final time that I'd be watching Brian Wilson, although it had been diminishing returns since my first viewing which was the only occasion where he'd been confidently leading the band and in flawless voice, but this is Brian Wilson we're talking about, and we should all be thankful that the guy is still touring and has been releasing strong albums for the past 12 or so years. Also his band are so accomplished that no Brian Wilson show could ever fall completely flat. In the build-up to the concert I barely heard any songs and had just returned from 9 days in Cyprus, which had occupied my thoughts so much I'd practically forgotten completely that I was attending! I wonder if one day I will simply forget to turn up to a show? I couldn't bring myself to search for a new job and had so much TV and lots of photos to catch up on that I needed some breathing space anyway. This show in fact was less than 48 hours after my return to England and luckily I hadn't picked up any more sunburn, as I'd been extra cautious after managing to horrifically burn myself in Llandudno of all places.

Also a couple of weeks earlier I'd watched Avengers 2.5, which is annoyingly billed as Captain America: Civil War, and I had developed a compelling theory that it is an interpretation of The Beach Boys story. Captain America is Mike Love, who thinks it's about him, but in reality he's just the annoying guy that people would prefer not to be there. Iron Man is the Brian Wilson of the piece - a bit mad, but the indisputable star of the show and the reason why it is so successful. Spider-Man is Dennis Wilson, who was the most popular in the early days, achieved fantastic solo heights, and has attempted to scale the old World Trade Center. Then Black Widow is Carl Wilson, i.e. quiet, universally popular but perhaps slightly dull, although we'd all like to see more of them to find out if they can make it by themselves. The final piece I could fit into the puzzle was Ant Man as Bruce Johnston, who hasn't done much but what he has done is absolutely fantastic, although he loses much respect by teaming up with Captain America (Mike Love). I was very proud of this theory, but infuriatingly couldn't think of who Al Jardine would be without labouring the comparison, and as I knew anything I'd post on the subject would be rudely ignored on Facebook by fools who can't even name The Beach Boys, I didn't build the analogy further, although I'm pleased that it's found itself a little home here! The Symphony Hall website was quite vague about the show times but I determined that there was no support band and that the performance would kick off at either 8 or 8:15pm. I chose to have tea at home to save time and money, which could have been risky but the train got me there perfectly on time, as I lamented the decline in quality of the NME I was reading since it had become a free publication. Also one of my earphones was unexpectedly fucked, so sadly I couldn't hear any Beach Boys tunes properly on my way in.

However I made up for these disappointments by treating myself to an obligatory McFlurry, and walked swiftly past the old Birmingham Central Library which they were still demolishing. My feet were still hurting a bit after all the walking I'd done on holiday, but I still arrived at the venue in good time, and in fact most of the crowd were still hanging around outside the venue. Some very strict rules about photography were posted outside, but they were pleasingly sensible as all they were discouraging was flash photography - which is a complete waste of time anyway at a gig and disruptive to the band - and the shooting of videos, which was a mild annoyance to me but a ban does stop people from filming the whole show. It worked out well as most fans just took a handful of completely unobtrusive photos, although a few were filming toward the end and I lost out a little as I didn't quite capture the perfect shot of Brian. My best attempt is above. I was given friendly and helpful directions to my seat while most were hanging outside, and I was surprised to note that the Symphony Hall has a full five levels. Last time I'd been in the balcony for Brian so it was good to be in the stalls, although I was a bit further back than I'd anticipated in row K, and adding a slope to the room to improve visibility would have been much appreciated, even though the seats had been laid out to minimise heads getting in the way. The stage was fully set up for Brian, with red curtains as a backdrop and a Brian Wilson circa 1966 side profile pic on the drum kit. At these venues they usually value punctuality and Brian appeared as I'd expected at 8:15pm. He just ambled onstage with the lights up and no fuss whatsoever, but rather than making for a disappointing start it just made the seemingly spontaneous standing ovation at the sight of our hero even more special. It's certainly not something any performer can take for granted, as I'd watched the famous Derren Brown play a perfectly good show, and even at the end he didn't receive this warm a reaction.

I had no idea what to expect so was pleased enough with Our Prayer, which segued into Heroes And Villains, but sadly without the bridge of Gee (How I Love My Girl). Brian looked maybe a little slimmer than he'd done before but otherwise the same, and the sound quality was as excellent as I expected from the band and the venue, although the lighting was occasionally irritating and distracting. Next up was the natural opener of California Girls, then Dance, Dance, Dance led into I Get Around. It was a strong start but perhaps stupidly so, as such a barrage of hits made it hard to absorb the details. I was much more intrigued to hear Al take over for Little Honda followed by Shut Down then Little Deuce Coupe, all dispatched so swiftly it was almost a medley. It was three classic early numbers I'd never heard live before, and which worked much better with the frighteningly healthy presence of Al Jardine. He looked and sounded absolutely fantastic, wearing a white suit and comfortably standing up throughout the entire show. His presence was what made this a special evening, and I could see that he's an unfairly overlooked member of the original Beach Boys who deserved a long moment in the spotlight. Al explained that Pet Sounds was to be the second half of the show and that the band were basically supporting themselves, although in my view the non-Pet Sounds material was of far greater interest. However, this show had fallen one day after the 50th anniversary of the album's release - a fact which was given a shout-out - and the guys had really missed a trick by choosing the anniversary itself as a rest day between shows. The crowd were positive and seemed knowledgeable and appreciative of the full depth of The Beach Boys back catalogue. Also it was a pleasant surprise to see so many women in the audience, although we'd had happily done without the annoying lady behind me who kept wittering on throughout the show!

The show then took a lovely turn with In My Room followed by Surfer Girl, as the band harmonised beautifully. However it was really Brian and Al we wanted to hear, so it was quite frustrating when Al introduced us to his son Matt Jardine, who took lead vocals on Don't Worry Baby and dominated quite a good portion of the singing after this. Although he was a fantastically strong singer, it was the original guys we wanted to hear, and he didn't look the part of the rock star much either. Perhaps this was all unavoidable though, as sadly Brian was much less involved than I'd seen him previously, and for long portions of the show his hands were clearly nowhere near his piano. It lit up the performance in the moments when he joined in with gestures or a winning smile, but given his age inevitably he couldn't sustain such a long show single-handedly. The gig however then went off at a brilliantly unexpected tangent, with a run of songs not all taken from the obvious pile of hits. I never thought for a second that they'd play Wake The World, and it demonstrated why I hold the 1970s Beach Boys in such high regard, and it's always lovely to be blown away by something so unexpected which never would have crossed my mind as worthy of the setlist until I heard it excelling in there. Amazingly this was overshadowed by a moving rendition of Add Some Music To Your Day. It loses a bit of edge now I note that I've seen Brian playing it once before, but whereas last time it had been an anticlimax amongst big hits this time it was perhaps the highlight of the night, almost bringing a tear to my eye. Absolutely amazing, and it was gratifying to see that a good proportion of the crowd knew enough about the band to appreciate such rare gems. Then I Kissed Her is a tune that I'm normally cold to, but it gained something thanks to Al's presence, and the continuing genius of Brian Wilson was then confirmed with One Kind Of Love, which was the only new tune (from No Pier Pressure), and it may go down in history as his final truly great anthem. It sounds incredible at the end of the Love And Mercy film, and lost no power tonight either.

Do It Again is an absolute classic but astonishingly came across as an anticlimax after a run of unexpected delights, although perhaps the next round of treats didn't hit the spot quite so overwhelmingly. A guy was introduced onstage as someone who'd toured with The Rolling Stones etc and he certainly looked the part, but I seem to have missed the point where it was announced that he was Blondie Chaplin, who'd been a genuine member of the group in the early 1970s. This lack of knowledge took a shine off Wild Honey, which is a song I've never relished to be honest due to its harsh production values. Blondie remained onstage to take the lead for Funky Pretty, which is a stunningly pretty tune, although it could have done without Blondie's endless guitar solos, which actually seemed to irritate the other members of the band as he made his way round the stage with abandon. The first set then finished with Sail On, Sailor, where I believe Matt Jardine took over again. I suspect that the presence of Blondie Chaplin encouraged the band to focus a bit more on their early 1970s material, and although it was nice to hear I'd had been even more delighted to hear some gems from the latter half of that same decade! I stayed put for the interval as many around me returned with small tubs of ice cream, and a fake giraffe was sneaked onstage to fit in with the Pet Sounds theme. The band returned and launched into Wouldn't It Be Nice, which is a great song but again it was frustrating to hear Matt Jardine taking the lead, as for such a key moment it really has to be Brian or Al dominating the mix. Although it was played and sung very competently, it was a shame not to hear it as originally intended. Sadly I struggle with some of the detail as I find myself writing up my scribbled notes a full week after the show, but the album continued as expected with excellent musicianship, and for the instrumental Let's Go Away For Awhile Al took to the side of the stage to enjoy a chat with the soundman, hopefully a meeting about further improving the sonics of the show!

Perhaps the most jaw-dropping moment of the entire evening followed, as some absolute moron decided to leave his fantastic seat in front of me before Sloop John B, then returning after God Only Knows. There is absolutely no earthly reason for anyone to do that, and he had to endure quite a walk of shame as he returned! Sloop John B was another number that gained an edge thanks to the presence of Al Jardine, although Brian sadly struggled a bit with his vocals during God Only Knows. Next up was I Know There's An Answer, and it's interesting to note that the guys haven't taken the chance to revert to its original lyric of Hang On To Your Ego. There'd been some very strange choice of lead vocalists tonight, and perhaps none more so was Brian singing lead on Here Today, which is a Mike Love song if ever there was one, but a rare number where his vocals are actually a delight. Brian had a good go at it, but it was one moment where his voice didn't fit into the song at all. I Just Wasn't Made For These Times was most distinguished by the excellent use of spotlights on the band for the instrumental bits, especially the saxophone solos. The album finished with Caroline, No, and Brian got up to make his exit before it finished, as the applause drowned out much of the noises at the end. I've got to say that hearing the Pet Sounds album did improve my regard for it, but for me the endless praise it receives to the exclusion of the other incredible music that The Beach Boys have recorded is completely wrong. Most of their greatest songs are strewn over the many albums that came before and after, and I feel that the wonderful The Beach Boys Love You album is far more informal and endearing. Surf's Up would also be a contender for best album if the giant turd that is Student Demonstration Time didn't despoil its middle.

I'd rate Surfer Girl as the ultimate expression of the youthful brilliance of the band, and certainly would pick out Sunflower as a glorious example of the band moving away from Brian as the individual members stepped up and demonstrated their talent and personalities. I also have a lot of love for the M.I.U. Album, and although they are patchy I would regard All Summer Long and Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) to almost be a match for Pet Sounds due to the sheer strength of their finest moments. However, ultimately all of these - except perhaps Love You - are utterly upstaged by the incredible Smile album, which was completed so brilliantly by Brian Wilson in 2004. Even if The Beach Boys never saw it through to completion as a group, after hearing it assembled I don't see how anyone could still be banging on about Pet Sounds instead. At the least Pet Sounds sits somewhere in the top 10 Beach Boys albums, and at the very best it is a contender for their finest consistent effort, but I find it insane that it is treated as the undisputed masterpiece by so many, as this does a grave disservice to all their other incredible material. The crowd remained standing for the ovation and weren't to sit down again, which is always good as all shows are greatly energised by a bit of verticality. The saxophonist came back on to introduce the band one at a time, with the biggest cheers reserved for Al and Brian, and perhaps this is a good point to mention the outrageous fact that Jeff Foskett had left Brian to join Mike Love. It feels a little like abandoning Nelson Mandela to team up with Adolf Hitler, so I don't know what could have possessed him, except perhaps the realisation that Mike Love may continue touring long after Brian retires, as the man remains infuriatingly healthy and obnoxious to this day. Also Taylor Mills had left and there was no indication as to why, and it was only at this point when I realised who Blondie Chaplin was, which gave added meaning as he rejoined the band onstage.

I'd been gutted to miss out on seeing The Beach Boys reunion in 2012, expecting the announcement of a Saturday night show in London that never came, but tonight in fact had more than made up for it, as seeing Brian with Al had given the show a huge boost that made this repeated viewing more than worthwhile. When I considered that all the concert was missing was the unwanted Mike Love - who actually had the audacity to kick out Brian after the reunion tour - and Bruce Johnston, who is good when he's good but loses a lot of respect due to his ongoing association with Mike Love, I come to realise that I hadn't missed out on anything much, as without Carl and Dennis it can never truly be a reformation anyway. I say this also fearing that the band will never reform again and to convince myself that I haven't missed out, but I do feel that the main draw of seeing The Beach Boys would simply be to watch the guys billed under their intended stage name, rather than hearing Mike and Bruce added to the mix. The group returned onstage to do their usual trick of playing what felt like literally the six greatest songs ever recorded in a row, and if anyone had come this far in the show and not yet been blown away, this was the point where they were won over. Even one of the stewards seemed to be overwhelmed by the hits, taking a couple of photos and miming along to the saxophone, briefly interrupting his search for fans using their camera flash by mistake to enjoy the show like the rest of us. And who could resist, as Brian Wilson's songs have reached a rare critical mass where it is almost impossible to recruit security staff who aren't fans. It reminded me of Oasis at Leeds 2000, where even the bouncers were enthusiastically singing the anthems while pulling fans from the crowd. But anyway, this astonishing run of masterpieces kicked off with Good Vibrations, then the unexpected delight of All Summer Long, which in my mind has always belonged amongst the massive hitters of the finale, and certainly more so than Johnny B Goode, which may be a fantastic song but isn't one Brian can claim credit for, so it wasn't missed tonight in the slightest.

Hearing Help Me Rhonda with Al Jardine singing lead as originally intended was glorious, although Brian in better days had made a fantastic stab at it too. I was even more blown away to hear Barbara Ann, especially upon realising I'd entirely forgotten about it. Thanks to those bloody cheese adverts it may go down in history as the most famous Beach Boys moment, and when played live it acquires such a power that you can easily forget it's a cover version that was recorded a bit clumsily at the time. Sadly Brian didn't stand up and put on his guitar for Surfin' U.S.A. this time round, and I really had to wonder where my head was at when they launched into Fun, Fun, Fun, and that somehow I'd forgotten completely about the existence of the definitive Beach Boys closing number. It would have been a fantastic place to finish, but Brian remained for an unexpected quiet interpretation of Love And Mercy, which has sneakily taken its place amongst the greats, although the 1980s production does let down the original recording. Sadly Brian suffered a coughing fit but he soldiered onto the end, and I think most fans just realised how lucky they were to be in the presence of the man who will surely go down in history as the Mozart of the 20th century, although in my view classical music is horribly overrated by people who think it makes them intellectual and Brian stands on the shoulders of everyone thanks to his bounty of classic pop songs which evolved into startlingly complex forms. The show finished around 10:45pm - 15 minutes later than advertised - and after more applause and a round of bowing Brian slowly made his way offstage, being helped on his way to remind us how lucky we are that he is still performing as age is catching up with him. Unless he truly loves touring so much he wishes to continue, he deserves a retirement where he can enjoy a good time relaxing and basking in his monumental achievements, as he has nothing left to prove to anyone.

An instrumental version of I Get Around was played on the way out and I briefly checked out the t-shirts, but mainly to fume at the £25 cost. When did that price become acceptable to anyone? I made my way to Brewdog for a quick (and wonderful) pint while writing up the notes that form the basis of this review. I'm astonished to note that a stonking 39 songs had been played tonight, and the fact that most of Brian's hits are short doesn't take away from the fact that this had been a marathon set by any standards. Sadly I again missed out on hearing any tunes from the glorious Beach Boys Love You, and it's a tragedy that the period between Sail On, Sailor and Love And Mercy is always ignored, as in my mind it would make for an infinitely more interesting set than hearing Pet Sounds, and would do a lot to prove to people how brilliant the band remained until the later days of their career. Also although the early 1970s were given more attention than usual, it would have meant a lot to hear period classics such as This Whole World, Bluebirds Over The Mountain, Feel Flows, Forever, A Day In The Life Of A Tree or 'Til I Die as well. Delving back into the 1960s, I'm still frustrated to have never heard the band performing Surf's Up, Fire or Surfin' Safari, and I note that previously Brian has performed classics such as Drive-In, Hawaii and Catch A Wave, although I can live without them in the set knowing I've got to hear them in the past. In fact in retrospect it is a greater blow that I didn't get to watch Brian performing Smile than missing out on the reunion proper in 2012. I am astonished to note that Brian remains on tour until October 2016, with a full five months of shows after this. It's a hell of a schedule for anyone to handle! I was delighted to get to see Al Jardine joining in the fun, which had made the evening a very worthwhile experience, but I suspect this is the last time I'll get to watch Brian, although rather than being saddened by this I realise how lucky I am to have seen the great man play a stonking four times over an enjoyable nine year period.
Setlist
Our Prayer
Heroes And Villains
California Girls
Dance, Dance, Dance
I Get Around
Little Honda
Shut Down
Little Deuce Coupe
In My Room
Surfer Girl
Don't Worry Baby
Wake The World
Add Some Music To Your Day
Then I Kissed Her
One Kind Of Love
Do It Again
Wild Honey
Funky Pretty
Sail On, Sailor
Wouldn't It Be Nice
You Still Believe In Me
That's Not Me
Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)
I'm Waiting For The Day
Let's Go Away For Awhile
Sloop John B
God Only Knows
I Know There's An Answer
Here Today
I Just Wasn't Made For These Times
Pet Sounds
Caroline, No
Good Vibrations
All Summer Long
Help Me Rhonda
Barbara Ann
Surfin' U.S.A.
Fun, Fun, Fun
Love And Mercy

Mark: 8.5/10