GIG NUMBER EIGHTY-FIVE
Who
The Killer's battered piano was already set up centre stage when we'd arrived (clearly too much effort to lug on after the support) and I wondered how long he's been using it as his standard. By a rare slice of luck, as we were seated to the left we had an excellent angle to watch him playing it. However, first up I must review the support band Matchbox. They are an absurdly old fashioned band considering they were briefly famous in 1979-1980 and for some reason have found the demand to reform and tour for the last ten years. However, their retro style worked a treat with the conservative element of the crowd. They were impossible to pin down to one sound as they spent most of the show covering other people's songs and switching singer. They covered Over The Rainbow (quite unnecessary thank you very much) and a very good song by The Crickets. They dedicated one tune to the apparently long deceased Gene Vincent, when Arthur Lee was the only person anybody should have been dedicating a song to if they are living in the modern world. The singer dressed up in leathers and one guy looked like Clint Boon, plus another guy was wearing the ultimate stereotypical ageing 70s rocker shirt. However, although Matchbox are hilariously easy targets for ridicule due to the reasons outlined above, I shouldn't be too critical. The crowd seemed to enjoy it and joined in the regular demands from stage to sing along. They were certainly not awful, but by my standards seemed yet another mediocre supporting act.
Jerry's band took to the stage after a short wait but with no Killer in sight. These four guys proceeded to play one song each - making four in total. They all hailed from Tennessee and made an excellent stab at their brief spells in the spotlight. Mainstay of the backing band was I believe Kenny Lovelace who has played with Jerry for 40 years and showed his experience and competence. The bassist had a name similar to BB King and was wearing classic facial fuzz. His take on Tutti Frutti was the best of the four songs. The other guy looked like Sir Jack Hayward in a cowboy outfit and although the drummer didn't have the same classic American look about him he performed his tune very well. This little slot of showcasing the talents of the band worked nicely and made the moment when Jerry Lee Lewis ambled onstage even more exciting. The crowd erupted spectacularly and everybody got to their feet to watch the very old man stagger his way to the piano. In fact the aisles became so crowded that it took a good ten minutes for everyone to return to their seats. Once he was in front of his piano though his age didn't show as he launched into an energetic and raw version of Roll Over Beethoven. This was a strong opener only harmed by the poor sound mix coming out of the speakers. The set then settled down into a relatively quiet run of songs I couldn't identify, many of which seemed to be cover versions. The band were either staring adoringly at Jerry or were carefully following his unpredictable lead. Jerry in his casual shirt appeared like a retired holidaymaker or an even more aged Brian Wilson, and looked every inch his 71 years of age. However, he did an incredible job handling almost all the vocals by himself in a show people half his age would find tiring.
Although the sound quality did seem to settle down his piano remained fairly muffled in the mix. He seemed to hammer it with skill, occasionally playing notes from left to right. However, not being a pianist myself I really don't know how difficult playing the piano like him would be. Another sign of the youth of the crowd was that people were heckling encouragement at him, which was reasonably brushed off by Jerry's announcement that he couldn't hear a word so there was no point shouting! He occasionally leaned back to talk to his band and apparently he took exception to the small crowd of people who ran up to the front of the stage to take mobile phone pictures of him in a steady stream. After that point the bouncers started turning people away who tried to come in close to take photos. They even were trying to make people sit down, but when the whole crowd stood up (at the start and the end) they had little choice but to stop being dickheads and leave us alone. I tried briefly to take a photo with my phone but the quality was just too poor. No wonder everybody wanted to get closer for a decent picture! After lots of songs I didn't really know, the energy level was upped again for the hilariously strong climax of Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On and Great Balls Of Fire. Surprisingly, the former may have proved the more enjoyable, possibly because I was expecting less from it, but both tunes really got everybody going.
The crowd got to their feet to cheer Jerry as he left his piano and slowly walked towards the door, giving him an absolutely storming standing ovation. Although it wasn't even 10pm and his presence onstage had only been for around 40 minutes, there was no encore and nobody seemed to be expecting one. Given his age and fragility I couldn't blame him at all. Although he only really played three songs I know, he did the ones that mattered and the omissions of Good Golly Miss Molly, Sweet Little Sixteen, Little Queenie and Johnny B Goode aren't too big a deal as they're not really his songs. We tried to get a drink at the bar but it had inexcusably been closed the second the show had finished. The lead singer from Matchbox was hanging around by the front of the stage in what seemed like a blatant attempt to get people to talk to him, but compared to hiding yourself away backstage this was closer to the right idea. We went to the Little Civic for a lemonade and then returned home. I certainly wouldn't pay all this money to see him again but am glad to say I've seen him play and he was good. And here I am only four days later putting the finishing touches to the review, which I am proud of as it's been a while since I've been keeping this section of the site so up to date! NOW BRING ON READING!!!!!
Mark: 7.0/10
Jerry Lee Lewis
Support
Matchbox
Where
Wolverhampton Civic Hall
When
9th August 2006
Price
£25.50 (FREE for me!)
Who with
Dad
Position
Seated, towards the front
Comments
Although a very expensive evening at a seated venue, an opportunity to see a living legend who INSPIRED The Beatles when I didn't even have to pay was too good to miss. It also was nicely sandwiched between the Dpercussion and Reading festivals so helped to continue a very exciting musical period and this was I believe the first time I'd seen a gig at The Civic since The Bluetones in 2000! This night had been planned to perfection months in advance, even down to me listening to some of his records enough to be familiar with his hits, and came off without a hitch. In retrospect I should have paid even more to see his double header a year previously with Chuck Berry rather than attending this show but for some reason didn't bother. Straight after work I met my Dad and we went to an Indian restaurant for a massive meal and then I popped to the city centre for a McFlurry. Time was precious though as the doors of the Civic were opening at 6:45pm, presumably so that The Killer could have an early night, which seemed fair enough. We wandered around the venue and it seems to be a different size every time I go in it. It was lovely and cool by the reception but was slightly too warm inside, although hardly as hot as it had been in previous weeks. The bouncers were imposing a strict regime and would not let anybody wander upstairs. The bar at the back looked almost decent, making a contrast from its Saturday night chaos. As I'd already had a McFlurry, I just about managed to resist buying anything, although an ice cream vendor was temptingly placed in front of the stage! However, the real reason to do all this wandering was that the Civic has seats that would fare poorly compared even with an Odeon Cinema so we didn't want to have to sit! These were I believe exactly the same seats that the venue has been using since I saw Frank Skinner there eight years ago, and I think they are particularly unsuitable for the geriatric people who prefer seated gigs. But I guess that's why you'd pay more to sit upstairs, and I've got to say that the crowd were a fascinating mix of age groups. Both young and old were here, displaying a far wider range than at the Solid Silver 60s Show at the snobbier Grand Theatre.
