Glenn Hughes

"Set-List – Muscle and Blood – Touch My Life – Orion - Sail Away – First Step of Love– Medusa – You Got Soul – Keepin’ Time - Can’t Stop The Flood – You Keep On Moving – Stormbringer – Soul Mover – (encores) – Addiction – Burn.

There are some ‘different’ venues being utilised as part of Glenn’s 2011 dates, the Opera House in Buxton being one such – with its velvet theatre seats and very ornate ceiling, it all seemed quite un-rock ‘n’ roll compared to the more conventional sticky-floored jostle-fests of Glenn’s usual tour circuit.  It seemed a bit weird at first that none of the audience were standing - however, I’m sure I wasn’t the only gentleman-of-a-certain-age who appreciated being able to have a sit down whilst enjoying the show (having stood for 3 hours at Rush a couple of days before – my legs aren’t what they used to be…they used to be my arms! ). 

Glenn and the band didn’t seem fazed by the setting, playing-up a storm with a rocky set-list that trimmed back some of the vocal excesses of previous tours.  There were a few tweaks to the song choices compared to the UK shows at the end of last year, and there seem to be noticeable changes to the sound these days as well.  In the past Glenn’s bass has been turned up high, often at the expense of the guitar and keyboards : this time out, the guitar and keyboards are loud and clear, as of course are the vocals, with the bass very much present, without dominating.

The set-list seemed to keep the crowd happy, with ‘First Step of Love’, ‘Orion’, ‘Flood’ and ‘Medusa’ in particular getting rousing receptions, and ‘Stormbringer’ causing a flurry of bobbing, balding heads throughout the theatre.

Glenn’s exuberance and lust for life has taken on almost evangelical proportions, and it’s difficult not to get caught up in it.  He revealed at one point that he only has one good ear now as “Jon Lord blew the other one up years ago”, and that his chocolate addiction was never Mars Bars (as Gary Moore was famously reported as saying Kerrang! magazine back in the 80’s) but that his choc of choice was in fact...Flakes.  So now you know.

Great gig (as usual) with Glenn seemingly effortlessly nailing all the impossible notes with an ease that defies the aging process.  Do yourself a favour, and catch a show if you can.

p.s. – We did stand up for the encores!

review: Tim Summers

"Set-List – Muscle and Blood – Touch My Life – Orion - Sail Away – First Step of Love– Medusa – You Got Soul – Keepin’ Time - Can’t Stop The Flood – You Keep On Moving – Stormbringer – Soul Mover – (encores) – Addiction – Burn.

Another week, another historic old theatre and another Glenn Hughes gig!

 ( - and in this theatre there was even an usherette selling those little cinema-style tubs of ice cream after the support act finished!)

Glenn’s set list was the same as last week’s, but the enthusiasm and vigour with which the whole band attack the material shows that whilst they’re a well-oiled machine, they are in no way ‘just going through the motions’.   With excellent sound again (give that sound engineer a medal!) the whole set bristles with energy, injecting new life into the old Purple and Trapeze numbers, as well as showing the quality of more recent material.  The Hughes-Thrall track ‘First Step of Love’ has been elevated to classic-status courtesy of a heartfelt new vocal intro from Mr Hughes whilst the title track of the ‘Addiction’ album appearing as it does as the penultimate song of the night is quite amazing – a tough, aggressive vocal which Glenn blasts out in note-perfect fashion …unbelievable that he’s already been singing for 90 minutes by this point!   ‘Orion’ has a crazy echoplex-style solo courtesy of guitarist Soren Andersen, evoking memories of Tommy B, whilst  ‘Burn’ has the old Mark III concert-opening ‘wall of sound’ reinstated at the start (quite right too) and sends the audience home happy.

Roll on the Black Country Communion tour!

review: Tim Summers