Critic's evaluation
November 2017. The month that would come to Brazil three of the big names in the industry of rock and roll industry. In a single day, the cities of Curitiba (PR), São Paulo (SP) and Rio de Janeiro (RJ) would receive ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Deep Purple at the festival Solid Rock festival. Not only the mixture of subgenres such as blues, country and progressive , but the event would be a great experience for rock lovers.
But it didn't last long and there was the first change in the lineup. In October, ZZ Top cancelled their participation in the event due to a stomach illness contracted by bassist and vocalist Dusty Hill, putting an end to the Tonnage Tour. In his place, the American hard rock group Tesla of American hard rock group Tesla took its place. This, in turn, would make, after 36 years on the road, its debut in Brazil.
One month later, Lynyrd Skynyrd cancelled its concerts with Tesla and Deep Purple at Solid Rock. In November, the daughter of lead singer Johnny Van Zant was diagnosed with a disease called Acute Lymphoblastic Lymphoma, putting an end to the group's the group's South American tour. In response, Lynyrd Skynyrd informed that the hard rockers of Cheap Trick would replace her. And so the lineup for the event came about. Tesla, Cheap Trick and Deep Purple.
Finally, after Curitiba (PR), it was São Paulo (SP)'s turn to receive Solid Rock. Scheduled to take place at Allianz Parque, the event started on time, as predicted the organization. At 6:30pm Tesla entered the stadium stage. The audience was almost null, and Those who were present were shy, without enthusiasm for the novelty that was being presented.
However, well thought out or not, members Frank Hannon, Brian Wheat, Jeff Keith, Troy Luccketa, and Dave Rude opened the performance with a simple way of saying: "Shut up and listen to us. You'll like it!". Said and done. The killer Edison's Medicine brings right away a striking guitar riff, vaguely reminiscent of Van Halen, meeting with the drums and meeting the drums and bass in a typical 1980's hard rock groove.
People looked at each other with surprised faces at the pressure presented by the newcomers. presented by the newcomers. The swing of the instruments and the drive of vocalist Jeff Keith played the primary role of warm-up. Rock horns were seen in every corner of the audience, always accompanied with the typical rock and roll head bobbing, hair being tossed back and forth.
But it was with Heaven's Trail, from The Great Radio Controversy, the band's second studio album, that the public got excited and began to present another energy to the show. But Love Song, a ballad from the same CD, did not have the same effect. The audience warmed again.
But Telsa wasn't intimidated and, in one hour and a half of the show, went through her entire discography of 14 studio works. discography of 14 studio works. Hang Tough came up in an attempt to revive the presents, with success. In this song, in particular, one could notice the complete similarity in Keith's vocal technique and timbre of Keith's voice with Aerosmith vocalist Steven Tyler.
At 59 years of age, Jeff Keith commanded a performance based on great hits that between ballads and hard rock with a slightly European influence. In this aspect, the sound and the vocals reminded us of the Swiss group Gotthard. Similarities aside, Tesla managed to show its potential, its pressure, and its stage and sound and sonorous presences that ended with Modern Day Cowboy. A warm welcome to you.
At the end of the performance, a quick dispersion of the audience. Some sat down, others lay down. But those who were there only and only to watch the English Deep Purple protected their seats in any way they could. With backpacks, coats or food leftovers.
Punctually at 7:30 pm, Cheap Trick also entered the stage of Allianz Parque to start their debut on Earth's Rain. Hello There was the welcome song chosen. With a start similar to the sound brought by the country rock group Creedence Clearwater Revival. With more audience interaction than their predecessor band, members Rick Nielsen, Robin Zander, Tom Peterson and Daxx Nielsen managed to get more screams more screams and jumps from the audience.
On the very fifth song of the setlist, a surprise. Cheap Trick included the song She's Tight, from the 1982 album One On One. The song was recently highlighted by the hard rock group Steel Panther, who covered it and included it on their latest studio album Lower The Bar, released this year.
With more blues presence and a more classic take, the group played a total of 19 songs during their time in the stadium. In the meantime, there were
the electronic background and even the replacement of Robin Zander by bassist Tom Petersson at the microphone during the performance of I'm Waiting For the Man, a cover by The Velvet Underground.
However, this was not the only cover performance in the show. Fats Domino and Big Star were also honored in the set with the songs Ain't That A Shame and In The Street, respectively. But, it was with their own songs Dream Police and Surrender that Cheap Trick won over the audience.
In Dream Police, with its riff and tone similar to the Baba O'Riley song, by
The Who, the audience responded well to the performance, singing along and jumping up and down. With Surrender, better known than the previous one, the rest of the people not yet reached by the group's potential was also conquered until the final performance, of the song Goodnight Now.
A curious fact about Cheap Trick that few people know is that last year, the group was included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the category category. Perhaps this recognition was enough to show that the group, which has been on the road for 43 years on the road know how to put on a good show.
At the end, the audience was already fuller and the sun was already saying its last goodbye. Still, new people were trying to conquer a space among the Deep Purple fans, present there, close to the fence, since the gates opened at 4pm. But, at this, the headliner's show was getting closer and closer.
At 10 pm, the lights of Allianz Parque went out. The screams of the audience echoed throughout the entire space. Gradually, the members of Deep Purple were present on the stage. Don Airey, Steve Morse, Ian Paice, Roger Gloover and Ian Gillan entered already taking their places to start the probable last presentation of the group in Brazil.
Highway Star was the beginning of what would be a memorable performance. The audience, made clear their preference for groups that had already conquered the ground with the field with classics. At the first sound of the opening song, the screams and jumps increased in great proportions.
In the form of a medley, Purple transited through the following Pictures Of Home and Bloodsucker, giving no time to breathe for the people present. The curious thing is, on one hand, the audience was so anxious to watch Deep Purple that, when the moment really arrived, the people lived the moment in a daze. At silent. Just admiring the show as if they were watching a play.
Several things were surprising about the band. Appropriately enough, the
first to draw surprised looks was keyboardist Don Airey, with his precision, agility, and versatility. The other was drummer Ian Paice, who grooved in a finely tuned and rhythmic way, with clean and clear sounds.
In the set, Purple used the song Uncommon Man to dedicate to the English composer and pianist Jon Lord, who was in the band from 1968 to 2002. Lord passed away in July 2012, in London (UK). Breaking the energy of sadness and nostalgia, came Lazy with an introduction by Airey.
Two songs later, Don Airey was again the center of attention during the execution of a keyboard solo, a moment when he was alone on stage. On this occasion, the keyboardist played the chorus of Tico-Tico no Fubá, a song composed by Zequinha de Abreu, in 1931, and popularized in the voice of Carmen Miranda in the feature film Copacabana, in 1947.
In Space Truckin', the audience had its first moment of ecstasy when they heard the intro by bassist Roger Glover. bassist Roger Glover. But, clearly, the most anticipated song was played by the group before the first dramatic break. Smoke On the Water was accompanied by the audience who sang along to Steve Morse's guitar at the top of their lungs.
With unbridled screams and calls for a comeback from the audience, Deep Purple returned to the stage with Hush, which led to a melancholic farewell. Black Night came in a tone of sadness and gratitude. Gratitude was also in the air.
With an hour-long show, Deep Purple did what the audience expected. Hits and classics mixed with solos and psychedelia. The group that was born in 1968 in the Hertford, England, gave their farewell to the people of São Paulo. More than memorable. The Long Goodbye Tour will always remain in the rockers' memory. With it, we saw the last performance of the group in São Paulo (SP). With it, we saw the end of a cycle. With it, rock said goodbye to one of the greatest exponents of its subgenres progressive and psychedelic sub-genres. Goodbye Deep Purple. Thank you very much.
*Review originally published on Allmanaque.
