I'm not really sure how else to start this. It's pretty much become expected that you will see something you have never seen during a Mike Peters acoustic gig. Mike typically will dust off a rarely heard song or pull something out of the "Way-back machine." But on Saturday at the Boulton Center way out on Long Island, we got a show that had a little bit of everything. Some of it was funny, some was poignant, some was profane (in context), some was wild. Oh, and I almost forgot, the setlist was nothing like the previous evening at the Canal Room. There were a few of the same songs, but it was mostly a new batch of songs.
First things first, since I know you're probably saying to yourself "Profane?" No, Mike certainly didn't pull a Liam Gallagher and make a horse's ass out of himself like the Oasis frontman did yet again, this time at The Roundabout in London (I saw Morrissey and Girl in a Coma there before G16). Mike was telling a story about seeing the Sex Pistols WAAAY back in the day and told us about how he went up to Johnny Rotten to ask him what this "anarchy" stuff was about, only to get a "F*** off" in response. Funny thing was, Mike temporarily forgot that Dylan and Evan were at the show and quickly retreated to the back of the stage to make sure they were out of earshot, then gave a "Sorry, kids" into the microphone for the youngsters in the audience. This was in the second half of the show, so the boys, fortunately, were asleep.
Evan, actually, was a bit of a hit in the first half. Mike was looking for a specific harmonica for a song and couldn't find it. He mentioned that Dylan may have still had it because he was playing with the harmonicas before the show. Moments later, Evan came sprinting onto the stage (as fast as his little legs could move him) and handed Daddy the harmonica he was looking for. Evan then quickly turned around and made a mad dash for the safety of behind the curtain. Jules told us after the show that she'd asked Dylan to bring the harmonica, but his response was "Noooooooo," but Evan just grabbed it and went. I guess we're starting to see which one will be the lead singer and which one will play drums.
Once again, some of the highlights for me and others I spoke with after the show were the stories that Mike told in between songs. He has been much more talkative in these two shows and I think it's been great. He looks as comfortable on stage as I've ever seen him and that comes through while he shares his memories and experiences. The poignant moment came when Mike played "Spiritual" and revealed it was the last song he had played for his father before he passed away. For that reason, he doesn't like to play it live because it gets him "teary-eyed" at the memory of his Dad. Still, he gave it a go and it made the song that much more special for those of us in attendance.
The second half of the show certainly had the wild. Mike was finishing up Spirit of 76, when he heard someone jump the gun a bit on the part late in the song that goes "I know...those lights still call to you...(Big exhale) I can hear them nowww." Well, we all heard this guy exhale and Mike thought it was brilliant and said "Yeah, come up here and do that." and then called the guy up on stage. Beer in hand, he didn't need to be asked twice and bounded up on stage to share the microphone with Mike Peters. Not sure if anyone else has it, but I do have video of this. He started singing like it was karaoke night. He showed an above-average voice and did pretty well overall, but flubbed a couple of lines. At least he had the good sense to clear the stage as quickly as Evan did to let Mike finish the song properly.
Just after that episode, Mike noticed a plastic bag on the stage to his left and picked it up. On the bag was written in black Sharpie "This is a song request." Yes, it was a plastic carrier bag. How do I know what was written on the bag? Well, of course, I wrote it. Sometimes you need to be creative with song requests and I hadn't yet heard one of my favorite songs from the Counter Attack collection performed live. By the way, a big assist goes to Evan, who was sitting in the front row and put the bag onstage (I was in the third row). So Mike played an abbreviated version of Plastic Carrier Bags and I was pleased that my creativity had paid off. Now, I have to figure out how to get Mike to play "This is the Way We Are" at the Canal Room next week.
One other funny moment I recall came when Mike was telling a story about the Love Hope Strength foundation and all of the places he has gone to raise money. He spoke of Mount Everest and Machu Picchu and talked about the upcoming trip to Mount Kilimanjaro and said it gave "High on the Hill" a new meaning, especially singing it in such quiet places at high altitude because he really did feel he was looking down on creation. He was trying to get us to imagine a tranquil setting and someone decided that was a good time to scream out some sort of nonsense and Mike sounded like a hypnotist when he said "Imagine yourself high on a mountain..." It got a laugh, one of many during what was a spectacular evening. This one will be remembered for a long, long time.
The setlist
Breathe This Hallowed Ground Working Class Hero (abbreviated version) The Stand/The Chant Has Just Begun/The Stand (He did a few lines from The Chant in the middle) Right Back Where I Started From (one of my Top 10 Alarm songs for very personal reasons) Presence of Love The Wind Blows Away My Words Rain in the Summertime No Frontiers Spiritual Moments in Time
HALFTIME
45 RPM (Dedicated to Greg's daughter, who was sitting next to me) Corridors of Power The Deceiver Rat Trap (requested by a young fan during the break who called it "Rat Race.") The Day the Ravens Left the Tower Walk Forever By My Side (according to Lily, a LOT of couples were making out during this song. I must have been taking pictures while all of this was going on. As she said "I never knew that was ssuch a make-out song.") High on the Hill Spirit of 76 (duet) Plastic Carrier Bags (Yaaaaaay. Thanks, Mike) Strength (Got a standing ovation on this one) 68 Guns Blaze of Glory
Tim
This message has been edited. Last edited by: NYC Tim,
Nothing lasts forever is all they seem to tell you when you're young
Posts: 369 | Location: New York City | Registered: 12 May 2006
Words really cannot express how amazing this experience was for my hubby and I.
I have been a fan since 83 when The Alarm opened up for U2 and have seen them countless times since. I had to drag my hubby last night as he and I have totally different musical taste- It was his first Mike Peters show and certainy not the last! He was blown away- and why not..we now have a new Alarm fan!
It was an like an "Unplugged" performance in your living room so up close and so personal. Mike's stories before each song were funny, sad, he was such a great story teller and his voice sounde unbelievable.
Im not much of a concert reviewer and have never posted here before but I had the time of my life. It was a thrill to meet him again after so many years. I ran into him in London in 1989 and he signed our photo we took together and took another with me- so now I have a Then and Now...very exciting.
I wish I could do the NYC to Philly show but am seeing U2 at Giant Stadium...thinking about traveling to Jersey though now that I have converted my hubby
I am so happy to still have Mike around entertaining us all now better than ever. What a great show!
Posts: 2 | Location: Long Island, NY | Registered: 26 July 2009
One of these days, someone with some technological savvy (read: not me) is going to have to walk me through the process of how to get something out of my camera and onto the internet. Either that or maybe I'll finally break down and read the instructions. Sigh, I hope it won't come to that.
Tim
Nothing lasts forever is all they seem to tell you when you're young
Posts: 369 | Location: New York City | Registered: 12 May 2006
