Robert Gordon / Chris Spedding

reunion tour Feb. 2006

"THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY!" by Harry Veenhof

Last Sunday (February 5th 2006) Chris and Robert were to play in Helmond (Holland). The gig was moved to another place in Helmond because the first booker had messed things up and wanted to cancel. He had not sold any tickets due to no promotion at all.

The new venue was a rock pub with a rather small stage, some 2,5 x 4 m. There had been some acts that afternoon and Robert and Chris were scheduled to play at 8.30 p.m.

By that time people started running around with monitors, amps and cables and after about 15 minutes everything was supposed to be ready. No soundchecking, plug in and play. It sounded rather poor, messy and not solid. But on stage the sound was even worse, Robert could not hear his own singing and asked the soundman to take the bass out of the monitors, and to give more volume in the centre monitor. After repeated efforts of both the soundman and the band, the speakers were frequently oscillating very high peeps or bass tones if someone got near the microphone. The delay could not be adjusted according the band's taste of sound, the soundguy only produced an awfull reverb.When Robert left the stage half way through the show, I did not expect him to come back. But after the intervention of drummer Todd Glass, who tried to cool things down, everything seemed to work. Not superb, but adequate. And so they could make it till the end, the only annoying thing being the audience, who seemed to have other expectations, spreading a hostile, uncomfortable atmosphere.Just imagine the musicians' feelings: leaving their beach hotel in Torremolinos, Spain, early that morning (which they had done) to make it to cold and rainy Holland and get such a cold shower of an ungrateful audience.

I liked the show. Knowing how good they can play (and DID!) it was no big issue for me that there were some technical breaks.The band is so professional that only their striving for perfection urged them to ask for technical improvements. They might have played along, no matter how it sounded.

Two days later The Spirit of '66 in Verviers was the next venue.Nice place, big stage, sound checked, nice patron (Francis Garron, who knows about music and about sound!), and very good audience!! No support act, so take it away! From the first tone on they sounded so catchy, getting better with every song. I was so glad having seen that other gig.What a contrast! If the other one was black, this was looking into the sun! Now everything fell into place.Greasy, Todd, Robert, Chris, and Francis were at their very best.This was the perfect gig! Robert's singing was outstanding, the audience gave him wings." Wild Wild Women", sung by Robert, was a revelation, Chris' solo set was magnificent, so was his playing through the whole show! Within a month Chris will play again in The Spirit and I must say that I can hardly wait....!