So, I got tickets to this show. This was back in the 90s when the production values of your average rock show were just out of control. And I went to all of them back then. I had seen the theatrics of Peter Gabriels So tour, heard the musical extravagance of Elton John with full orchestra, savoured the over-the-top decadence of the Rolling Stones Voodoo Lounge stadium experience and been stunned by the complete insanity of U2s Achtung Baby sensory overload. But there wasnt much noise about this particular tour. I probably would have missed it if I didnt get the comp tickets. And so we went. As we took our seats I noticed a number of unusual things; the arena was in intimate mode, there was minimal lighting rigged and the stage looked like it was still to be dressed. The instruments were all set up and miced, however, the road cases had been simply left, scattered around on stage and that was it. Apart, that is, from a coke can sitting on one case and a pair of sneakers on another. No lights, no screens, no props . . . nothing. It was the barest, most stark staging I had ever seen. The house lights went down, and the band came on stage. They hit the first song as the singer emerged. Without acknowledging the roar from the crowd he started to sing. And that is the last clear memory I have from the evening because for the next 90 minutes the musicians on stage followed their singer into an alternate, otherworldly dimension and took all of us along for the ride. He never spoke to us, barely looked at us, but he led us in a musical meditation on life, a master magician manipulating the very fabric of space and time. When it was at an end, he simply thanked us for our attention and left the stage. And then there was the most profound moment of absolute quiet in that arena - I have, to this day, not experienced anything like it - as if we were all quietly adding our own amens to a sacred moment of communion with ourselves, with each other . . . with life . . . . . . and then we erupted in applause, shouts, cheers, foot stamping etc and continued to make the most glorious noise imaginable for what seemed an eternity . . . I would just like to thank you Joe Cocker for providing me with one of the most spiritually envigorating moments of my life. . . . and you can NEVER watch the single, greatest performance from Woodstock too many times . . . youtu.be/bRzKUVjHkGk
Posted on: Tue, 23 Dec 2014 10:16:09 +0000
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