Counting Crows / The Hold Steady

The Hold Steady are more of your small venue band. No, they are far from rubbish and can fill a good sized place, but their support slot this evening seems to be falling on many a deaf ear. A seasoned fan like myself can understand that they are trying to get their bar room rock across to a new audience, but this audience in question are not soaking it up.



The sound of each of the five talented musicians is not carrying well in the 4,500 capacity arena, Franz Nicolay's backing vocals can hardly be heard in the first part of the set, though you can see he is belting them out. The odd crowd member are bobbing to the songs from 'Boys And Girls In America', like 'Stuck Between Stations' and 'First Night', but many are waiting for the Crows. A real shame really, as the band put on a good show.

As part of Summer Pops, a music festival that has grown over the past six years to host some of the world's biggest bands in the 2008 European Capital of Culture, Counting Crows are the only alternative rock band on the bill, which includes Blondie, Whitesnake and Crowded House amongst others.

Tonight's show is nearly sold out, and for those here it is to be a memorable show. The band are in top form, with all seven members remaining on stag to ply through many a Crows classic.



Starting off with 'Omaha', the set includes many a track from across their five albums. Choosing not to play too many new songs from recent release 'Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings', the set is a real pleasure. Adam Duritz tells us that he is not going to talk much tonight, just get through as many songs as possible. This is good to hear, for as much as I like to hear about the band's day or some rant, songs are what we are here for. A short story about Duritz's face alongside a recently divorced actress, both on separate magazines on a magazine rack, is a long enough story for many.

There's a little giggle from all present, including Duritz, as he jumps from a monitor on stage and nearly tumbles face first to the ground. There's no jumping from monitors after that, just playing it safe by sitting on them and singing (especially for the slow songs like 'Perfect Blue Buildings', though there is plenty of jumping around on the rest of the stage.



Many of the people here seem to know the new songs more than the songs from the middle set of albums, like '1492' and 'Los Angeles'. During 'A Long December' Duritz takes off on one in his own way, controlling the path of the sing from the piano stool. He does actually keep it brief this time; his variations of the lyrics quite true to the original. Personally it would be nice to hear some of the melody changes that are on the live CD 'Live On A Wire', where the VH1 album has completely different workings of classic Crows songs, but I think this way pleases the crowd more.

The crowd stormers are 'Angels Of The Silences' and of course 'Mr Jones', played just before the encore. It's not long before we are onto the encore of new song 'Washington Square', a cover of 'Meet On The Ledge', originally by Bob Dylan but recognised as by Fairport Convention, and 'Holiday In Spain' from 'Hard Candy'. I can't imagine any Crows fans being disappointed with this jam packed show.

Setlist includes:

Omaha
Recovering The Satellites
Cowboys
Ghost Train
Perfect Blue Buildings
Good Time
High Life
1492
Colourblind
When I Dream Of Michelangelo
Angels Of The Silences
Sunday
Los Angeles
A Long December
Come Around
Mr Jones

Washington Square
Meet On The Ledge
Holiday In Spain

FUTURE GIGS

sorry, we currently have no gigs listed for this act.