overlap

Last June I posted effusively about finally seeing Journey, and tonight I've done it again, and guess what comes tomorrow? Tomorrow I get to see Danny Vaughn on the same stage where I first saw him perform in 1986, which I imagine doesn't need spelling out is a very long time ago. As for tonight, DV and Tony Marshall take two acoustic guitars and two voices to warm up the crowd, and do admirably. It speaks well of the quality of the Tyketto material that three songs from the 1991 debut album Don't Come Easy, and it's great to hear Danny's voice is as strong as ever. The new material sounds great, and there's a CD of the new album spinning away as I type. I was in two minds about what to expect from this Journey - having seen JSS as part of Soul SirkUS and failed to enjoy it especially, I was prepared to be disappointed. As it is, he seems to have that extra bit of power Augeri lacked and that comes over clearly in the stuff that needs a bit more open throttle, Edge Of The Blade, Escape, Separate Ways and so on. What Augeri perhaps had was that little bit more subtlety, and there is a notable difference when Deen takes lead vocals on Who's Crying Now, Still They Ride, Open Arms and Faithfully. JSS knows how to work a stage, he's definitely not over-awed with the weight of this material, and at nearly a head taller than almost everyone else on the stage he's unmissable as he strides around it. I'll find out tomorrow whether to be cynically dismissive or impressed at the work done to make a local-specific impression, but one thing is for sure and that's that nobody's going through the motions. It's perhaps a more relaxing thing about just touring rather than touring-the-new-album that they get to play the full range of whatever they want rather than have something they need to plug. Either way, and whatever one's position on the lead singer, it's one hell of a note perfect live hits jukebox, and I never saw Perry so for now I'll take all the Journey karaoke I can get. Where it goes from here in terms of writing new material is anyone's guess, but it'll be interesting to see if anything develops. And in the meantime there's plenty of back catalogue to enjoy. Now, where did I put my copy of Don't Come Easy? Forever Young remains a bona fide rock classic, and I haven't listened to it in way too long.