UK76’s TRAVELS: Helsinki show
Just a brief review before I go to bed (pictures won’t follow until I’m back home after Bern). To put a long story short, the show rocked, the band is in top shape, the stage is amazing and the setlist just perfect! We started queueing at around 11 am. Got terribly burned - but I don’t care. After hearing the soundcheck and getting in smoothly I ended up in first row center stage. Perfect! Unfortunately my wide-angle on the camera wasn’t wide enough to catch the whole band.
During the whole show it didn’t get really dark but towards the end it was ok. The thing I liked most was the camera bit Phil was doing throughout the show. He had a digital pocket camera with him (Invisible Tour Tour revisited…) and using it do some funny introductions.
Tomorrow I have a “day off” so hopefully I find some time put a more detailed review online. Until then good night!
EDIT: It’s 10.15 am in Helsinki now. Day 1 after the tour premiere. Had a good night’s sleep and an excellent breakfast. So on we go with my review. I might do in short notes so it doesn’t get too long.
- Met up with a lot of fans. Just very few of them being from Finland. Americans, Australians (from Tasmania), Russians (from the Easternmost part of Russia close to Alaska!), Japanese and of course Europeans from everywhere.
- The last bit of pre-show music is a song from the soundtrack to “American Beauty”.
- The intro to the show really reminded me a little of U2’s Zoo TV Tour opening. Band came on stage with a BANG really! I have a video clip of the first 1:30 minutes. Once back home I’ll put it online.
- The Duke opening really rocks! Phil was wearing a tracksuit jacket again (a bit similar to what he was wearing on the press conference in November). But he just had it on for 2 or 3 songs.
- No son of mine sounds great and the key changes don’t really matter. They still got the 1992 clock on the screens for that one.
- Land of Confusion sounds very fresh. They seem to have done a lot to this one!
- The Cage-medley was the first highlight for me. The Duke’s Travels bit in the medley sounds great although the transitions from Cinema Show and to Afterglow aren’t as smooth as Colony of Slippermen used to be. Still a great medley. Mike’s double-neck is awesome!
- Hold on my heart has Phil singing on a barstool and therefore it looks a bit similar to Groovy Kind of Love from his last tour.
- A great new thing is that Phil’s having a tiny digital pocket camera and taking pictures everytime he’s doing introductions. To make the audience grin he says things like “Where did Chester’s Afro go?” or “Say Domino!”. Then with Domino for example he says “I’m glad you mention it cos we have a song called Domino”. This “I’m glad you mention it” bit lasts throughout the whole show and really reminds me of the “Hey you” thing he did on the Mama Tour. The camera thing is a bit similar to the IT Tour.
- There’s no audience participation before HBTS but just a “scary people” intro instead of “the OTHER world”.
- Follow You Follow Me has Phil singing from behind the drums and Chester doing the percussions. Sounds great!
- I Know What I Like features the Stagnation bit “as usual” and Phil’s doing the tambourine tarantella again!
- One of my biggest worries was how they’re going to do Mama. But I have to second impressions I heard from Brussels. Phil’s singing it on the edge - but not beyond! I’m sure it’ll work.
- Ripples was outstanding. If you close your eyes and just listen to it you might feel carried away back to the 70’s! On that one Phil had the only major lyric mistake last night (”Blue girls [instead of Angels] never know it’s time…”). I really can’t believe they drop it.
- During Throwing It All Away Phil came down to the audience for the first time last night. He did that as well during Invisible Touch.
- Domino has the well known Domino principle intro. It’s a bit strange that during the first part of The Last Domino Phil just disappears behind the stage. The film his face and broadcast it on the screens. So there is no riser like in 1992.
- The Drum Duet started on barstools! The way Phil & Chester used to practice in dressing rooms and actually the way they started to invent this duet in a hotel room in the early days.
- Tonight, Tonight, Tonight and Invisible Touch are done pretty much like 1992. Band left the stage for the first time after Invisible Touch.
- I Can’t Dance (by far not my fav song) was started really interesting. Just the drum machine - no band on stage. Then Mike, Phil & Tony took the stage and did the first verse on their own. Just Genesis on stage with Chester and Daryl joining them a bit later. And of course they do the walk!
- Carpet Crawlers is a great closing song. They’ve changed the end a little bit to create a climax for the show finale.
The stage offers a lot of special effects. I won’t tell the all cos it would probably spoil the last bit of surprises. Just let me tell you that much: there’s fireworks, strobes and dry ice fog. Unfortunately most of the light show and screens were mostly lost last night cos at that time of the year it doesn’t really get dark in Finland. I hope to see more of it in Hamburg or Bern. Herning might be the same problem.
So today is a day off for me. Tomorrow morning we fly to Hamburg, pick up a rental car and then drive up to Herning.
Ulli
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June 12th, 2007 at 1:09 am
Thanks man for the brief review. Looking forward to hearing more from you!
June 12th, 2007 at 1:15 am
http://blog.kontrollrummet.com/tsmalmbes-blog/live/2007/06/12/genesis-11-juni-2007
Here, videos and pics. The last video is the drum-duet on the barstool, but Youtube is having some probs with it. I’ll redo it tomorrow if it doesn’t come online before that.
June 12th, 2007 at 2:04 pm
Ulli:
Thanks for the information and your insights. I have to keep my anticipation under control for 3 more months.
Looking forward to more blogs and some photos.
Luke
June 12th, 2007 at 4:45 pm
Excellent report UK76, thanks for posting! See you in Herning
June 12th, 2007 at 7:08 pm
Hey Ulli glad you enjoyed It, I’m sure we will experience the full effects in Düsseldorf on 26.6
Hope the other shows start not before 8 anyway, thanks for the great review!
June 12th, 2007 at 7:12 pm
A great show last night! My favourite song “Firth of fifth” was played before “I know what I like”. Very strong version.
June 12th, 2007 at 8:08 pm
Much thanks for the report! Looking forward to October when I get to see them in both San Jose and Sacramento! SOOOO far away…..
June 13th, 2007 at 2:09 am
UK76, your report from Helsinki makes me very, very happy, can’t wait to get to Hannover!
Thanks for your review!
June 13th, 2007 at 2:52 am
Thanks for the report. If I were 20 years younger, I would be in Europe right now taking in a few shows. Age does have some benefits-I was at the JFK Stadium show in 1982 and took in Supper’s Ready Live. Something to behold!
June 13th, 2007 at 4:30 am
Ulli, what to you mean by “I really can’t believe they drop it.”?
June 13th, 2007 at 8:37 am
@ Steve in LA: Nick Davis has indicated tha Genesis were not sure that both CC and Ripples will work during the tour, so they will tes it during the first few shows
June 13th, 2007 at 9:28 am
Hi! A great review, and very much like I felt and saw. A great concert and show and very worth to go and see. Despite of the age, the guys are in mint condition!
June 13th, 2007 at 9:43 am
How’s the merchandise?
June 13th, 2007 at 2:58 pm
The only songs that didn´t work in Helsinki in my opinion was “Ripples” (a wonderful song at CD) and “Hold om my heart”. Bet the rest was fantastic!
June 13th, 2007 at 2:59 pm
About the merchandise: A lot of stuff: T-shirts, badges, coolermagnets, cups etc. But no programs!
June 13th, 2007 at 4:57 pm
If Genesis drops Ripples, my gang and I will be crushed. It is one of the most beautiful songs they have ever composed…..
June 13th, 2007 at 7:01 pm
Excellent review and pictures, the stage looks awesome! Pity the screens weren’t like the jumbotrons they used in ‘92. The indoor gigs will benefit more from the light show than the stadium gigs.
“Counting out time” til Manchester in July!
Declan.
June 13th, 2007 at 7:47 pm
I hope they finally decide that CC and Ripples do work for the tour. Nevertheless, if they think otherwise, I hope they replace them with songs from the same era.
June 13th, 2007 at 8:07 pm
@ declan: In case you go to a show this year, wait until you’ve seen this year’s stage with your own eyes. You won’t miss the Jumbotrons any longer!
June 13th, 2007 at 9:45 pm
I’ll take your word for it Ulli!
Roll on Manchester!
June 13th, 2007 at 9:49 pm
Wow! Thank you so much for the review!!! … cant wait to see and feel it … only one day to wait for Hamburg, hope to see you there!
June 14th, 2007 at 12:24 am
I don’t think Carpet Crawlers was ever in danger of being completely discarded…
Only its placement as the final song of the show, was being debated…
Much of the media that coverred the show, singled out Ripples as a definite highlight of the show. And from what I heard, it got a very warm reception, despite being relatively unknown to the masses. I believe it will stay.
June 14th, 2007 at 1:14 am
Do they play Ripples complete? There was some reference in the rehearsal that they played “most of Ripples”. Its not part of a medley is it?
And what’s with the comments here that “I hope they don’t drop Ripples”? The tour just started–why is that a concern?
finally, is this Ulli independently wealthy? How can this guy afford to take that much time off and follow Genesis?
June 14th, 2007 at 1:40 am
Hey Declan, the tec’s have moved on since 92′ it all moves now !! darkness is no longer required ! hav fun in manchester…. Keep it Dark.. as it always is in England
June 14th, 2007 at 8:24 am
Nice concert report, very much how I saw and heard it. In the humble opinion of myself and several friends, Ripples was the high moment of a very solid concert. The song really came into its own with a beautiful background visualization - it was magical how 35,000 people hushed up to listen. No “awright!” yells to break the serenity; quite amazing. In fact, all the ballads worked really well, maybe the calm and attentitive Finnish audience helped there. On the other hand, they didn’t really get that wild during the rockier songs, but overall, a it was very good night indeed.
June 14th, 2007 at 8:12 pm
Looking at the photos it looks pretty impressive, my only concern is the size of the stage and show. Ok i havent been to see it live yet, that will be in Amsterdam and Manchester, BUT due to the size of these stadiums the Helsinki live photos makes the actual set seem quite small, almost like a second stage. Maybe its the photos, but after seeing the Stones set last year which was enormous it looks a tad titchy. The lights look good, but i’m sure this stage will be swamped in such huge staduims.
Maybe someone can let me know if it seems bigger in real life…?
ps. strange no songs from Abacab, i remember when it was released the band was so happy about it,, Dodo would have been a plus rather than hold on my heart!!!!
Anyway roll on Amsterdam…cant wait, i feel like i did on 81 waiting for the Abacab tour…
June 15th, 2007 at 4:42 pm
Thanks for the great coverage of the show, we really appreciate the news from the other side of the pond as we wait with great anticipation, I’ve added a link to your post from:
http://genesis-tour-2007.blogspot.com/
The stage set up looks quite innovative but as someone else mentioned it will be interesting how it plays in the more caverous venues to come.
July 3rd, 2007 at 6:46 pm
We have tickets to see Genesis on Sunday at Twickenham (UK) and we were wondering what time the concert starts? I know the doors open at 3.30 but what time to the band play & are there any support acts??? If someone could let me know I would really appreciate it!! Nicky
September 10th, 2007 at 6:05 pm
I couldn’t understand some parts of this article s TRAVELS: Helsinki show, but I guess I just need to check some more resources regarding this, because it sounds interesting.