UK76’s TRAVELS: The Cinema Show
After a few days of absence due to another couple of concerts I can finally continue my diary. My “home matches” in Düsseldorf are over now and what can I say?
I have seen two completely different shows! It all started with another long day of queueing for the first show. Arrived at the stadium at 9.30 with 6.5 hrs of queueing ahead. A big THANK YOU to the security company who was in charge of the Düsseldorf shows. The first day was the easiest and most unexcited entry procedure I’ve ever experienced especially in a venue of that size (about 50,000 people in attendance!). Got a spot in front row right between Phil & Tony. After a couple of light showers while waiting outside it was a treat to finally see an indoor show without any chance of rain.
The show itself was very good as usual. The most impressive thing was the light show and videos which I could finally watch in full glory for the first time on the tour. The only but unfortunately quite noticeable downside was the extremely lame audience. Reminded me a bit of the scandinavian shows. After seeing 2 very good Phil Collins solo shows (one of which the was best I’ve ever seen!) at the same venue in November 2005 I have highly disappointed that the audience couldn’t pick up the same energy as 1 1/2 years ago. However, all the people I talked to after the show who hadn’t seen a concert yet were still pretty impressed.
The second night - “The Cinema Show” - was to become way better!
After merely 6 hrs of sleep we started queueing again at 9.45am. Slightly different entry procedure but still no problem to get to the front. I was hoping that this show would be different from last night (in a positive way of course) especially with the cinema broadcasting to Ireland, the United Kingdom, Spain and Sweden. To cut a long story short, the show shouldn’t let me down! I stood pretty much at the same spot as the day before. I can’t really tell what it was but the whole show was way more powerful, the audience really delivered and still there were no major mistakes. The video screens failed during most of In The Cage but the song itself has never been that powerful on this tour before! Afterglow is one of my all-time favourite songs and I had waited for a goosebumps moment during that song on every show I had seen so far. Last night it finally came! As I said before it’s hard to answer why it happened but the whole performance had so much energy - almost magic! Everything went smooth, no lyric problems. Phil was interacting more than ever before. And it was nice to see that he even included the cinema viewers on the Domino principle! I already heard that I was on the cinema screens quite a few times throughout the show and that it was obvious that I was enjoying myself. I’m glad it did cos that’s just the way it was! Along with the great show it was nice to meet so many nice people, a lot of which I had never met before.
I think the band was impressed by the show and the audience as well. Cos they showed their appreciation more than on any other show I’ve seen so far. At times they looked really impressed!
Oh, how I hope someone recorded the cinema broadcasting signal…
Somehow I’m glad I skip Stuttgart now and have 2 days off because at the moment it feels like it doesn’t get much better. On Friday I take the evening flight to Paris and hopefully see a show on Saturday that can compete with the 2nd night in Düsseldorf.
Pictures:
DÜSSELDORF 1 (June 26th)
DÜSSELDORF 2 (June 27th)
Ulli
Loading ...
June 28th, 2007 at 4:34 pm
Having seen the “cinema show” last night I have to admit to being disappointed with the whole affair. If thats what the stage show looks like indoors in the dark then the effects appeared poor and I fear what they will look like in manchester next saturday. Having seen Genesis several times in the past where were the jaw dropping, spine tingling, wow did you see that moments of previous tours?..i think back to NEC in 86 for example.
The video screen was either a blanket of single coloured lights or showing 2nd rate videos. The light show itself was average to say the least….bring back the varilights over the band rather than 150 feet in the air.
The set list was as good as we could hope for but changes between the medley songs sounded clumsy at times and Phil’s voice ain’t what it used to be….Ripples for example was a struggle.
Maybe it will be alright on the night but last nights show didnt inspire confidence.
June 28th, 2007 at 7:00 pm
Hi Ulli,
I caught the 2nd gig in the VUE cinema in Dublin, and i have to say it was brilliant. It was as if we were actually there! The 5.1 surround sound was fantastic. Phil’s voice came across strongly, The light show and visuals were superb and the whole band were at the top of their game.
My favourite segment of the show was Los Endos. It sounded fresh and punchy, indeed the whole set was the same. Can’t wait to go to the Manchester gig next weekend!
June 28th, 2007 at 8:56 pm
Whowowowowow!
Absolutely fantastic! I had tickets for the first show in Duesseldorf since X-mas and as a real big fan I was looking forward to see them in my home city, knowing that I have missed two brilliant Phil Collinc Concerts in Nov 2005, but honestly, I really don´t like the pop shit stuff that much
So, we went to see the show, me , my wife and a couple of friends. We sat on the opposite site of the arena, a little to the left, and we had a wonderful time. After the show some people were moaning about the sound, but as a conclusion; this concert was way better than the concert in Gelsenkirchen in 1992.
so i decided to return for the second show. Getting a ticket was way more difficult than expected. That show was completely sold out! There were los of tickets available on ebay for the first show, because lots of people grabbed a whole bunch of tickets on sale start in order to sell them on ebay. They all got tricked, because a second show was announced ;p.
But at 8:10 I got one of the last tickets for the show, ran inside the arena and made my way to the FOH place, where the sound is usually best, because it´s the place where the sound is mixed, yeah!
I had found my place and the show started immediately. I am a bit sorry for the young lady who fell unconcious during the song “Domino” just like a domino stone, she took it too literally “.. there´s nothing you can do when you´re the next in line…”
I also come to the conclusion, that the second show was way more powerful than the first one. And i am very sad that time passes by so fast, when youare with something you really love! The shows felt like about ten minutes. Coming in, starting, ending.
Greetings to Ulli, our hardcore fan from the first row. Just a hint: try the FOH place for a maximum sound experience. Greetings to all the fans all over the world, enjoy your shows and lets hope for a DVD till X-as
Greetings,
Lino Manelli, Duesseldorf
June 28th, 2007 at 10:59 pm
Hi Uli,
saw also the two shows and there is nothing more to say than your report.
Hopefully my Homeconcert (Frankfurt) will be better than the Tuesday’s show.
But before I decided to go to Amsterdam to see another European Show.
…and since this morning I know that I will attend the Show in Chicago on October 3rd.
I’m on a business Trip in Chicago and my boss knows that I am a big Genesis Fan so
he bought 2 tix.
June 29th, 2007 at 4:56 am
Have you noticed any changes in the set lists from show to show at all, or have they been identical throughout the Eurpean tour so far? Please advise and you write really well in English, by the way…dass heisst, ebenso besser als Ich auf Deutsch schreiben kann!
Darin-
Denver, Colorado U.S.A.
June 29th, 2007 at 12:31 pm
Who was the supporting act?
June 29th, 2007 at 3:22 pm
Cant believe Johnnyboys Comments about the show must have watched it with his eyes shut , i was there at the NEC and this imo is by far a better production, and as for phils voice hes no spring chicken anymore i agree but thought his voice was wonderful.
June 29th, 2007 at 6:15 pm
@ Darin: No changes yet and I doubt they’ll change anything for the rest of the European leg.
@ Marky: No support act in Düsseldorf and the other shows I’ve seen so far. Only exception was the first gig in Helsinki with a local singer who was even unknown to the Finnish people in the audience…
June 29th, 2007 at 6:52 pm
Ulli,
I was there in London watching a live broadcast from Dusseldorf. All I can say is: What a performance!!! Fantastic. Cannot wait to see the Twickenham show!!!
June 29th, 2007 at 9:29 pm
I have been to the two Düsseldorf shows as well. The second show was better - the band had more fun, the sound was brilliant and the audience was more cheerful.
Here are my pictures taken from up front.
June 29th, 2007 at 9:29 pm
I forgot the link:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/schwarti/sets/72157600522072496/
July 1st, 2007 at 4:23 pm
we have been to 3 shows Hannover was the first very good although rained for first 3 /4 songs ….really enjoyed the set list and we were right at the front only queued from about 3pm and got just off centre 6/7 from the front ..being a massive genesis fan I was pretty overwhelmed with the experience and the songs were great Live even better than CDs must be the only band that can do that ;
we then decided to book tickets for dusseldorf and stuttgart on monday and got tickets through hotel in 3 hours ;
we flew to dusseldorf second show ……..ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS !!! we queued from only 4 30 and again got right up front to the right only 5 /6 from the stage ..great views and the lights were awesome with the roof closed ………..
Finally we flew on to Stuttgart and again queued from just before opening 5pm and got right up front 2/3 from the stage …i am absolutely enchanted with the whole experience …music fabulous……..
we also ended up staying in same hotel as the band in stuttgart and got a few pics with Daryl and Chester at the bar…
we will be in Lyon next week and possibly London or manchester this weeend…………..I have loads of pics fo all 3 shows 50 /60 for each …..and I am planning a week in USA` Oct
July 3rd, 2007 at 2:32 pm
I am very privileged to know one of the band, so got to see Paris and Amsterdam from the inside, as it were. What shows! In Paris some of the mixing seemed a bit ‘muddy’ at times - I was waiting to be thrilled by guitar and keyboard riffs but the edge got taken off in some of the early songs. However, things improved greatly towards the second half of the concert. The light show was spectacular, in line with what you’d expect from a Genesis show. And thankfully, it didn’t rain, unlike at several of the earlier venues - Katowice even had horizontal rain with violent thunder and lightening, I was told.
Although I was warned that the sound in the closed arena in Amsterdam would be inferior, I found it much sharper in the places it had been dulled in Paris. There was some noticeable echo at times, but it didn’t distract from the overall effect at all. In both venues the audience, especially those in the front, reacted with great enthusiasm. I had been told that the band loves those who really want to join in and get close the stage, and it proved to be true as they gave off the most energy. Once again though, as I looked all around, fans were joining in, clapping, singing, conducting and playing air-guitar and keyboards. And not only old farts like me, but people who would have been very young back in the 70’s.
Roll on Twickenham - I’ll be there for another dose of beautiful music, particularly The Fourth of Fifth, with that wonderful, semi-classical opening from Tony Banks on the keyboard and then the soaring, piercingly sweet guitar break from Daryl Stuermer.
November 17th, 2007 at 4:35 pm
Good comment. It is a pitty that many people doen\’d think like trat. Thanks.