Bilston

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Robin 2, Bilston, 17 March 2005

OK, so I may be more than just a little bit biased but the Robin 2, on the outskirts of Wolverhampton, has just got to be one of the most rockin’ live music venues ever!

Well worth the journey from just about anywhere else on the planet, its atmosphere, ambience and audience are, for me, the best in the country!

And what’s more, this fabulous venue has had a half million pound refurb in recent months to make it even more perfect than it was already. Magnificent then that tour promoters ARM have included it within this UK Trower tour, the first since 1980!

Three shows in, this was, without any shadow of doubt, Robin, Davey, Pete and Dave’s best performance so far. They really gave it their all and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Once again the sound was faultless. There was a bit of a pregnant pause before we got underway while Robin retuned his Strat. As he was doing this, the Robin2 crowd, as vocal as ever, shouted various compliments like “we luvre yaw, Robin” and “Thangst fer cumin’ taw the UK en tour”.

Smiles on stage all round. One bloke standing next to me even shouted ‘Caledonia’! Hmm, I knew he’d be lucky, sad but true.

All Robin’s ‘signature tunes’ got huge ovations tonight. The Robin crowd absolutely loved it all, applauding just as much at the beginning as at the end of these numbers. Our man’s response was to dig deeper.

It’s always been
that way, that’s all

‘Stoned’, while visiting many of the phrases and riffs perfected over 30 years of rolling out the song, explored ground not previously covered in Manchester or Southsea.

Davey’s vocals tonight underlined his huge passion for being up there on stage in front of a live audience and the great ‘buzz’ it gives him, brilliant!

The ‘wonderful Mr David Bronze’ really got into his stride on ‘Eagle’ while Pete ‘The Rock’ Thompson showed us all what a sensitive player he is with ‘light and shade’ touches on ‘Daydream’.

It was a truly magnificent show and one, I hope, which will be remembered as one of the best on this tour! Yes, we all love Robin. Let’s hope he loved the Robin 2!

Set List: Too Rolling Stoned; Sweet Angel; What's Your Name; Rise Up Like The Sun; Daydream; Living Out Of Time; Breathless; Day Of The Eagle; Bridge of Sighs; Close Every Door; I Want You To Love Me; Please Tell Me; Another Time, Another Place; Little Bit Of Sympathy. Encores: Come To Me; Secret Place

End Note: Standing in for the absent Jon Amor tonight, Danny Bryant’s blistering Redeye Band got proceedings underway with a brilliant blues set which took in ‘Voodoo Chile’ and an outstanding number called ‘I’ve been mistreated’ (no, not the Purple one)!

He also song a great song commenting on the fact that you don’t have to be 70 and from Mississippi to play great blues. In his 20s, Danny plays a mean Strat and has, without doubt, the gift of the voice!

This review was originally published on Steve Shail’s excellent Trower website ’Steve’s Place’. Cheers Steve!
To visit the site click on the link below.

More reviews from Trower’s 2005 UK Tours

Southsea   Manchester   Bilston   Sheffield   Nottingham
London    Gloucester   Southampton   Deal
Brighton   Cambridge   Glasgow   Aberdeen   Birkenhead
Dartford   Durham

This site is a howardtowers.com production realised in the UK, March 2005.
Published by Alan Howard. Contributions and comments welcome by email