Introduction

With so many top quality Reunion era shows in existence, this show hardly stands out as being anything extra special. That being said, it is an enjoyable show to watch.

Background

This show was the ninth of nineteen shows on the bands first tour of Europe on the Alive Worldwide tour. They toured Europe again during May and June of 1997.

Video Specifics

The video is an amateur handheld and is shot from nearly parallel to the front of the stage on Ace’s side on the 200 level. There is a slight grain to the video. The closeups get head-to-toe- close.

The Show

Deuce- the viewer gets to see the band behind the curtain before it falls. Right away, I noticed how unnatural Paul’s wig looks. However, it seemed to look more natural as the show progresses. Go figure ! Some good Gene vocals highlight this standard opener.

King of the NightTime World- at the start of this song, Gene completely turns his back on the audience. Whether he was playing to the crowd siting behind the stage in the dreadful

“ obstructed viewing ’’ seats or not is unclear (I couldn’t see anyone sitting behind the stage). Prior to the next song, Paul says “ its been a long time since, me, Gene, Ace and Peter have been here ’’. To my knowledge, this was the first Oslo show with all four of the original members.

Do You Love Me ?- the audience starts off the song but Paul misses the second verse. Other than that, it is a rather average offering.

Callin’ Dr. Love- During Ace’s solo, there is a stage light near Ace’s head. The light emits a glow that results in a halo effect around Ace’s head. A great effect since it is probably not intentional.

Cold Gin- Paul does his don’t drink and drive rap but doesn’t go into the “ were not talkin’ about Tequila, and were not takin’ about Jack Daniel’s ’’ part. Gene and Ace fool around during he song with Gene attempting to lick Ace’s neck. Ace sings the second verse and his guitar work is the highlight of the song.

Watchin’ You- nice vocals and solid playing by all members make this version a winner. The camera is a tad shaky but nothing too bad. Paul seems to play a quarter of each song (or at least up to this point in the show) with his guitar between his legs.

Firehouse- good guitarwork by Ace is the best thing about this rather average version. Gene blows 1 fireball. Good camerawork captures the whole thing without the closeups, which tend to miss part of it.

I Stole Your Love- the camerawork is a little odd for the first part of this song. The filmer focuses on the logo and the stage instead of the band members.

Shock Me- a rather standard version with Paul playing his guitar behind his head (a la Hendrix) for a sizeable portion of the song. The song segues into Ace’s solo. Of note during Ace’s solo, the filmer gets a shot of Paul standing off stage having a drink and fixing his hair. This occurs after Ace’s guitar smokes.

Let Me Go Rock and Roll- a rollicking version with the audience getting into it by clapping. This song almost always sounds good.

Shout It Out Loud- Gene’s vocals are a bit low. The filmer takes a wide view of stage and includes some shots of the crowd. The song ends with some half-hearted pyro.

I Was Made For Lovin’ You- Paul vocals are a bit hard to hear but the audience seems to really enjoy this tune.

C’mon and Love Me- Paul introduces this song “ I’d like to dedicate this song to the Norwegian girls. Norwegian girls give me Norwegian wood…guys…if you go real slow, you’ll get them real wet ’’. J

The song itself is rather low key with all members barely moving throughout the song. However, there is some nice guitar work by Ace.

God of Thunder- Gene does his blood spitting thing, which is wisely screen shot since the filmer is not head with the front of the stage. Gene’s usual posing is, thankfully, kept to a minimum. When Gene is lifted to the upper platform, it is nearly impossible to see him. He starts doing the intro chant to I Love It Loud then the opening riff of God of Thunder begins. The actual song is nothing too special. It is followed by Peter’s drum solo.

NY Groove- while sharing the same mic, Gene and Paul clown around for the first part of the song. Towards the end of the song, Ace substitutes Oslo instead of New York (“ back in the Oslo Groove ’’).

Love Gun-someone throws pamphlets onstage just after the previous song ended. Paul picks one up and plays the opening riff of the song with it in his hand then reads a bit of it before discarding it. Paul gives an exaggerated gesture to the stage crew, a sort of “ I can’t believe what I just read ’’ look. The song is enhanced by good lighting and ends with some pyro.

100,000 Years- shaky camera doesn’t help this limp version. Outside of the audience clapping, there is no audience participation.

Black Diamond- Paul tries to get the audience to sing along during the spoken word intro but doesn’t have much success.

Detroit Rock City- the band comes back on stage for the encores. Peter is wearing a Viking hat (the kind with the horns) and the camera just catches it (better camerawork would have been great here). The band plays an energetic version with Gene shaking his finger like a conductor during the guitar solo part.

Beth- Peter sits. Peter sings.

Rock and Roll All Nite- a typical version. The show is cut before Paul can lead the crowd in the usual audience participation near the end of the song.

Overall

The first time I saw this show, I wasn’t overly impressed but after a second viewing, I liked it a little more. The show is generally well filmed except for a few problems but nothing too bothersome. I wouldn’t recommend this show as the Reunion tour show to get but if you can acquire it through a trade, you won’t be disappointed. Overall, a 6.5 out of 10.