Introduction

Certainly not the greatest show by most standards but an interesting show with more then enough “ unusual ’’ things to warrant a viewing or two.

Background

This is the second show of the “ Farewell ’’ tour.

Video Specifics

This show is a single camera handheld located near the back towards Gene’s side of the stage. The filmer does a good job balancing zooms and full-stage shots but does use the video screens a little too much at times.

The Show

Detroit Rock City- the arena goes dark and we get to see the intro film (a retrospective of the band through the years). This film lasts for about ten minutes then the band is lowered to the stage. They prance around on stage awaiting the “ You Wanted the Best…’’ intro. Right off, we have two rarities that were not seen by most on this tour. The first is the intro film (which was dropped after this show) and the second is the band getting lowered to the stage before the announcer introduction (the band was lowered to the stage after the announcer intro. for most of the tour).

The song itself is nothing special. Gene tongues Ace’s neck, which is always creepy while Paul’s vocals sound screechy.

Shout It Out Loud- a solid version by the band but video is a bit shaky at times. Prior to the next song, Paul says

“ we can’t do all the things you came to see ’’ in reference to the fire marshall.

Deuce- a well played version with a surprisingly good scream by Gene at the end.

Heaven’s on Fire- Paul’s vocals are a little hard to hear, which means the song is only average because of it. Paul plays around with a black bra and even takes a sniff. This song had no pyro.

Callin’ Dr. Love- normally a snoozer but Gene’s vocals are surprisingly good, which makes me not hit the fast forward button.

Shock Me- merely a pedestrian version.

Psycho Circus- this song should be an opener but after hearing it on the Psycho Circus tour, I realize that this song is much better suited to the middle of the setlist. In this case, Paul’s vocals sound far superior then those on the previous tour.

Firehouse- a rather standard playing of this setlist standard. Gene blows 1 fireball at the end of the song.

Do You Love Me ?- Peter’s drumming is far from crisp thus hurting the overall sound of this song (watch the New York ’77 video for proof of how good this song can sound live). Paul puts his hands down the front of his outfit for some reason whether this was to make an “ adjustment ’’ or simply titillate the female fans is unclear. There is no video montage during this song.

Let Me Go Rock and Roll- rollicking vocals and guitar work make this song one of the best of the show.

Into the Void- Unfortunately, nothing about this song is memorable. The song drags and the camerawork is lazy. The song ends with Ace’s solo. On the positive side, this song was only played at the early dates on this tour and was eventually dropped from the setlist.

Cold Gin- Paul gives the audience the obligatory “ don’t drink and drive ’’ rap. Gene’s axe bass makes its first appearance of the night. This is a decent version that sees Ace do this odd hopping action across the stage near the end of the song.

God of Thunder- thankfully Gene keeps his posing to a minimum before the song starts. The filmer gets a nice clear view of Gene on the raised platform. During some shows, Gene would be hard to see depending on where the filmer was located. The song is well played by all concerned and ends with the usual pyro.

Lick It Up- not bad but not great either. It is too bad that this song was never dropped since it never got better as the tour progressed.

I Love It Loud- better then I thought but still not as good as some of the Carr or Singer versions.

100,000 Years- a lame audience participation section drags this version down to “ merely passable ’’.

Love Gun- this whole song is VERY tired. The sound meter, Paul flying and the fact this song has been in every setlist since 1977 doesn’t help either. On the positive side, the filmer gets a good view of Paul on the platform.

Forever- the mirrorball drops and Paul sings the first half of this song then says “ that song bleeds really well into…’’

Black Diamond- the filmer zooms out and relies on the screen behind Peter. Maybe he was getting tired ? Peter adds “ Paulie’s got you under his thumb ’’. Not a great version at all with the band seemingly disinterested.

I Stole Your Love- Paul introduces this song as coming from Rock and Roll Over. Perhaps he was thinking of I Want You. This song was played at a few of the early shows of the tour but quickly disappeared from the setlist. A well played version with the “ Love Gun ’’ stairs lighting up. The camerawork could have been better during this song.

Beth- Peter sits and Peter sings.

Rock and Roll All Nite- Paul says “ this is even better when we all can play ’’ as he waits for Peter to get behind the drums. A standard version with lots of confetti, and pyro.

Overall

This show was better then I expected. The video could have been a bit better but was not objectionable by any means. The slightly unusual Farewell setlist (Into the Void, Forever and I Stole Your Love) and some of the interesting show happenings (intro film, band lowered to the stage before opening, Ace’s hopping and the band waiting for Peter to get behind the drums) make this a cut above some of the other Farewell shows in terms of entertainment value. Overall, a 7 out of 10.