Thunder - Saturday 28th May - Wembley Arena

Brief review:  Nice to see Thunder making progress again to a big arena and an increasingly rare trip to Wembley for me. Support came from Ugly Kid Joe and the Kris Barras band, both of whom were OK (but not to a degree that I'd be tempted to a headline show). Thunder were excellent as normal, even if the set was a little light on "hits".

Venue and View:  Decent seats, front, just left of centre on the floor.

Setlists
Thunder
Last One Out Turn Off the Lights
The Western Sky
Higher Ground
One Day We'll Be Free Again
Resurrection Day
Unraveling
The Devil Made Me Do It
Destruction
Low Life in High Places
Young Man
Black
Love Walked In
Across the Nation
Backstreet Symphony
+
Last Orders
Dancing in the Sunshine
Dirty Love

Ugly Kid Joe
Neighbor
Panhandlin' Prince
No One Survives
Devil's Paradise
Cat's in the Cradle
Funky Fresh Country Club
Everything About You
Ace of Spades

Quireboys - Tuesday 24th May - Guildford Boileroom

Brief review:  A Spike-less Quireboys. He has been sacked by his bandmates which will likely lead to many disputes about the band name. Not going to take sides in this one at all and was happy to go and see the remaining musicians with Guy Griffin on vocals He did a decent job, albeit with fairly short set and small audience.

Venue and View:  Excellent small venue. Very sparse indeed, so could stand wherever you wanted.

Setlist
I Love This Dirty Town
Misled
Gracie B
Turn Away
There She Goes Again
Roses & Rings
Louder
Mona Lisa Smiled
Original Black Eyed Son
Hello
This Is Rock 'n' Roll
I Don't Love You Anymore
7 O'Clock
+
Sex Party

Whitesnake, Foreigner, Europe - Sunday 22nd May - Birmingham Arena

Brief review:  After the fixture clash last week, I bought myself a decent single ticket (and hotel room) for the night. This is billed as Whitesnake's farewell tour as David Coverdale is retiring. We shall see if that is true!

Earlier in the day I had spent 2 hours in a boisterous Aston Villa supporting pub, watching them go from 2-0 up to lose 3-2 at Manchester City to give City the title. Mixed emotions from most in attendance in that it meant "at least Liverpool didn't win", but a tense afternoon of football. After a quick bite to eat, it was off to the venue and a long queue to get it, meaning I arrived just after Europe had come on stage.

I enjoyed all the bands, although it was a shame that Mick Jones didn't join Foreigner as he has done on some of their shows for this tour. Excellent view, good sound and I was in the hotel bar precisely 4 minutes after house lights up.

Venue and View:  Slow access to arena. Front row seat level with front of stage on the left. Great view, but no legroom!

Setlists
Whitesnake
Bad Boys / Children of the Night
Slide It In
Love Ain't No Stranger
Hey You (You Make Me Rock)
Slow an' Easy
Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City
Fool for Your Loving
Guitar and Keyboard Solos
Crying in the Rain
Drum Solo
Is This Love
Give Me All Your Love
Here I Go Again
Still of the Night
Burn

Foreigner

Double Vision
Head Games
Cold as Ice
Dirty White Boy
Feels Like the First Time
Urgent
Keyboard and Drum Solo
Juke Box Hero
+
Long, Long Way From Home
I Want to Know What Love Is
Hot Blooded

Europe
Walk the Earth
Rock the Night
Scream of Anger
Carrie
Last Look at Eden
Ready or Not
Superstitious
Cherokee
The Final Countdown

Backseat Lovers - Monday 16th May - Electric, Brixton

Brief review:  Grrr... Message to self: check the calendar before promising to take your daughter to the new band she likes and booking tickets. Hence I'm here at a new venue for me in South London instead of at the O2 where I had a decent ticket for Whitesnake, Europe and Foreigner.

Still, this was OK. Young long-haired musicians playing loud 70's style rock music - good for them. I would guess Deep Purple are one of their influences. I predictably knew none of it, but it was good. In the gap between the support and main act, I pledged to look up ticket options for Whitesnake in Birmingham next week. And purchased the last of the signed event posters from the merch desk. Who knows, could be worth something if the band continue their upwards rise.

Venue and View:  Standing on raised section near the bar on the left. Decent view, without the scrum on the floor.

Setlist
????

Bryan Adams - Friday 13th May - Brighton Centre

Brief review:  Night 4 of the week and it's onto the regular tour set.  I've never heard "Always Have, Always Will" live, so that's a nice novelty. Apart from a slightly dreary middle section (GDR, OTR, HYERLAW, HIA, IDIFY) it's a decent show, albeit slightly disconnected being up in the balcony. The London O2 show has been postponed until December. That's probably not a bad thing and gives Bryan a chance to freshen up the set a bit.

Venue and View:  Looked pretty much sold out. Seats in the South Balcony facing the stage.

Setlist

Kick Ass
Can't Stop This Thing We Started
Run to You
Shine a Light
Heaven
Go Down Rockin'
It's Only Love
On the Road
You Belong to Me
Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?
Here I Am
When You're Gone
(Everything I Do) I Do It for You
Back to You
One Night Love Affair
Rebel
18 'til I Die
Summer of '69
Cuts Like a Knife
+
So Happy It Hurts
These Are the Moments That Make Up My Life
Always Have, Always Will
Straight From the Heart
All for Love

Bryan Adams - Wednesday 11th May - Royal Albert Hall

Brief review:  Last of the 3 album shows, and it's Waking Up The Neighbours. All 3 shows have been good, although it's a missed opportunity not to mix up the 2nd half "hits" section a bit more. Touch The Hand seemed to be forgotten in the first half and was played later. The truly awful "On The Road" somehow remains in the set, but pretty much everything else is enjoyable. This one was filmed too - I wonder why the others were not?

Venue and View:  Floor Standing, a third of the way back on right.

Setlist
[Waking Up the Neighbours Set]
Is Your Mama Gonna Miss Ya?
Hey Honey - I'm Packin' You In!
Can't Stop This Thing We Started
Thought I'd Died and Gone to Heaven
Not Guilty
Vanishing
House Arrest
Do I Have to Say the Words?
There Will Never Be Another Tonight
All I Want Is You
Depend on Me
If You Wanna Leave Me (Can I Come Too?)
Don't Drop That Bomb on Me
(Everything I Do) I Do It for You

[Set 2]
Kick Ass
Run to You
Shine a Light
Heaven
Touch the Hand *
It's Only Love
On the Road
You Belong to Me
Here I Am
When You're Gone
Back to You
Rebel
Summer of '69
+
So Happy It Hurts
These Are the Moments That Make Up My Life

* Touch The Hand also comes from "Waking Up The Neighbours" but was missed out during the first set. It appeared later in the second part of the show

Bryan Adams - Tuesday 10th May - Royal Albert Hall

Brief review:  Oh joy, the drunk group from last night are in again, so we'll stand well clear. Into The Fire gets the treatment tonight. I heard most of this on the 1987 tour, but it's good to hear again.

Venue and View:  Floor Standing, halfway back on right, moving forward later for better photos

Setlist
[Into the Fire Set]
Into the Fire
Heat of the Night
Victim of Love
Another Day
Native Son
Only the Strong Survive
Rebel
Remembrance Day
Hearts on Fire
Home Again

[Set 2]
Kick Ass
Can't Stop This Thing We Started
Run to You
Shine a Light
Heaven
Go Down Rockin'
It's Only Love
On the Road
You Belong to Me
Here I Am
When You're Gone 
(Everything I Do) I Do It for You
Back to You
Summer of '69
+
Cuts Like a Knife
So Happy It Hurts
These Are the Moments That Make Up My Life

Bryan Adams - Monday 9th May - Royal Albert Hall

Brief review:  It's Bryan Adams week and this is show 1 of 4 for me with 3 at the Royal Albert Hall. Cuts Like A Knife gets the live treatment tonight and it's great to hear some of these songs live for the first time. 

Some people seem to have got a bit overexcited and are over indulging on the beer, jumping around and generally being annoying. I heard one say that they got so drunk at the last Bryan Adams show they went to that they couldn't remember any of it. These are £75 tickets - what is the point of not remembering it!

Venue and View:  Floor Standing, halfway back on right.

Setlist
[Cuts Like a Knife Set]
The Only One
Take Me Back
This Time
I'm Ready
What's It Gonna Be
Don't Leave Me Lonely
Let Him Know
The Best Was Yet to Come
Cuts Like a Knife
Straight From the Heart

[Set 2]
Kick Ass
Can't Stop This Thing We Started
Run to You
Shine a Light
Heaven
Go Down Rockin'
It's Only Love
On the Road
You Belong to Me
Here I Am 
When You're Gone 
(Everything I Do) I Do It for You
Back to You
Rebel
Summer of '69
+
So Happy It Hurts
These Are the Moments That Make Up My Life
All for Love

John Illsley - Wednesday 4th May - Teddington Landmark Arts Centre

Brief review:  An evening of music and chat with the Dire Straits bassist. Lots of hits from his main band and a couple of other numbers too in a lovely setting. The whole thing was filmed, so maybe expect a DVD soon. Musically excellent, I was quite pleased that I identified occasional Thunder guest Steve Smith on keyboards and ex Paul McCartney guitarist Robbie McIntosh on the 6 string. Also present was co vocalist Jess Greenfield, who I think is in Noel Gallagher's live band. All of the musicians where of the highest calibre and this contributed to an excellent evening.

Venue and View:  Huge converted church. Late purchase meant we were in the back row of the standard seats, but on the end of a row, meaning a quick exit to the bar was possible at the interval.

Setlist

Down to the Waterline

Wild West End

Romeo and Juliet

It’s a Long Way Back

Private Investigations

Sultans of Swing

+

Walk of Life

Lady Writer

I Love You Still

21st Century

Money for Nothing

Brothers in Arms

On Every Street

+

Where Do You Think You're Going?