* Onstage, backstage, in transit and rehearsals for Liverpool's great Anfield Stadium
from Brian Ray
Just got this email check it out!
Hello friends near and far! As promised, here is my report from the stage, backstage, in transit and rehearsal for and at Liverpool's great Anfield Stadium.. It was like going from 0 to 160 in 4 seconds, to go from rehearsals in a modest place to playing before 36,000 in a packed football stadium in the Beatles home town or Liverpool.
It was raining for a day and a half and all during our sound check onstage with our gear being covered while we rehearsed... with the crowd pouring in and the show set to start, the clouds parted and it stopped raining just at the Zutons [great home team band] took the stage followed by the fab Kaiser Chiefs..
The kindest, warmest audience ever...
We had a fantastic show there... the people of Liverpool are the kindest, warmest audience ever and they were as much a part of the show as the lights and sound were. [GREAT singers too!!] Paul was in great form, even as he seemed at a loss for words at times, trying to express his gratitude for the city which informed his musicality, humour and personality.
4 new songs & a special guest appearance
As many of you know by now, Paul added in 4 new songs to the set, opening with the very early Bealtes "Hippy Hippy Shake" [& my solo] and a new song he wrote with lyrics about his beloved home town, "In Liverpool". Late in the show we then added a new version of "Something" with the band entering at the guitar solo [Rusty!!] and it was very touching to watch the faces in the crowd..Later on, Paul made a brilliant and brave move to play "A Day In The Life" with the ascending orchestra [WIX!] bits and then finished it up with "Give Peace A Chance"...
a moment that was a pure act of love and respect, a loving tribute to his fallen brother, John. Then, Paul announced our special guest, Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighter who played 3 songs with us, one on guitar, 2 with Abe on double drums [hammers of the GODS!!]We had a blast... what can I say??
Next stop - performing for 360,000 people in Kiev!!!
The next day we drove down south to rehearse [for our upcoming show in Kiev in the Ukraine] for 4 more days.. THIS is gonna be off the HOOK!! 360,000 people are expected in the Square [10 TIMES the huge crowd in Liverpool] and we will be ready to rumble.. It's so good to be hanging together, the five of us again, for full length big shows, as much fun as the smaller shows over the last year and a half have been. Paul is in GREAT form and sounds toppermost of the poppermost right now, singing his ars off!
The Foo Fighters at Wembley StadiumLast night we were invited to go see the Foo Fighters at Wembley Stadium.. What a show!!! And what cool guys they are.. they built an amazing career from the rubble of one of the best bands to come along in 40 years, from clubs and theaters to headlining Wembley for 2 nights.... 86,000 per night!On their encore, Dave Grohl announced 2 special guests... Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones~ they tore into "Rock and Roll" like 4 guys at a banquet who hadn't eaten in days... Dave on Drums, Taylor singing. the "Ramble On" to a crowd of freaking fans... there it was.. just for us 86,000 peeps.
So..indulge me in a little story..
After the show we went backstage to hang and I was looking for the Zep guys because as a young lad on my first trip to Europe with Etta James at the 1975 Montreux Jazz Festival , John Paul Jones was set to play bass for Etta at the fest.. Me, skinny little 19 year old kid with blond hair halfway down my back was the bandleader, teaching Zep's bassist Etta's songs..Well, at the end of our first rehearsal, who walks in but Jimmy Page and Robert Plant.. !! Page pulled me aside and asked to play my '57 Les Paul and told me he thought he had met me in a past life [wow!!]..
Then they invited me to dinner, Racqlette in a chalet in the Alps.. with Led friggin' Zep!! All this was made better when 2 of my friends from LA had witnessed the show there and came back to LA to tell the stories for me.So, back to Wembley... I see Page and shake his hand, reminding him of our meeting and he smiled broadly as his eyes flipped back through the memory banks to remember... then, I saw JP Jones and we talked and talked.. he said he still watches the tape of that show from 1975 in Montreux playing with Etta James and me..
And finally...It's Sunday, day off in London, first in 11 days and I'm glowing.. throat is sore but, hey.. sometimes you gotta shout it out and go for it, right?We will have news of my new recording sessions and some contests coming up on my site brian-ray.com.. please come in and make yourselves comfortable. Join my mailing list to get all the news first!All the best to you all!Love,Brian
Harleyblues take:
Dang is there anybody you haven't met or played with Brian? Happy you guys had an freakin fabulous time! what a glorious life you have lead. Lovin the Special guests with the Foo Fighters Jimmy Page & John Paul Jones, trip. Man would'va loved to have seen that haven't seen Page & Plant since Shoreline. Wow now your off to Kiev, sheesh in front of all em people ... Oh how would Lovvvve to be there. ahhhhhhh!
hb~
from Brian Ray
Just got this email check it out!
Hello friends near and far! As promised, here is my report from the stage, backstage, in transit and rehearsal for and at Liverpool's great Anfield Stadium.. It was like going from 0 to 160 in 4 seconds, to go from rehearsals in a modest place to playing before 36,000 in a packed football stadium in the Beatles home town or Liverpool.
It was raining for a day and a half and all during our sound check onstage with our gear being covered while we rehearsed... with the crowd pouring in and the show set to start, the clouds parted and it stopped raining just at the Zutons [great home team band] took the stage followed by the fab Kaiser Chiefs..
The kindest, warmest audience ever...
We had a fantastic show there... the people of Liverpool are the kindest, warmest audience ever and they were as much a part of the show as the lights and sound were. [GREAT singers too!!] Paul was in great form, even as he seemed at a loss for words at times, trying to express his gratitude for the city which informed his musicality, humour and personality.
4 new songs & a special guest appearance
As many of you know by now, Paul added in 4 new songs to the set, opening with the very early Bealtes "Hippy Hippy Shake" [& my solo] and a new song he wrote with lyrics about his beloved home town, "In Liverpool". Late in the show we then added a new version of "Something" with the band entering at the guitar solo [Rusty!!] and it was very touching to watch the faces in the crowd..Later on, Paul made a brilliant and brave move to play "A Day In The Life" with the ascending orchestra [WIX!] bits and then finished it up with "Give Peace A Chance"...
a moment that was a pure act of love and respect, a loving tribute to his fallen brother, John. Then, Paul announced our special guest, Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighter who played 3 songs with us, one on guitar, 2 with Abe on double drums [hammers of the GODS!!]We had a blast... what can I say??
Next stop - performing for 360,000 people in Kiev!!!
The next day we drove down south to rehearse [for our upcoming show in Kiev in the Ukraine] for 4 more days.. THIS is gonna be off the HOOK!! 360,000 people are expected in the Square [10 TIMES the huge crowd in Liverpool] and we will be ready to rumble.. It's so good to be hanging together, the five of us again, for full length big shows, as much fun as the smaller shows over the last year and a half have been. Paul is in GREAT form and sounds toppermost of the poppermost right now, singing his ars off!
The Foo Fighters at Wembley StadiumLast night we were invited to go see the Foo Fighters at Wembley Stadium.. What a show!!! And what cool guys they are.. they built an amazing career from the rubble of one of the best bands to come along in 40 years, from clubs and theaters to headlining Wembley for 2 nights.... 86,000 per night!On their encore, Dave Grohl announced 2 special guests... Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones~ they tore into "Rock and Roll" like 4 guys at a banquet who hadn't eaten in days... Dave on Drums, Taylor singing. the "Ramble On" to a crowd of freaking fans... there it was.. just for us 86,000 peeps.
So..indulge me in a little story..
After the show we went backstage to hang and I was looking for the Zep guys because as a young lad on my first trip to Europe with Etta James at the 1975 Montreux Jazz Festival , John Paul Jones was set to play bass for Etta at the fest.. Me, skinny little 19 year old kid with blond hair halfway down my back was the bandleader, teaching Zep's bassist Etta's songs..Well, at the end of our first rehearsal, who walks in but Jimmy Page and Robert Plant.. !! Page pulled me aside and asked to play my '57 Les Paul and told me he thought he had met me in a past life [wow!!]..
Then they invited me to dinner, Racqlette in a chalet in the Alps.. with Led friggin' Zep!! All this was made better when 2 of my friends from LA had witnessed the show there and came back to LA to tell the stories for me.So, back to Wembley... I see Page and shake his hand, reminding him of our meeting and he smiled broadly as his eyes flipped back through the memory banks to remember... then, I saw JP Jones and we talked and talked.. he said he still watches the tape of that show from 1975 in Montreux playing with Etta James and me..
And finally...It's Sunday, day off in London, first in 11 days and I'm glowing.. throat is sore but, hey.. sometimes you gotta shout it out and go for it, right?We will have news of my new recording sessions and some contests coming up on my site brian-ray.com.. please come in and make yourselves comfortable. Join my mailing list to get all the news first!All the best to you all!Love,Brian
Harleyblues take:
Dang is there anybody you haven't met or played with Brian? Happy you guys had an freakin fabulous time! what a glorious life you have lead. Lovin the Special guests with the Foo Fighters Jimmy Page & John Paul Jones, trip. Man would'va loved to have seen that haven't seen Page & Plant since Shoreline. Wow now your off to Kiev, sheesh in front of all em people ... Oh how would Lovvvve to be there. ahhhhhhh!
hb~
