The Kelly Hansen Show!
So, the Foreigner / Europe / FM bandwagon rolls into town (the Wolves Civic) for the last night of what seems like a very successful UK tour.Foreigner were the best band on the Journey tour a few years back. After that performance there was a clear need to catch them on their headline tour, which was a given after such stellar performances.
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Foreigner in 2014 is essentially the Kelly Hansen show. It should also be the Mick Jones show, but on every date he has been noticeably absent for the first 4 songs (illness?). Kelly handles this absence so well it hardly shows, but when Mick does show for Feel Like The First Time, the ante is definitely upped. Two things that definitely stand out are the harmonies - Pilson, Gimble, Jones and Bluestein harmonising their arses off, making it sound like you are in the middle of DD7.1 surround sound, and secondly (and more importantly) the songs. Jones was a recent inductee into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and on the evidence of his back catalogue, its an obvious choice - Cold As Ice, Waiting For A Girl Like You, Hot Blooded, Head Games etc all are killer classic rock anthems. Highlights included the excellent Starrider, Juke Box Hero, and the extended version of Urgent. If only they would cease to continue with the keyboard/drum solos, and fit in another 2 songs which would give them a perfect performance!
The Wolverhampton Community Choir (aka FM and some of Europe) appear for I Want To Know What Love Is, before bringing the house down with Hot Blooded. Hansen prowls the stage like a man half his age (so I'm guessing thats 24!), and when you also have a guy in your ranks like Thom Gimble - guitar, keyboard, flute (yes, flute) and kickass sax player, then you can play any song you like to its full potential. The sound was amazing!
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If you thought Foreigner were here just to get some money (then you could be correct), but for what a lot of people outside of the rock crowd think they are a dinosaur band then they are sorely mistaken. Foreigner are immense! Probably sounding as good, if not better as they did in their heyday.
When Hansen walked through Jones' door a few years back, he (Jones) must have thought he'd found his pension and meal ticket for the foreseeable future. In Hansen, you have a guy that has all the style, panache and engagement with the audience that very few can muster. It also helps that he's a very funny motherfucker and a good looking dude. Most of all he's got the VOICE! If you have heard Foreigner on the radio over the years and had never seen Lou Gramm, then you would never know that this isn't him. That is the very highest compliment.
To view all photos taken during this set click here. There are 5 available.