Wow.
First impression - for a 70-year old man, Martin Barre does NOT mail it in. He was on fire. And it certainly looked like he was enjoying himself immensely, just out playing in a small club.
Band was good and tight, and got the job done. They also looked to be having a ball, and seemed acutely aware of who the star of the show was. They were definitely functioning as a band, but still stayed out of Barre's way.
Show was VERY Tull heavy. And everything he plays sounds like Tull regardless.
Non-Tull played - a couple of songs from Martin's new record. Blues based guitar rock. They played two Beatles songs, Elanor Rigby (terrific, extremely Tulled-up version) and I Want You. They also did Robert Johnson's Crossroads during which he played mandolin. It sounded like acoustic Tull. He just can't help it.
Tull played - Cry You A Song, Minstrel in the Gallery, Sweet Dream, Teacher, New Day Yesterday, My Love (slowed down, very cool), Sealion, a long excerpt of the second half of Thick as a Brick that was worth the price of admission alone, and closed with Locomotive Breath. (There might have been one more old one). The overall weight of the show towards got me thinking - was he playing what people came to hear, or was he laying claim to his legacy as a creator of the Tull sound? I think the latter. The cover choices, the arrangements, the sound, I think this is what comes out when Martin Barre plays. The essence of Tull was over everything.
Obligatory gear report - he played a PRS through a Soldano head and a small Marshall cab. Sounded great, exactly as he has always sounded.
Final thoughts - sometimes one goes to see gods in their twilight and cannot help but be disappointed. Not the case here. He was fantastic, he was working hard, his playing is as terrific as ever. He looked like he still feels that making a loud rock'n'roll noise is the best thing ever.
Get tix now.
