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E.L.O.Part 2 : Pleasure Beach Arena, Blackpool, U.K. - 19th October 1997

NOTE - This review was first posted to the alt.music.elo newsgroup on 20th October 1997.

Hi fellow ELO fans, here is my review of the Blackpool leg of the 1997 UK Tour.

What a beautiful day it's been here in Blackpool, the sun is shining and the place is packed with 1000's of people. I have travelled down from the "lost kingdom" of Carlisle in the north of England with my wife and 6 friends.

Having spent most of the day stuffing our faces with chips, burgers, candy floss etc, we couldn't wait for the concert.

The concert was held in the Pleasure Beach Arena, which for the majority of the year is an indoor ice rink!! Having come to the same venue back in 1994, the seating arrangement was the same with the ice rink itself covered over and the stage set at one end and seating covering the rest of the rink. We were sat on the fourth row from the front (left it a few days too late for front row seats).

As the arena filled up (eventually to almost full capacity ) it was
announced that there would be no support group....it should have been Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel (who had a number 1 hit in the mid 1970's) , and so the band would play for a full 2 and a half hours!!!!

As the lights dimmed down, the crowd began to cheer and the sound of the track Fire on High started up as the band took to the stage. It was great to hear this track as the concert opener (last used in the F T M tour in the mid seventies ) although I personally prefer Standing in the Rain....my all time favourite!!

The group then launched into All Over The World which really got the crowd clapping & singing. Next it was into Showdown & a rockin' version of Whiskey Girls. As in the Leeds gig, Kelly, Eric and Phil did a wonderful vocal of which the Bee Gees would be proud of (only joking lads - it was superb) and was fully appreciated by the audience. After a medley of hits it was into two from OOTB - Standing in the Rain and Mr Blue Sky and eventually finishing off with an extended crowd-pleasing version of Rockaria!! after which the band departed for a half hour "rest" and we all disappeared to the bar for a few pints!!

After the break the band came back on stage, and the front rows all jumped up to the front of the stage and numerous others all ran up to the front (the security boys not having a clue what to make of it all so they just let us carry on..well done lads!!)

After a few new and old tracks, Bev came to the front of the stage to introduce the band members, all of whom were teasing Eric with hand puppet imitations due to his "apparent" musical assistance with Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop!!! Then it was onto introducing rock and roll's number one violinist Mik Kaminski.... who then launched into his solo routine, ending with all the band joining him in a rockin' version of his 70's group Violinski's Clog Dance - I never thought I would ever hear this played live........it was superb and enjoyed thoroughly by the audience.

The band then had the audience dancing away with a medley of songs old and new, my favourite being an amazing version of Sweet Talkin' Woman......the best I've ever heard live and eventually finishing off with Last Train To London .... or so we thought because we wanted more,more,more .... back on stage came Bev for a 10 minute (it seemed like half an hour!!) version of Let There Be Drums , the rest of the band joining him late on and then for the final encore it was the crowd-pleasing Dont Bring Me Down ...then that was it, it was all over.

Thats it then, concert over , 2 and a half hours having flown by .....my wife and friends now completely converted to the ELO cause!!

FULL SET LIST

1. Medley 1 - Fire On High / All Over The World
2. Evil Woman
3. Medley 2 - Whiskey Girls / Hold On Tight
4. Medley 3 - Showdown / Honest Men / Rock'n'Roll is King
5. Medley 4 - Bev / Standing In The Rain / Mr. Blue Sky
6. Love Or Money
7. Medley 5 - Calling America / Twilight / Shine A Little Love / Last Train To London / Diary of Horace Wimp
  Break
8. Medley 6 - Because / All Fall Down
9. Medley 7 - Livin' Thing / Midnight Blue / Can't Get It Out Of My Head / Turn To Stone
10. Medley 8 - Bev / Mik Solo / Clog Dance / Ain't Neccessarily So
11. Telephone Line
12. Getting To The Point
13. Medley 9 - Do Ya / Sweet Talkin' Woman / Ma Ma Ma Belle / Don't Wanna / Rockaria
14. Medley 10 - Bev Solo / Let There be Drums / Don't Bring Me Down

One final note, I thought Phil played and sang superbly tonight, possibly due to it being his fathers' birthday and him being in the audience, or perhaps he had been on the "Pepsi Max" or the "Playstation" prior to the concert??

So, thats my review, its time for a couple of pints of beer, a burger and a 'ride' on the afore-mentioned Pepsi Max..I must be some sort of masochist (or full of drink!!??)

Jim Hoban - 20th October 1997