Hello folks!

After so much time lurking, I thought it was time to finally pop in and tell you about the Barcelona concert. It was the first time in my life that I had the chance to see any CH-related concert, I was going to see the bros three years ago but they cancelled it and in the end they never came... Anyway, it was worth the wait.

I wanted it to be a very special day/night, so even if the concert started at 21:30 I went to the venue at 16:00 just in case I could see them arrive and say hello to them in person. Unfortunately, when I got there they had already arrived (the people from the venue told me they had come in about 5 minutes earlier). But a few minutes later the music from the soundcheck started to sound, they played many songs from the new album and a few ones I didn't recognise, which I suppose will be from the next one.

I had the pleasure to meet a guy and two ladies who had come from the UK specifically for the concert, I can't remember their nicknames but they are members of the forum so I’m sure they will remember me when they see this. (Hi!)

The soundcheck finished at about 17:30 and I was very excited, at that time I was the only fan over there. About 10 minutes later, Neil and Nick came out. I couldn't almost speak, I was totally nervous and I couldn't remember any of the many things I wanted to tell them, I couldn't even think about how to introduce myself. But there they were, and I had the chance to make one of my biggest dreams come true, so I couldn't let them go. I finally came to them and told them I was a very big fan, and I asked them if I could please have a picture with them.

I'm a very big Kinks fan and I know Neil is too, so I was wearing a Ray Davies T-shirt hoping he would realise, and of course he did. He pointed it to Nick and said something like "Hey, look at his shirt, it's very cool!" I was in heaven. They were very kind and generous, despite being real geniuses they are very good people and as I could see very close to the fans too, they even asked me my name. Somebody called Neil and he had to go soon, but I could talk to Nick a bit more and he signed my TOE.

Soon Mark came out. What a great guy he is too, he also asked my name and I had the chance to speak to him more than the rest. I told him I had seen him five years ago with Supertramp and he was amazing, to what he replied "I was really sick that night!". He also had a picture taken with me.

And of course, now I had seen the other three I couldn't go without saying hello to Matt and having a picture with him too when he came out! He was very kind and funny, I couldn't talk too much to him but he asked me if I was going to the concert tonight. Of course I will!

It was still very soon and the Crowdies had gone back to the hotel so I didn't have anything to do there. I went home, but I came back soon to make sure I would get a place in the first row with three friends who were coming to the concert too.

The concert was AMAZING, one of the best I've ever seen. The band had a lot of energy and the crowd were totally passionate. We were singing all the time and the boys were laughing and joking all the time, it was obvious they were having a lot of fun and that helped a lot. I had read many times about how special the Crowded House concerts are, but this time I could experience it. I'm sure many of you have had that feeling of being there in front of them, you have to live it to fully understand it.

As in the previous concerts, the setlist was mostly made of the biggest hits and songs from TOE. I love the arrangements made of the old songs and how they made different intros or codas to some, like World Where You Live, Fall At Your Feet or Private Universe. We had Black & White Boy which was a very big surprise, I would have never expected it but it was one of the highlights.

The highlights for me were Locked Out, Fall At Your Feet, Walked Her Way Down, Pour Le Monde, Black & White Boy, Four Seasons In One Day, Don't Stop Now, Pineapple Head, Distant Sun, Weather With You, Private Universe and Better Be Home Soon. Wow, I have mentioned most songs! But if I had to choose only one it would probably be Four Seasons In One Day.

I can't remember the exact order, but I'm 100% sure of all the songs they played:

Locked Out
World Where You Live
Say That Again
Fall At Your Feet
Walked Her Way Down
Pour Le Monde
Black & White Boy
Nobody Wants To
Four Seasons In One Day
Don't Dream It's Over
Don't Stop Now
She Called Up
Pineapple Head
Distant Sun
Weather With You
Even A Child
When You Come
Something So Strong
Private Universe
Better Be Home Soon

And one or two funny numbers I didn't recognise, but I can assure they were not Crowded House, Split Enz of Finn songs. They must have been covers from other artists.

After the concert, they came closer to the audience to say hello. They started to walk from one side to the other shaking hands with everybody and both Neil and Nick recognised me. What a brilliant ending for a brilliant night!

I think I haven't forgotten anything, and sorry if my English is not too good.

Here are the pictures I told you about:







I have a few pics from the concert too but the quality is terrible, I'll try to edit them and if I get something decent I'll post them later.

Hey, Man, your English was fine! Thanks for the post, and glad you enjoyed the full experience.

Very cool, Imaginary Man! Thanks for your report and photos.

I'm very curious about those "mystery songs".

Your English is excellent, by the way!

What a great writeup! And it sounds like a great experience.

Welcome, Imaginary Man


what a great review, sounds like you had a very good time indeed. thankyou very much for sharing your photos. I am so happy for you seeing the show and getting to chat to the Crowdies. great photos

Thanks for the wonderful review and photos Imaginary Man!

It's so nice to see concert reviews again!

Looking forward to reading more in the coming weeks.

I've just got back from Barcelona and can confirm what Imaginary Man said (good English!). The crowd was amazing! They knew the words to all the songs and from the get-go sang very loud (in a Spanish accent LOL) and the band looked amazed at the reception they were getting. The people round me knew the words to all the new songs too. Neil had the crowd clapping in a flamenco rhythm at one point!

The sound seemed very boomy and bassy at the start but got better.

One of the bits of songs Neil sang was something like "Music moves my feet" in honour of Nick's "moves" - he said Nick couldnt help himself! Not much banter though, except Nick said something in Spanish which everybody laughed at - I think something about his hips - Imaginary Man??

It was very hot in the room which is a nightclub but with a proper quite high stage at the front, and Spanish people are quite small so we could all see quite well even from half way back. It was all standing and I think this made a difference to the atmosphere.

Davey Lane came up the front and did the Johnny Marr bits on Even a Child - good! He had a dark shirt and a white tie on and looked rather "mod". John Walsh was bustling about changing guitars every five minutes - so many guitars in guitarland!

The stage was quite small so they didnt have the tree or the big red things.

Neil said the last time they had played Barcelona was just before the 1992 Olympics and there was a NZ TV crew there (with Barbara Kendall??) who were very pushy. He said they wouldnt leave it so long in future between concerts.

The weather in Barcelona was really beautiful and Neil said they had been walking about in the city and really enjoyed it.

The night before the concert we were in a little English style pub with a really good sound system and I asked the barman if he had heard of Crowded House and whether they were popular in Spain - he said yes, very, and then put on the Recurring Dream CD - he even bought us a round, and said he would come to the concert!

Anyway, my first Crowded House concert in a smallish space made me very happy and my main memory is how passionate and enthusiastic the crowd were, and youngish - 25 to 35 in the main I would say. Great.

"Music Moves My Feet" is a song on Liam Finn's "I'll Be Lightning" CD! At the second Beacon show in New York, a man in the audience requested "Tim's Persuasion" but neither Neil nor Mark could remember it so Liam said that he could play the song that he wrote which ripped off "Persuasion" and sang "Music Moves My Feet!" Neil sang the harmonies throughout perfectly so he obviously knows it very well!

I knew I had read something about it somewhere on this forum! Thanks Jenny G.

It sounds like an amazing experience. Thanks so much.

Someone put up a video on Youtube already of the first song, Mean to Me. You can tell how high the energy is in the room by all the hands up in the air! It's exciting to watch even from here!

I think that must be Madrid, cos they didnt sing Mean to Me at Barcelona. Will have a look now.

yep, the video is of Weather with You in Barcelona and Locked Out in Madrid. They did Locked Out first in Barcelona.

Another thing, Neil said they remembered Barcelona for two things, one the NZ film crew, and the other that Paul threw a drumstick into the audience and injured some poor girl!

quote:

I had the pleasure to meet a guy and two ladies who had come from the UK specifically for the concert, I can't remember their nicknames but they are members of the forum so I’m sure they will remember me when they see this. (Hi!)

Hi back!

Great report and so glad you got to meet the band. Great photos!!!

quote:

One of the bits of songs Neil sang was something like "Music moves my feet" in honour of Nick's "moves" - he said Nick couldnt help himself!

Yeah, I am counting it as a request. When Neil commented on Nicks moves, I shouted, "The music moves Nicks feet" in a reference to Liams song "Music moves my feet". Neil then just started to play it. Fantastic moment!

Echo the comments made, a totally fantastic gig, the crowd were on fire, really freindly and one of the most passionate crowds I have had the pleasure of watching a Finn related gig in...

Hey good for you, Battylad, couldnt hear that from where I was. Nick looked very perplexed when Neil started singing that as he was about to say something I think.

Thankyou for your reviews guys! It sounds like it was a great concert. Imaginary Man, your english is just fine, and your photos are great

I adore how much Nick gets into the dancin' "groove" when he plays--I'm glad it became a concert moment!
(And an odd aside, but looks at Neil plain t-shirt comapred to Nick's polka-dot top, in Imaginary Man's fantastic post--it makes me giggle to think of the two of them every exchanging wardrobes!)

Glad to hear the European leg kicked off to such a great start!

Even A Child?! Wow!

And i.m., Your English is amazing. I wish I had any command at all of Spanish.

It is just amazing what a phenomenon these concerts are. Even at their ages, to be so incredibly high-energy and in-the-moment every single night. That's what all music should be.

Great review, glad to hear they're getting a good reception world-wide.

Wow, everyone looks really young in those photos. Mark looks all of 35, and he's in his 50s, isn't he?

yeah, I think he's 52 or 53, something like that

thanks for the reviews, love hearing about gigs where there is so much energy.

Imaginary Man, your review (and excellent English ) made me feel like I was there - sounds like the kind of day I wish I'd had....

....only a month till Sydney...

That really is a cool t-shirt, you know.