Funny thing

[froy]

Styx is doing shows and not 1 review on this board, Not one good topic about their new music nothing,
Talk about non issue this is it.

[steveo777]

Styx is doing shows and not 1 review on this board, Not one good topic about their new music nothing,
Talk about non issue this is it.

What would there be to talk about?

[Everett]

Styx is doing shows and not 1 review on this board, Not one good topic about their new music nothing,
Talk about non issue this is it.

Did i not review the champaign show last month?

Hurry up and go to vegas

[Everett]

Styx is doing shows and not 1 review on this board, Not one good topic about their new music nothing,
Talk about non issue this is it.

What would there be to talk about?

Did you think you were in the perry forum?

[froy]

Styx is doing shows and not 1 review on this board, Not one good topic about their new music nothing,
Talk about non issue this is it.

Did i not review the champaign show last month?

Hurry up and go to vegas

If you did nobody could understand it,

[ChicagoSTYX]

Styx is doing shows and not 1 review on this board, Not one good topic about their new music nothing,
Talk about non issue this is it.

Journey, Foreigner & Styx
LG Arena, Birmingham
Concert review and photos by Ian Harvey

There will have been plenty of melodic rock fans pinching themselves at the LG Arena last to make sure they were not dreaming.

Could this really be three giants of the American AOR scene on stage in front of them, three bands that pretty much define the very meaning of melodic rock?

Click on the image top right to start our concert photo gallery

Well, yes it could. And it was a night that proved that if you, ahem, don’t stop believing, dreams really can come true.

First off were Styx, with Tommy Shaw and James JY Young leading proceedings as they powered their way through a criminally short set which still packed a mighty punch.

Miss America, Come Sail Away and Renegade were stand-out moments, with the absence of their sickly sweet ballad Babe the only thing thing that might have had all but the die-hards scratching their heads. In truth it hasn’t been a part of Styx’s set for some time and was not missed.

Foreigner singer Kelly Hansen took total command of the LG Arena as he bounced on to the stage. He is truly an inspired replacement for original singer Lou Gramm, possessing a mighty set of pipes as well as an utterly infectious stage presence, the perfect foil for the group’s uber cool leader and guitarist, the English-born Mick Jones. Hansen even found time for a walkabout into the crowd.

As well as the rapturously-received ballads I Want To Know What Love Is and Waiting For A Girl Like You, Foreigner proved they could rock out too, with Feels Like The First Time, Hot Blooded and Juke Box Hero hitting the mark.

Talking of heroes, Journey have a new one. Their Phillipines-born singer Arnel Pineda has clearly grown into his role over the past four years and was on a mission to win hearts and minds as he led the band through possibly the greatest back-catalogue in melodic rock.

While lead guitarist Neal Schon is the beating heart of the band, Pineda brings along a youthful vitality and enthusiasm, a non-stop energy and a voice that is as near as is humanly possible a perfect replacement for Journey’s much-missed singer Steve Perry.

Kicking things off with Jonathan Cain’s keyboard intro to Separate Ways (Worlds Apart), Journey raised the roof with both singles and fan favourites, from the ballads Open Arms and Faithfully, to Stone In Love, Lights and Wheel In The Sky. Drummer Deen Castronovo impressed as ever when he took over on lead vocals for a spine tingling Mother, Father.

Three tracks from the band’s new album Eclipse, were aired, with the single City Of Hope – dedicated to Pineda’s hometown of Manilla – showing that Journey have not lost the knack of crafting a perfect and uplifting, melodic rock gem.

Of course, while the night was about more than just one song, when that song did arrive it almost lifted the roof of the arena out of sight. It’s easy to forget that the chorus of Don’t Stop Believin’ only appears at the very end of the song after a mighty long tease. Post Glee it was time for Journey – and their fans – to reclaim melodic rock’s greatest classic, and both did so in magnificent style.

After the last song of the main set, Anyway You Want It, Journey returned for their traditional encore, Lovin’ Touchin’ Squeezin’, and a chance for the fans to sing themselves hoarse one last time.

Hopefully any fans who think last night’s concert was just a dream have this review to prove that it really did happen. And then some.

Music photography by Ian Harvey/RocktasticPix

See Also:

NEW! - Visit our concert reviews timeline

[ChicagoSTYX]

Styx is the only band on this tour that has hit songs being sung by the singer who sang on the records!!!

[ChicagoSTYX]

DAVE MORTON

MOST rock fans have guilty pleasures.

I’ve got all the cool stuff in my CD collection – Zeppelin, The Who, Nirvana and the like – but there’s also some decidedly uncool material in there as well…

Which brings me neatly to last night’s line-up at the Arena.

Journey, Foreigner and Styx exemplify that often derided 1980s genre of Adult Orientated Rock – big hair, tight trousers and power ballads.

The truth is that the three bands, over the years, have all produced some great songs, are uniformly excellent musicians and, despite multiple line-up changes, still fill arenas here and in the States.

Chicago five-piece Styx kicked off proceedings with a rocking 45-minute set.

Thankfully absent was their famously super-sickly ballad Babe, but the rest of the songs were delivered with power and precision. Blue Collar Man and Come Sail Away showed off the guitar and vocal talent of original members JY Young and Tommy Shaw, while Todd Sucherman, who replaced the band’s original drummer in 1996, showed why he’s regarded as one of the best in the world with some blazing playing in Renegade and Too Much Time On My Hands.

A quick beer break and next up were Foreigner.

Again, original singer Lou Gramm is long-gone, but replacement Kelly Hansen does a great job in the soaring vocals department, while original guitarist Mick Jones still plays a mean axe.

Their chart-topping ballads I Want To Know What Love Is and Waiting For A Girl Like You really aren’t my cup of tea, but went down a storm, while rockers like Feels Like The First Time, Cold As Ice and Urgent hit the mark.

And so to Journey. Local lad and X Factor winner Joe McElderry wasn’t even a twinkle in his father’s eye when the American rockers released THAT song in the early 80s – a song, of course, which last year propelled Joe into the limelight.

Yet again, Journey have a new frontman in pint-sized Arnel Pineda who replaced the platinum-throated Steve Perry.

And so the band romped through some of their 80s album favourites and a few tunes from their new release Eclipse, with guitarist Neil Schon in scintillating form.

Until it was time for Don’t Stop Believing, which Journey and the Arena’s sold-out audience reclaimed for themselves.

A fun night – and it might even be time to sneak out those dodgy soft rock CDs again!

[ChicagoSTYX]

@ Newcastle Metro Radio Arena, June 7 2011

If Carlsberg did AOR heaven…they couldn’t do a better job than this. Three bands battling it out for pop rock supremacy with a packed crowd the ultimate winner.


Early birds and straight into their stride, Styx proved to be the perfect warm-up for the main event. Vocally sensational – neither Foreigner nor Journey beat Lawrence Gowan and Tommy Shaw on the night – the Chicago band didn’t waste a minute of their brief but spellbinding set.

With more than three quarters of the crowd in their seats to hear stone cold classics Too Much Time On My Hands, Lady and Renegade it was almost as if the headliners had arrived prematurely. And when Styx rolled off a flawless version of Come Sail Away it became clear this lot were never added to a tantalising triple bill simply to make up the numbers.

Unable to call on the flashy light shows used by their fellow bands and with time of the essence the rejuvenated six-piece simply relied on the music. It worked an absolute treat as the Metro Radio Arena was transformed into the Paradise Theatre for one night only.

Foreigner’s first task was upping the ante as Mick Jones and co. arrived on stage with Styx’s sugar-sweet melodies still ringing in their ears. Then again the multi-million selling AOR superstars have followed tougher acts in their career and the challenge appeared to enthuse the second band on the bill.

Kelly Hansen couldn’t be a better foil for Jones and the lithe former Hurricane frontman hit every note as if his life depended on it. After thrilling the High Voltage crowd with the set of the weekend in Victoria Park last summer the clamour for Foreigner’s return had reached fever pitch and this canny set maintained the band’s unrelenting momentum.

Hit after hit bombarded a crowd baying for more only to realise there was absolutely no opportunity to visit the bar or spend a penny. Wrapt from start to finish the masses took a lead from Hansen to throw themselves into classics Double Vision, Feels Like The First Time and Cold As Ice.

The party was in full swing by the time Urgent announced itself as what would be the highlight of the evening. Mixing a brilliant backdrop with Thom Gimbel’s spine tingling sax, Foreigner far surpassed any expectations with this one stunning song alone.

I Want To Know What Love Is almost seemed lame by comparison but Hansen wasn’t to blame. On an evening when Styx set the vocal standard, the assured singer was on a mission to pose the question Lou who?

It was a mission Hansen accomplished with some aplomb but poor Arnel Pineda struggled to emerge from the shadow of Messrs. Perry and Augeri for long periods of, by the headliners’ incredibly high standards, a patchy set.

Journey had promised to bring their A-game to the UK in the face of serious competition in the shape of Styx and Foreigner. Ultimately a ropey start suggested the main men were initially fazed by the supercharged performances of their touring buddies.

A poor mix coupled with an out-of-sync rhythm section scuppered Journey’s plans to make an immediate impact and Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) was barely representative of a band boasting class and experience in abundance.

Ask The Lonely marked a turning point with a big light show and powerful Pineda delivery pulling things around. Still failing to match Foreigner for sheer passion, Journey were on the road to recovery and by the time City Of Hope, from new album Eclipse, rang out Newcastle was just that.

The hope was justified. Open Arms hit all the right buttons and Pineda hit his peak on a pin sharp rendition of Faithfully. Running Urgent close as the song of the night, the Filipino revelled in the opportunity to fire off a perfect take on an AOR classic.

The final notes of that song sparked a mini exodus and, in truth, Journey’s encore was no jewel in the Tuesday night crown. Finishing like they had started, the headliners lacked spark as the curfew called and if complacency isn’t creeping in then consistency is certainly a problem. Foreigner won this particular battle but Don’t Stop Believin’ that Journey will win the war.

Simon Rushworth

Andy S Says:

Although the undeniable winners of the night were Foreigner, I feel Journey were always setting themselves up to a certain degree. A new album to sell and a huge back- catalogue to get through, some fans were never going to leave happy. Foreigner had the luxury or blasting out hit after hit, but Arnel and co. are a different entity and trying to prove themselves in todays market. The set list seemed skewed in places and could benefit from putting ballads together and then cranking it back up. Ending on Lovin Touchin Squeezin was a bizarre choice but not bowing to pressure and playing Don’t Stop as the finale exposes Journey fans from Believin fans!

The real winners could prove to be Styx who gained a few thousand fans last night!

Posted on June 8th, 2011 at 1:23 pm

[Everett]

Chicago i think you've got too much time on your hands (no pun intended)

[Brett]

Well I don't usually read the Styx forum, but I posted my review of all three on the main board, is ya missed it it be here:

http://uncle-unkool.blogspot.com/2011/0 ... x-and.html