TEN YEARS AFTER in Switzerland
Sierre "Blues Bar", Dec 8 - Winterthur "Salzhaus", Dec 9, 2005

Review and Photos by Herb Staehr and Silvia

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to Herb Staehr for Photos and Concert Review

  

Ten Years After in Switzerland

Concert Review by Herb Staehr

Last week I had the good fortune to finally experience firsthand Ten Years After now at their shows in Sierre and Winterthur, Switzerland. It would be tedious to recount all the superlative and special moments that occurred during these two performances by this very special band. Simply put, after playing more than 200 gigs in the past few years, Ten Years After is today more on top of their craft than they’ve been since the late 60’s - no BS, this is currently one of the strongest and tightest bands you will find anywhere. Until they get to the States, they may be Europe’s best kept secret but, believe it, they are really that good!

For all who were so favorably impressed by the “Now” studio album and subsequent “Roadworks” live compilation, I can only say that Ten Years After are presently at an even higher level - and getting better with each subsequent performance. Either of the two shows I saw in Switzerland could, if released unaltered, easily rival the quality and intensity of the “Roadworks” release – and then some. Ten Years After is now at a point where they can change their set list indiscriminately at the last moment without compromising the quality of the music. Indeed, this is what I witnessed them do shortly before the shows in Sierre and Winterthur.

In Sierre, the rarely performed live “A Hundred Miles High” was added in the final moments (Joe had to listen to it on Leo’s ipod in the dressing room to check the chord changes) and it went down splendidly. Another song that brought down the house in Sierre was “Reasons Why”. I had personally overlooked the quality of this song when listening to “Now” - probably because it is preceded by so many other great tunes on the album, but it is really a barn-burner when TYA does it live.

In Winterthur two fans, Dick Wagger & friend – not to be confused with Mick Jagger (you had to be there), insisted that Ten Years After play “50,000 Miles Beneath My Brain”. Always accomodating, they did add it to the end of the set and absolutely nailed it – in my opinion it was one of the best played songs of the evening! Another highlight for me at Winterthur was “I’ll Make It Easy For You”. The “Roadworks” live album could have easily been a triple CD release instead of two, because all these other songs sound just as fantastic as those included on “Roadworks” when TYA plays them live.

In conclusion, for all the other USA fans besides myself, your patience will be rewarded when you finally get to see Ten Years After play live again. When I saw them in Switzerland, the opening number was “Working On The Road”... before Joe even joins in on guitar there is no doubt from Leo’s driving bass line, Ric’s hard and perfectly timed drum rhythm and Chick’s strong keyboard accompaniment - that this is the one and only Ten Years After, sounding as powerful as they’ve ever been. The audience reaction is instantaneous, and the energy and excitement level is unrelenting for the next two hours.

In regards to Joe Gooch, contrary to the polite and unassuming person that he is offstage, he is an absolute phenom onstage who takes both the old and new songs to a new level of excitement. I honestly don’t know how the “veteran” band members are able to keep up with him night after night - but they do and the whole experience is absolutely exhilarating, just as it always was with Ten Years After!

 

 

Thanks to SILVIA for the following photos

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

        

 

    

  

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

     

 

 

 

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