The performances captured in Athens would emerge three years later as the film P.O.V., mixing concert footage with a reportage, behind the scenes view. And here in the Greek capital – with this film crew poised in their vantage points, aiming their various cameras at these five men – the occasion will be preserved for eternity. Over many, many months, this jolly caravan has travelled throughout North America and Europe, from Buffalo to Bologna, Milwaukee to Munich, Toronto to Toulouse. And to mark the significance of the occasion, an extensive film crew has assembled, keen to document the last days of this monumental trek. More significantly, it’s the climax of Peter Gabriel’s This Way Up tour, an endeavour that kicked off nearly 12 long months previously, tens and tens of thousands of miles ago. Ear-to-ear smiles are visible in every direction, both in the crowd and onstage. A few thousand acolytes approvingly roar at their arrival. Five musicians take to the stage, five musicians at the peak of their game. An open-air theatre cut into a hill, the lights of a capital city twinkling beneath. *66.Live in Athens 1987 Released 16th September, 2013Ī warm autumnal evening in southern Europe.
I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) Ģ2. Thus, I’m archiving it here not only for when it’s gone, but for fans who like to close their eyes and listen - and imagine the soles of their shoes are sticky, their ears are ringing, and their clothes are covered in the sweat of a dozen other music-lovers.Ġ2. But I love me a Dwayne Gretzky concert, and although (at time of print) this concert is still available to stream on YouTube, it’s been listed as a limited time stream that could disappear at anytime. The soles of my shoes weren’t sticky the next day, and I didn’t go to bed with ringing in my ears that night, and my laundry wasn’t covered in the sweat of a dozen other music-lovers… actually, when you put it like that, it kinda sounds like this was better than being at the concert?
It’s why Paul McCartney and the Rolling Stones can still sell out the world’s largest stadiums decade after decade in spite of having a dozen performances professionally recorded to DVD.īut the success of this blog (and other sites like it) are indicative of one thing - a concert experienced vicariously is better than no concert at all.
OK, you won’t hear any arguments from me: while professional lighting and camera equipment beat the sight lines of even the best seat in any venue, and the direct audio will always sound better on personal speakers than the theatre’s, something’s undeniably lost in translation. In 2020, Smirnoff was kind enough to sponsor Canada’s favourite cover band to take their annual celebration to Youtube, where I was finally able to take in a Dwayne Gretzky New Years Eve gala. Awful, dreadful words that twenties-something me would scoff or spit at.īut the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns lead to some unique and exciting opportunities, including Live Streaming concerts that can be accessed any where, from any time. And have Obligations and Responsibilities that require Priority. With sprawling set lists and performances that approach 4-hours in length, song selections varied and eclectic but popular, and explosive, bombastic energy, I can’t imagine any better way to celebrate the passing of another year, and welcoming the start of a new one.īut, I’ve become Old. Needless to say, although it’s been on my wish list since inception, I’ve never been able to make it out to Dwayne Gretzky‘s celebrated New Years Eve shows. Forget about travelling out of town or multi-day festivals: what do you think it’s like to get a reliable, trust-worthy sitter on New Years Eve in suburban Toronto? Whereas ten years ago, my only punishment was a mild level of sleep deprivation at work the following day, I now find that I’m yawning before the opening band even takes the stage and it can be a week following before I’m back to a normal sleeping schedule.Īll of this is compounded for event concerts.
I have to arrange sitters for my kids, schedule work around the evening, worry about back up plans if the sitter bails last minute, etc. In my thirties, it’s a whole other affair. In my twenties, I could quite literally go online, check out the line-up at a few of my favourite venues for the evening, and just choose to go out and see a performance impulsively. Going to concerts in my twenties and going to concerts in my thirties have proven to be very different experiences.