It’s 8 PM and we’re standing at the bar in the New Morning Club in Paris, a small Jazz Club fitting not more than 500 people. That’s exactly the atmosphere we were expecting for this SSJ acoustic tour. While waiting for the show, Southside Johnny just walks through the club followed a few minutes later by Bobby and Kevin. Unbelievable, they can just walk through the crowed (‘¦well at that time not many people were there yet’¦), but still, it feels like you want to start talking to them.

At 8:40 SSJ, Bobby, Kevin and Rick are coming on stage. The audience is still a little reserved, but this will hopefully change during the concert. Before the first song, Johnny reminds us: ‘˜As you know, this tour is strictly acoustic, so I expect that you will be quiet all evening’¦..’. Well, what follows is for sure not ‘˜strictly acoustic’, what a power (unfortunate we did not know the song), Kevin on guitar, Bobby, unusual picture, on bass, Rick on drums and of course harmonica and vocals of SSJ.

This seems to become a real party, small and cozy. Johnny is in his best mood and so it is not surprising to see them teasing each other, like, whenever Bobby needed to change the guitar, Johnny complained that he is too slow. It really ended in a game between them, once Johnny even left the stage, went through the audience straight to the bar, waiting there until Bobby calls him back on stage with the words: ‘˜Hey Johnny, I’m ready now you can come back on stage’

Johnny on bass, well, we’ve never seen that before, but he really did well, while Kevin was singing one of his own songs.

One of the highlight for me was for sure Bobby, solo with his acoustic guitar and his great voice. We were not sure of the song title, but we believe it was one of Roy Orbison’s songs ‘“ ‘˜All My Love’. It’s not the first time Bobby’s voice is compared to Roy Orbison’s, this evening he proofed again.

This was the 2nd time we were in a concert in France and we have to believe that the French audience is kind of reserved (totally different from a Swiss audience). There was a party going on, but only very few people were dancing. After about 1-ý ¨ours, Johnny tries to wake up the people with the words: ‘˜I don’t mind at all if you dance!’. By the time they played ‘˜Having A Party’ (second last song) the people were awake.

The concert was going for more than 2 hours! What a party, what a concert! After the show I thought I may have a chance to get my ticket signed by them ‘“ and I was one of the lucky ones.

Thanks Johnny, Bobby, Kevin and Rick ‘“ this time we had to travel half Europe to see you, but we sure would also travel to the US for another party with you guys! Hope to see you again soon.

Silvia and Markus from Switzerland

Copyright (c) Silvia Steiner, 1999

- It’s been a long time
- Talk to me
- The Fever
- Blue radio
- Trapped again
- We’ll make the world stand still
- Love on the wrong side of town
- Day in and day out
- Wild horses
- Little Calcutta
- Fade away
- It’s all over now
- Hoochie coochie man
- I played the fool
- Lovey dovey
- Coming back
- All night long
- I don’t want to go home
- Having a Party (secret track)

LINER NOTES:

Twenty years down the road, after a thousand typically intense performances in bars, clubs, theatres and arenas from Asbury to Amsterdam, Southside’s commitment has endured, through changing times, changing fortunes and changing band line-ups.

In the autumn of 1995, accompanied by long service Jukes Bobby Bandiera (guitar), Rusty Cloud (Keyboards) and ex-Van Morrison band member David Hayes (bass), Southside undertook a once-only 25-date semi-acoustic tour of Europe, where he and the Asbury Jukes have always had a large and loyal following to rival that of the USA. ‘It was just a whim, you know,’ he said at the time, ‘as much fun as the band is, it’s also fun as a singer to have not to compete with the drums, the horns and all, and to really explore the songs.’

The centrepiece of the tour was a 10-night stand at the Chesterfield Cafe in Paris, a dimly-lit, American-style café ¯ bar, with burgers on the menu, cold beer on tap, pictures of blues greats adorning the walls and live music five nights a week. Very much a home away from home for the stripped-down four piece band, who played to enthusiastic crowds from October 17-21 and 24-28.

For Southside, this was probably his longest string of consecutive apperances in the same place, since his days at the Stone Pony, and just as they had in the old days, the show featured a wide range of different material and style of music. In addition to presenting old favourites in a new light, the band took the opportunity to stretch out and improvise, try something new and just go with the flow. Throughout the 10 nights, no two sets were the same, unpredictability ruled and nobody knew was coming next.

Spittin’ Fire is a souvenir of that historic residency, containing performances from various nights, including several Asbury Jukes classics like ‘I Don’t Want To Go Home’, ‘Love On The Wrong Side Of Town’ and ‘Talk To Me’ more recent recordings (‘Comming Back’, ‘It’s Been A Long Time’, ‘Blue Radio’), solo material (‘Little Calcutta’, ‘World Stand Still’) and a selection of covers by the Rolling Stones (‘Wild Horses’), Bruce Springsteen (‘Fade Away’), the Clovers (‘Lovey Dovey’) and Willie Dixon (‘Hoochie Choochie Man) among others.

Capturing the power and the passion, the wit and the wisecracks, this double album is a snapshot in time, documenting a unique event. It may not happen this way again, but this is how it wnt for 10 hot nights in Paris, as Southside Johnny indulged his favourite habit – singing to a live audience. ‘I like the music I’m playing and I get to travel, so I don’t need millions of dollars,’ he said. ‘The important thing is that last night we had a great show and today I feel like, well okay, let’s do it again tonight.’

Mike Saunders – December 1996

SOUTHSIDE JOHNNY/SPITTIN’ FIRE
(Musidisc 120272)

This two-disc live set documents Southside Johnny’s 10-night stand at the Chesterfield Cafe in Paris in October of 1995. This is not an Asbury Jukes album because these were acoustic performances with Johnny being accompanied only by Bobby Bandiera on guitar, Rusty Cloud on piano, and David Hayes on bass.

The performances are typical Sothside Johnny live, meaning exceptional. Any fan of the Asbury Jukes knows that this band has to be seen to be fully appreciated, their recordings never seem to capture the true essence of the band.

The recording here is well done and, if you turn the lights down low, it actually seems as if they’re in your living room playing. We’re treated to all the classic Asbury Jukes material, a couple of Johnny’s solo tunes, as well as covers of Bruce Springsteen’s “Fade Away”, The Rolling Stones “Wild Horses”, The Clovers “Lovey Dovey”, The Kennedy’s “Day In And Day Out”, Bobby Womack’s “It’s All Over Now”, and Willie Dixon’s “Hoochie Coochie Man.”

These shows were two sets per night, with no two sets the same. The performances are loose, spontanious, and always entertaining. Southside is truly one of the the great underrated performers of our time. The fact that he continues to fill clubs, around the country, whenever he tours is proof of that. The fact that he hasn’t been very actively touring during the past two years does give this set a sort of swan song feel but it’s also essential to any Southside fans collection. Let’s just hope that Southside will be back on the road sometime soon.

This set was only released in France, and no US release is currently planned, but it’s definitely worth hunting down a copy before they’re all gone…

http://members.tripod.com/~djd3/southside.html