All Pictures Copyright (c) by Silvia Steiner
Hyde Park, Unikeller & Alte Lagerhalle, Osnabrück, Germany, 2004
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Nottingham, UK, 2001, Silvia Steiner
All Pictures Copyright (c) by Silvia Steiner, 2001
The Robin, Bilston, UK, 2001
All Pictures Copyright (c) by SIlvia Steiner, 2001
Manchester Academy, Manchester, UK, 2001
All Pictures Copyright (c) by Silvia Steiner, 2001
Bon Jovi joined the Asbury Jukes
ASBURYJUKES.NET – BY SILVIA STEINER & MARKUS BAUMANN – TUESDAY, JUNE 26, 2001
It is Tuesday afternoon and temperatures are above 40 degrees in the sun of the Zurich stadium where we wait for Southside Johnny to open the open-air evening for Bon Jovi. The stadium is sold out and 40’000 people are expected to sweat their last drop of water out of their bodies in the unmerciful hot sun. There was no place to escape to the shade.
At 4 pm, we sighted Louie on stage, arranging his drums. We are not surprised that nobody else recognizes him, but at least some of the front stage audience shouted and clapped their hands after Louie’s sound checks, which was a taste of the sound power the concert is going to be.
And the stadium announcement board really hit our disappointment, we read there: “Next at 5 pm: Johnny Southside”. A prove of a rather bad investigation from the organizer.
At 5 pm Southside the Jukes came on stage and the sound was as expected very powerful. They opened with “Better Days” and we thought that at least a few of the so far approx. 30’000 people in the stadium would show their excitement together with us, but I guess it was just simply too hot for them to move. Only a couple of front stage people started to clap hands to support them. After this first song, Southside announced themselves as: ‘We are the Jukes…’.
Southside and the ‘boys’ did really a great performance, great songs, good sound (a bit loud and sometimes a strange mix, but ok…). We were placed in the seating area about 150 m away from the stage. We were all excited about seeing SSJ here in Zurich again and of course we wanted them to make us see in this huge crowed. I was holding up my Jukestock T-Shirt to save my head from the sun and it was seen: Bobby looked into our direction, pointed at us and then back to his T-Shirt to show us that he has recognized us. Wow, we did not expect that and we still have the smile in our face.
When Jon Bon Jovi came on stage during “Working Too Hard” , at least the die-hard fans of JB raised their hands into the air, started to move, dance and scream and all of a sudden, Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes seem to be the greatest band for them too. JB joined SSJ for 2 more songs “This Time It’s For Real” and “Trapped Again”. Could you believe: two girls were sitting next to us in the row and they did not even recognize that THEIR star is on stage, singing 3 songs with Southside? Ok, we have to admit, you could not see his face from such a distance, but at least they should have recognized the voice…, or is that something which is true only for SSJ fans? So much for JB fans…
Although their show was short, they gave again all and it was full of power. Here the song list: Better Days Coming Back Without Love Hearts Of Stone (it was not the acoustic version for a change) Broke Down Piece Of Man I Played The Fool (Eddie’s solo) Livin’ With The Blues Sinful Working Too Hard (w/ JB) This Time It’s For Real (w/ JB) Trapped Again (w/ JB)
After 1 hour, the show was over and we escaped into the back of the stadium to catch some shade and water. Southside & the Jukes have given us again everything and we were totally happy. So, we decided to skip the rest of the open-air and went for a nice dinner instead.
Southside & Jukes, we hope so much to see you soon again in Switzerland, but then in a small and cozy venue.
Silvia and Markus
Ancienné Belgique, Brussels, Belgium
ASBURYJUKES.NET – BY SILVIA STEINER & MARKUS BAUMANN – JUNE 17, 2001
WHAT A DAY, WHAT A SHOW !!! Brussels became Europe’s “Mini-Jukestock”! A handful of Jukestock attendees and SSJ Fans from many European countries met in Brussels to see and support Southside Johnny & Asbury Jukes on Sunday night at their show in the Ancienne Belgique.
Photo Copyright (c) by Silvia Steiner 2001
The evening should start with a surprise. Maggie has once again proved that she is the most talented organization and supporting “agent” for the band as well as for us fans (thanks again Maggie!). She managed to organize the ABCafe, which is a small bar belonging to the venue. A limited fan community met there at 6 pm for a pre-show party. And the big surprise was that Southside and the Jukes came to join us at the party. We were given a chance again to talk and meet with them. Southside and the Jukes seemed to be very relaxed and in a perfect mood, they patiently signed posters, talked to people and posed for photographs. We just felt like at Jukestock again!
We almost missed the first song from Joe D’Urso (sorry, Joe, hope you forgive us for that…). Joe’s performance was absolutely fabulous! We have just one expression for that concert: a great voice, strong guitar and on top of that he is a superb songwriter.
And then, SSJ & the Jukes came on stage and Maggie’s wish should finally become reality. She asked for ‘On The Beach’, because of Louie’s powerful drum playing. She asked for it, she got it as the opening song and Louie showed his great talent in full strength. What followed was a powerful 2-hour performance. Although we were told that Southside’s voice suffered a bit from the 10-day tour, he demonstrated the opposite, strong voice and a stage presence of an overwhelming energy. To the pain of some of his Jukes fellow that was sometimes too much of energy, especially for Louie, who suffered from Johnny leaving the micro stand across his drums during ‘Talk To Me’ with the words: “hold that, please…”. Some songs later, a towel flew over Johnny’s head right onto the drums.
The songs? Oh gosh, we were too excited and busy to take notes. Still, the recap from our memory includes some real tidbits of solo performances from the Jukes. The great saxophone of Joey for example in ‘Walk Away Renee’ and ‘Paris’, Chris’ trumpet in ‘The Fever’, and not to forget Bobby’s lead vocals in ‘C’Mon Caroline’.
We are sure that Mike Saunders will publish the complete set list in the right order, but here some more songs we remember: Gin Soaked Boy, Cadillac Jack, Better Days, Anxious, Talk To Me, All Night Long, This Time Baby’s Gone For Good, The Fever, Working Too Hard, Clearly Go Blind, I Played The Fool, Next To You, Without Love, Don’t Wanna Go Home, Sinful, Hearts Of Stone (Encore 1), Havin’ A Party (Encore 2)….
Finally once more, we have to say: Southside, Bobby, Muddy, Louie, Joey, Eddie, Chris and Jeff: you were again absolutely brilliant! We look forward to see you soon again on the road through Europe (well, I heard some ‘rumor’ and it says that this may be happening in a couple of month already)! Thanks for a wonderful evening.
See you in Zurich next week! – Silvia and Markus
Ancienne Belgique, Brussels, Belgium, 2001
All Pictures Copyright (c) by Silvia Steiner, 2001
Acoustic New Morning
ASBURYJUKES.NET – BY SILVIA STEINER – MAY 3, 1999
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