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Alvin Lee On Tour in the United Kingdom, 17 April - 27 May 2004

Please scroll down for reviews, photos and interviews

ALVIN LEE, TONY MCPHEE, EDGAR WINTER Encore, Bristol England 18 April 2004 Photo by Pieter Kentrop

Alvin Lee and Edgar Winter
Encore - Corn Exchange, Cambridge - 14 May 2004
Photo by Ian Ellis

INTERVIEWS & REVIEWS **BBC -TYNEmm GIG REVIEW - BBC mmYorkshire Postmmm Evening Times *** Recorded Interview with BBC - Nottingham AUDIENCE REVIEWS: 18 May 2004 _ Glasgow by Alan Thomas Having seen the concert in Edinburgh the night before, without any disrespect to that fair city, this was the 'Big One' for me...Alvin Lee on our home turf. Leaving Edinburgh, and getting home was nerve-racking. I was high on adrenalin from the concert, and frantic phone calls were being relayed by my daughter at home to my cellphone. Important people were trying to get in touch, I was becoming a nervous wreck, because I wasn't there to take the calls. Finally, we got home at 1.30 in the afternoon, the blood still pumpin' hard...I had a cup of tea [very British]..and really badly needed sleep..but couldn't, no way, I was spaced out. By mid afternoon I was coming down, the phone went again at 3.30...BOOM!!...the levels rocketed again. I needed a stiff drink, but resisted temptation, and decided I'd better eat before I flaked. So to cut to the chase...into the Concert Hall, at the interval, it's into the bar, and like a teenager, nicked the Alvin poster from the wall and downed a Jack Daniels' to calm my nerves. Rosie and I settled in one of the big sofas in the lounge, but I couldn't sit, I was pacing, smokin' my head off, she begged me to settle down. I needed another drink. 'Please take your seats, the concert will resume in five minutes' a calm lady announced over the Tannoy. 'Calm? I thought...yeah right! So there we were, front and centre, stage lights dimmed...'Ladies and Gentlemen...Mr Alvin Lee!!!!' YE-E-AHH!!!!roared the audience. This was gonna be special, I could feel it my bones. Remember those old biblical films where the caged lion is let loose into the arena, where it slowly prowls out into the sunlight? From the stage right shadows emerged Alvin, cool and calm, you could almost hear the audience begging forgiveness for being mere mortals. The lights stayed low for what seemed an eternity, but it was only seconds as the big red cannon swung heavily from his blue shirted broad shoulders. FLASH!!!..up went the lights!!!!! A split second later..BANG!!! It's into 'Rock and Roll Music to the World', we nearly dived for cover. The audience were up for it, Alvin was on fire, and the sound was flawless. No one was on their feet, but you knew they were itchin' to, feet were tappin', heads were noddin' who was gonna be the first to get up? The opening bars of 'Hear Me Callin' were greeted by a roar that merged with the cheers for the song just finished...two songs in, we were eating out of his hand. 'I Can't Keep from Crying' followed, as splendid a version as I've heard...and as if he knew he'd kill us if he went on, he donned an electro-acoustic for the next three. His tribute to George was played to a completely silent crowd..mesmerising. When he finished, there was a detectable hushed silence for a few seconds, emotionally, and beautifully played....a very special moment. By the time a superb version of 'Love Like a Man' and 'I'm Going Home' everyone was on their feet.....A V8 engine buzzing like a hive?....kids' stuff..this was a V12 guzzlin' high octane fuel. I ran up the back of the auditorium to get the feel of whole scene, as they say in the States..awesome, nobody was sitting....this was an extra, extra special night. The encores with Edgar left us all completely drained of energy. This was a truly unforgettable night for us. I am knackered, I need to sleep, but I'd do it again a hundred times. All that's left to say, is thankyou Alvin and the Band, everybody involved.....sound, lighting, you name it...and a special thanks to Evi for being so gorgeous! Alan and Rosie. by Pieter Kentrop, April 18 After having dinner with my fellow Alvin Lee messageboard friend Jari Kyrro,we went to the Oxford theatre. We met after an appointment the tour rmanager and Alvin Lee's personal assistant technician who revealed a few nice details about Alvin s musical sett up. The show opened with Tony Mc Phee at 7.30 ( an acoustic set : him on accoustic guitar on vocals and his wife on vocals).After a short changeover Edgar Winter and his band was on for approximately 1 hour, with his Texas drive rock show. Him singing, playing different kind of keyboards ,and even saxophone. Made the audience feel warm and in the mood for Alvin. 9.05 it was time for the main act of the evening Alvin Lee and his great rythm section . Bass and Drums. Pete and TJ. Alvin entered the stage with his well known Red ES 335. ( not the big Red ,that one is safely in the banksafe - Gibson has made him a copy . ) Dressed in a very nice Hawaiian inspired blue short armed shirt ,jeans and Brown suede slip on shoes. He told me after the show that he was nevous ( the first concert ) but that did not show at all. He stepped right in to the songs ( The setlist contained 4 new songs from the new CD (*). Alvin in Tennessee album and a suprisingly a acoustic secton of 3 songs.). Here they are : R & R Music to the world ...Here me Calling...Country thing...Rock and Roll Girls ( * ) a very nice typical Alvin rocker followed by ..How do you Do it (*) A swinging rockabilly song ,everybody was having a great time now..Alvin knows how to rock and swing..followed by the beautiful acoustic set which started with, as Alvin announced " this is the first song that I wrote " ... Dont want you woman...followed by ..Getting nowhere fast (*) ...Followed by Alvin Playing all alone an instrumental on Acoustic guitar. My Guitar Gently Weeps.. this was the highlight for me seeing Alvin playing this so brilliantly all alone.. " This is for George he said after the song, i believe a lot of us and the audience had tears in their eyes ,this got straight to the heart.Thanks Alvin... After putting his Es 335 on again and screwing up the volume .He made jokes that he did not know what was on the setlist I cant read it he said but ..I Dont give a ****...spanish thing...I am Gonna make it (*) ...I woke up this morning....Scat thing....Love like a man...Gping Home ( I am going home ,new style ). Pete Prichards changed in the middle of the song from his electric fender Bass to the Standup Bass. ...... Than the grand Finale with a few songs like .dizzy miss lizzy ....Johnny bye bye together with Edgar Winter on Saxophone and Tony Mc Phee.. A great and awsome night at the Oxford theatre. I walked dizzy from all those impressions to my Hotel and never to fall asleep. The concert was still in my head ,today when i was driving from Oxford to Bristol ( 2nd show )in the bus with my freshly bought Alvin Lee in Tennessee CD on my headphones,driving past those beautifull houses on the way.. It made me feel i was part of the tour knowing Alvin and the rest were driving in there with stars decorated tour bus behind us Saw Alvin's band with Edgar Winter on Thursday night (22nd April) in Newcastle upon Tyne, where the old master proved he still has it. Alvin began the set with a couple of his old numbers, Rock & Roll music to the World, Slow Blues in C, but soon was into tracks off In Tennessee. Pete Pritchard's double bass playing with Alvin's familiar blues/jazz tempo in 'Let's Boogie' immediately took me back to his early TYA albums Undead, TYA, Stonehenge, et al. Alvin was clearly enjoying himself managing to play & sing just about every R & R riff in the book. Great night ending off superbly when Edgar winter and guest Tony Mcfee joined Alvin on stage for the usual R & R final R & R medley. Bought In Tennessee @ the gig and have played it ever since. The tempo of the album is perfect as is Scotty Moore and the rest. Brilliant. Harrogate - 24 April 2004 By NIall Stokes Hi folks, I just got back from seeing Alvin play in Harrogate , I flew over from Dublin to see the gig.I went over hoping to meet him ...and I DID!! ...but first the concert After Edgar Winter had finished a brilliant set, I got very excited about the prospect my Hero for all these years was gonna come out on stage finally. I went down to buy myself a T-shirt in the lobby first, got my ALVIN-LEE signature T-shirt ,and a programme,and went back to my seat, FRONT ROW to left of stage. After the short interval ,Alvin is introduced and walks out literally a couple of feet away from where I'm sitting , it almost sent a chill down my back as I put into context how far this guy has come in his career and is still going, when you look at the people he has met and shared venues with ,Janis Joplin ,The Who(Keith Moon/John Enwhistle) ,Jim Morrison,Mamma Cass,Jimi Hendrix to name but a few ,legends in alot of cases that are no longer with us. And of course his close personal friend,George Harrison. That makes a night with Alvin Lee along with his own great(and very individual) talent as a guitarist/composer very special indeed. Alvin came out and with no time wasting went straight into "Rock'n'Roll music to the world" ,I was right beside the speakers, it blew me away, and I was so glad it was so loud, or at least it was where I was sitting because last time I got to see him ,it was Hammersmith 1990 with TYA ,and I was right up at the very back and up at the upstair Balcony ,could hardly see or hear him! anyway back to the Harrogate gig.....Rock'n'Roll music was F***ing great ,real raw and He sang and played it very strong.I thought to myself right from ther start ,I hope some of this tour is going to be filmed and recorded live cause He's got himself a great new sound with that double bass player Pete Pritchard. The whole set was great, Alvin did a realy nice acoustic set in the middle and his Acoustic playing was a real treat to witness , I wish he had done this kind of thing years back ,but then it was the acoustic along with the Double bass that really make Alvin look and sound like a man very much at home ,very comfortable fitting into a new set which really works so well bringing in a new mixture of pace. What a touching instrumental version of George Harrisons "While my guitar gently weeps", Alvin ,to me, looked quite as if his playing of that song had upset him a little also, he said simply after playing it..."One for George" 'Rock+Roll girls', another new one, and very Alvin Lee, it could have been included on any TYA album and fitted perfectly ,and if you love 50's rock'n'Roll like I do this will bring together and invoke images of lots of the greatest rock'n'roll singers and legends(even though I wasnt around then its the music I surround myself with and always have done) I had not heard 'Tennesse' before the gig ,I had the CD on order but it hadnt arrived before I flew over to the UK, but I knew what was new cause I had read the track listing a few times on this website, When he put his gibson back on he launched into"I'm gonna make it" Its a straight forward track, kicks ass and he's written another great lyric for a Rock'n'Roll song . It reminds you of the days of 'I wanted to boogie' where he's just firing lyrics and guitar riffs at you with a great backing Rhthym section that drives along while Alvin makes it all sound effortlessly enjoyable. New versions of I'm going home are really cool, it doesnt get much better ,its nearly too hard to do this tour justice in words ,go see him live. Alvin is a living legend ,he really is ,they dont make them like that anymore. Even he himself seems not to realise how much of a 'legend' he is, if he ever cashed in on that he'd be as rich as Clapton. maybe being a Legend is not really quantifiable anyway, but, he is still and out and out Rock Star even at 60! He performs and the years fall away, he's just Alvin doing what he does best, playing that cherry Red gibson.... and with plenty of versatility. Yeah, so I waited round by the stage door , Alvins tour Bus was there . I went up to a roadie of Alvins on the Stage after the concert and he told me where to wait around to get an autograph(THANKS and sorry I ddint get your name!!) got to do what I've wanted for years.....got to Shake Alvins hand and thank him for all the great music he's given us over the years.I cant honestly say with all the people trying to distract him and trying to get an autograph he acutally heard me but he has great humour anyway, my girlfriend was there and She said ,"Y'know Alvin ,you are responsible for our relationship" and Alvin looked up at her"Oh really?" he said and with that he took both our hands and said .."I now pronounce you Man and Wife!" haha, we all had a chuckle cause we werent expecting that, with that he said Rock on! and jumped on his tour Bus and went off into the night. On to another town to Rock the joint there, what a Dude. (UK citizens: Why hasnt Alvin been on jools holland yet??! Send Jools an email.) Nothing else need be said. thanks Alvin , From Robyn, Niall's partner: Hi everyone Its Nialls new wife. Boy am I glad I went to the Alvin Lee concert. I've been waiting for a proposal for 11 years. Yeah I told Alvin he was responsible for our relationship as Niall used to seranade me with his songs. He said ' Oh youre blaming me for that are you? & before we knew it we were married! I did'nt get the chance to say that the reason Alvin was responsible for us getting together was that dragging Niall off to bed was the only way to get him to stop playing 'I cant keep from Crying'. You know a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do. Marriage aside, which I am delighted about, I thought the gig was fantastic. I was not really expecting to enjoy it that much. Thought Ten Years After were really 'boys' music, but I was blown away by it. I was rock n rolling away in my seat. (Bit to shy to get up & boogie)& would love to go to another gig. I am converted. Sorry Niall for doubting you all these years. You were right all along. Grimsby - 25 April 2004 by Kay Wood Tony Mcphee opened the night with a 20 minute acoustic session.He is good considering his recovery from a stroke a few years ago..he was joined by a friend lady singer and they duetted. All very laid back and relaxing! After a very exciting set from Egar Winter who looks fit and lithe, darting between keyboards and Sax aided by a tight backing group who played rousing rock throughout Alvin and his band came on and got straight into Rock and Roll Music to the world".He wore jeans and a very attractive shirt with guitars all lover it! His voice is still strong and his riffing as speedy as ever. "hear me Calling" was a great pleasure to hear again after so long and it brought back memories!. After a bit of "Scat" or "Silly thing"..interlude "Rock and Roll Girls" was really great! A Track from the new album which we have bought..he mentions all the old girls, Suzie Q, Long Tall Sally etc..great rock and roll! The acoustic session was great with just Alvin in the spotlight "Don't want you woman" always one of my favourites..plus "Gonna make it"..The tempo soon rose Alvin saying he didn't play much acoustic anymore!..""Going Nowhere fast, Don't give a Damn."". and then a new song "How do you do it! " We had the usual medly of "Smoke on the Water, Sunshine of your love" etc. "going home" Still sounds fresh and exciting! The Encore was "Rip it up, Wholle lotta shakin.."joined by Tony Mcphee and Edgar and they did "Johnny B Good" which gave us an exciting end. The double bass player added a different sound to the music but on the whole Alvin sticks to his rock and roll and all his old riffs. Hexagon, Readin - 9 May 2004 by Peter Ascroft As soon as the tour dates were announced I got onto my nearest venue & managed to get 2nd row middle of the stage tickets-good start. I was nervous about this gig-the chance to see one of my all time heroes in the flesh.I was too young to go to live concerts the first time round & then life got in the way.Over the last few years I've regained my enthusiasm for the music I used to listen to in the 70's & this includes bying the tya cd re-releases. So,Sunday evening(always an odd day for a gig)I say goodbye to the wife & kids & jump in the car with my mate Rob who'se never heard anything by anyone on the bill at all.Trepidation about the concert-what will the attendance be like,what will the music be like? Missed Tony Mcphee except got the end of Groundhog blues but pleasantly suprised by the crowd-the theatre is packed downstairs & although I can't see too clearly appears to be probably half full upstairs.The Hexagon is a funny old place & I suspect that if the tour hadn't also been taking Oxford and Basingstoke then the gig would have been a total sell out. Anyway-Edgar Winter.What a great suprise.Top bloke,great musician & an absolutely steaming band.It was worth the price of the ticket to see the bass player tear it up during his solo spot.The guitarist wasn't far behind either despite me thinking initially he was one of the roadies! Hat's off to Edgar Winter then-loads of enthusiasm,great playing ,great attitude-a real pleasure.If anyone has the chance,thank him from me. He got a good reception & in the interval everyone seemed complimentary. The main course-Alvin saunters on with his 335 & kicks off with R&RMTTW-Kickin.Alvin looks older than I thought he would but obviously in great nick.I was slightly dubious about having a double bass player but that was unfounded.The set list appears to be identical to other reviews...Hear me calling,can't keep from cryin etc. What can i say-wow.The really great aspect of this concert for me was the obvious enjoyment & enthusiasm of Alvin ( & his band)-no worry about just going through the motions.Alvin was dripping with sweat by the end. A`wonderfull selection of material,mixing TYA classics, old solo material,acoustic & electric & new material.What was a real bonus was Alvins voice-raspy but melodic & perfect for the material. But in the end it all comed down to the man & his guitar-could he still cut it? Could he ever-phew.That's about as good as it gets for me-wonderfull technique & feel & just the sheer quality of an exceptionally gifted guitar layer with the benefit of all those years of experience.Genuinely suprised by the right handed picking -is this a result of the Scottty Moore collaboration! Overall a fabulous night.The only criticism I have is of the audience who whilst obviously appreciative were a bit too laid back for my taste. Maybe this is a result of sunday night syndrome or just what happens when your audience is predominantly 40+. Still,thanks to everyone involved in promoting this tour.I had reservations about the mix of the bill but it worked great & the idea of having an almost 1960's style review was inspired. Love to everyone & in particular to anyone who was at Reading-I was the very tall bloke in a dodgy shirt 2nd roe in the middle! Corn Exchange, Cambridge, UK. 14th May 2004. by Ian Ellis Tony McPhee opened the show with a short acoustic set, he was accompanied by his wife on several numbers and their voices blended rather nicely. It will his earlier material from the 'Two Sides' album and it was rewarding to here these older songs. Although his playing seemed less assured than when I last saw him with the Groundhogs his experience and humour came through nicely, his one electric number, 'Groundhog', from Split had the crowd clapping along and it was a fine start to an excellent evening's entertainment. The next time you look-up the word entertainment in your dictionary it should simply say: Edgar Winter. This man is simply unique, his performance at the Corn Exchange was absolutely astounding. The breadth, scope and dynamism of his set was truly breathtaking, you simply had to stand back and try to absorb all that was going on in front of you. I doubt there was an inch of the stage he didn't cover during his hour long set. Seamlessly changing between stunning synth and breezy sax he even found time to play drums too! And sandwiched somewhere in-between all of this were his effortless vocals, which when blended with the harmonies from his band were impressive to say the least. Impressive is an accurate summation of his band; as they had to be to cope with such a diverse mixture of songs and tricky arrangements. At times the standard of virtuosity was stunning; it reminded me of Frank Zappa and the overall level of musicianship that he demanded, they really were that good! Edgar was obviously aware of this as he drove them harder and harder to the conclusion of their incendiary set. Another point worthy of note was Mr Winter's genuine humbleness and humility, he deftly paid tribute to Dr John and brother Johnny, it was these spoken moments that were a positive and welcome breath of fresh air compared to some of the clap-trap spoken by his less talented peers. The word legendary is bandied about so carelessly nowadays that it's in danger of becoming devalued, as long as we have treasures like Edgar Winter around that word can be appreciated in its full and correct context. A short intermission followed before Alvin Lee took the stage, from our vantage point in the front row he looked great. The old combination of a 335 through a Marshall stack still has the ability to thrill, in the right hands! And Alvin didn't disappoint. This man knows his audience and responded with a quick-fire trip down some of TYA's back catalogue, opening with 'Rock Your Mama', 'Hear Me Calling' and 'I Can't Keep From Crying', these iconic numbers guaranteed the eager crowd were eating out of his hand from the very beginning of the set. The pace and delivery of the songs was inspired, and there were a few clever surprises thrown in for good measure, some sensitive acoustic numbers were extremely well received by a boisterous crowd who were ready to rock, and it's here that we must pay tribute to Pete Pritchard on electric and double bass and Richard Newman behind the drums, there ability to combine hard rock, rockabilly and lilting acoustics were a joy to behold. I don't know if this line-up was put together purely for this tour, but Mr Lee could do far worse than keep this unit together, as they certainly know how to combine rock'n'roll and swing with just a sprinkling of crunch for good measure. At the end of the evening Alvin invited us all to relive Woodstock one more time and a rousing 'I'm Going Home' eventually brought his pulsating set to a satisfactory conclusion - and left an exhausted audience begging for more.After much foot-stomping and yelling he duly returned with Edgar Winter on saxophone and a grand 50s Rock 'N' Roll finale closed the show. This whole evening was a triumph from start to finish, everyone played their part and more importantly the audience received value for money, I couldn't think of a better way to spend a Friday night in Cambridge.

Tour presented by Flying Music

April 2004 17th - Oxford - Oxford New Theatre 18th - Bristol - Bristol Hippodrome 20th - Basingstoke - The Anvil 22nd - Newcastle - Newcastle Opera House 23rd - Bradford - St. George's 24th - Harrogate - Harrogate International Centre 25th - Grimsby - Grimsby Auditorium 27th - Llandudno - North Wales Theatre 29th - Cardiff - St David's Hall  May 2004 1st - Sheffield - Sheffield City Hall 2nd - Liverpool - Royal Liverpool Philharmonic 3rd - Birmingham - Symphony Hall 4th - Portsmouth - The Guildhall 6th - Bournemouth - The Pavilion/BIC 7th - Folkestone - Leas Cliffe 8th - Coventry - Warwick Arts Centre - 9th - Reading - The Hexagon 10th - Watford - The Watford Coliseum 11th - Southend-On-Sea - Southend Cliffs Pavilion 12th - Dartford - The Orchard 13th - Croydon - Fairfield Halls 14th - Cambridge - Cambridge Corn Exchange 16th - Preston - Preston Guildhall - 17th - Edinburgh - Usher Hall 18th - Glasgow - Glasgow Royal Concert Hall - 19th - Aberdeen - The Music Hall - 21st - Manchester - The Bridgewater Hall 24th - Nottingham -The Royal Centre Concert Hall 25th - Brighton - Brighton Dome 26th - Leicester - De Montfort Hall 27th - London - The Royal Albert Hall

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