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Review by Julio Lupo:
I still can't believe it. It's a dream come true. I was working on the east coast of my
little country, Uruguay, 2 hours driving from Montevideo, when I knew that the frustrated
concert of CCRv in October, now will be reality in February. Of course, in the same act, I
call a friend by telephone to buy my ticket (Row 11, seat 25).
The entire promotion of the show was a bluff.
A TV clip was made with partsof the CCR legendary concert at the Royal Albert Hall, with
John Fogerty on screen. In the same Clip and in the radiostations, the promotion was with
CCR songs, with John singing. There was no posters or anything announcing the real members
of the band. Many people felt fooled by the organization. It was a shame.
I couldn't escape from work. I'm a DJ at parties, and this time of the year in this
part of the planet, is summertime. I had a lot of work, even the same day of the concert,
February 17th . Anyway, parties , here, start around 1 or 2 hours past midnight, so I went
to see the concert, and then, I went to work driving, as the song said..."as the
speed of sound" (Sweet hitch-hiker...). I came to the Theatre at 7 and a quarter, at
noon. I couldn't see a member of the band, so I couldn't have autographs, etc. There was
no sale of merchandising too. Anyway, as a promised to myself one day, I was the first in
line to see the concert of CCRv in Uruguay, and that's the most important thing to me.
Ten to nine, the Theatre (called "Plaza") openend the doors and the audience
came in. I went to see the concert alone (I have my own special way to enjoy live
concerts). A few minutes more, a bittersweet feeling came to me. As well as a DJ, I'm a
musician here in Uruguay, with 4 records released in my country. Some DJs of radiostations
and other musicians always said that I could be the perfect opening act for a concert of
CCR or John Fogerty, because I have a lot of "Fogerty" touch in my songs.
There was no real opening act. Just a guy playing some songs with an electric piano
(Song for Guy, Daniel, My heart will go on, etc...) I couldn't believe it. There's no good
choice to open a rock and roll show. Anyway, the guy was a good keyboardist, and the
people gave him the respect he deserved (it doesn't happen a lot of times here). When the
keyboardist ended up his work, the time for the Revisited concert came.
At nine and a half, the lights turned off. Just a blue light on stage, and slowly, CCRv
appeared. The sound engineer said " Please give a warm welcome to CCRv", and
Born on the bayou opened the show. It was a CCR night. My heart was beating wild. When the
song started, a microphone of the drums, falls down. The first of many troubles in the
concert. The guitar of Eliot Easton did not sound when he was ready to do the first solo
on Born on the bayou, and the band kept playing just the rhythm part. Stu was very angry
with the sound people. After the song, the audience was confused.
Don't fogert that many of them came to the concert to see John Fogerty playing with them.
That thing, and the sound troubles gave some strange atmosphere to the concert. Green
river came and the show slowly took another feeling. The people started to move in their
own places. At the end of the song, Stu had a talk with the audience for the first time.
Almost nobody understand a word he said (Our main language is spanish).
The next songs were Conmotion and Who'll stop the rain. In this song, just when the
people were clapping and singing a long with the band, Easton had more troubles with the
sound. Suzie Q and Hey Tonight were the next songs, and the show grew up again.
People forgot the sound troubles and enjoyed the music. Stu introduced the band. Doug was
the most acclaimed, and then he introduced Stu. Long as I can see the light was the next
one, and I noticed that the guitar of Tristao was almost without sound. Anyway, the song
was his best vocal work by far.
Down on the corner came, and the show was anohter show. Now, it was the show that
everyone was waiting to see. Some guys run to the front of the stage and started to dance.
The most enjoyed song until now. Looking out my back door came and the front of the stage,
and the entire theatre were a party, with all the people dancing. I think that in this
moment, nobody were thinking in John's absence. But the best was yet to come. Stu invited
the audience to sing a long with the next song, and I knew that the highlight point of the
show was there.And that was happened. Cotton fields is by far, the favourite CCR song in
Uruguay.
It was the song of the night. Everybody was waiting for it. Tombstone Shadow and I
heard it through the grapevine came. This song started with too much enthusiasm, but even
when musically was brilliant, the song was too long for the people. Eliot changed his
guitar for Grapevine. Anyway, Midnight Special came and the show was high again. Bad moon
rising and Proud Mary kept the show high. I put a spell on you came, and Tristao sung this
song very bad. He had many mistakes in his vocal part.
The end of the show was with Fortunate son, and then was the time for the encores. The
audience claimed for Molina, but they played Have you ever seen the rain and Travelin'
band (another highlights of the concert). For the second encore, the people were still
waiting for Molina, but they played Run through the jungle. Once again, sound troubles.
Stu needed to change the bass, and the rest of the band played a half of the song without
bass. Easton was again in troubles with the sound. The real trouble was in his guitar
effects. He took the decision of disconnect the guitar from the effects and then he
connected the guitar directly in the amplifier. Believe me, it was the best thing that
Eliot could do. Until now, his guitar was sounding as the guitar of "The Cars",
but now, his guitar sounded as a guitar of CCR for the first time. In the thirds encore,
they did Molina and the entire show ended up with Up around the bend.
After the show I ran to my car to "fly" to my work again. The show ended up
at 11:30 and I only had 1 1/2 hour to return...but it was stronger than me.
I stood there until the band left the theatre. I couldn't shake their hands, but I was
very very happy anyway. When the band was leaving the theatre, some people screamed
"Creedence...Creedence", but another people screamed "Return with Fogerty,
don't steal anymore" too. Not all the people accept Creedence without Fogerty.
I just wanna say thanks for the music. The main thing is : now I saw the CCRv playing
live.
Thanks to Julio Lupo for this review!
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