Chickenfoot played the Shepherds Bush Empire last Thursday (25th June) and I'm happy to say I was lucky enough to be there.
I was a bit late, the doors opened at 7pm and I got there at 7.15 but you could tell the gig was a sellout because the queue went right around the corner and along the Goldhawk Road.
The place filled up very quickly and it was nearly full for the support band Skin. I hadn't heard of Skin but they played a set with 3 acoustic guitars, electric bass and percussion. Seems they normally play electric but they'd been asked to do acoustic (like the Derek Trucks Band support – I wonder if it's something to do with the venue?). Anyway, they warmed up the audience a treat and I must say their vocals and harmonies were superb. By the time they'd finished the audience were well into their evening and were calling (in vain) for an encore.
During the interval I did a bit of people watching over a beer and I was trying to figure out who had followed which band member in the past. I reckon from my little unscientific survey that Sammy Hagar/Van Halen fans were in the majority, with Joe Satriani fans (including me) outnumbered about 2:1. Not many Red Hot Chili Pepper t-shirts though.
So now the time comes for Chickenfoot to start their set and the place is packed. You couldn't move to wipe the sweat out of your eyes without elbowing the bloke next to you. And it was very blokey. Nothing like the mixed audience when Phil and I saw the DTB. I'm 5' 11” but I felt shorter – my view was pretty limited and I was about half way between the stage and the bar at the back The sound though was extremely good. Loud (of course) but good. I was a bit worried during the first number as Satch's guitar was too low in the mix but the sound guys soon sorted that out.
The set list was all the tracks from the “Chickenfoot” album plus a couple of other rockers and a Hagar song from his Montrose days (sorry, forgot the titles) where he also played guitar. I had feared an under-rehearsed performance by a bunch of prima donnas after all the “supergroup” hype but I should have known better. The band were tight and the songs arranged just like on the album. The one difference, and a brilliant one in my opinion, was that they let Satch rip it up more with longer and wilder solos.
My biggest impression of the evening though was how much fun the band were having. They obviously love playing together and love performing live. It rubbed off on the crowd too and there was a real party atmosphere in the old Empire that night. Sammy Hagar said at one point that it was like a “surreal dream” to be playing with such musicians “at my time of life” but they could say the same about him I think. His singing was strong and clear and, boy , was he having a good time. A beer always at the ready and plenty of smiles and arms round the shoulder of the other band members. Chad Smith on drums and Michael Anthony on bass were faultless and full of energy too.
Highlights of the evening for me were Soap On A Rope, Oh Yeah (accompanied by full and enthusiastic crowd participation), Down The Drain and My Kinda Girl. Learning To Fall was beautiful and Sammy told us when he introduced the song how he got a tingle up his spine when Joe first played him the tune and he knew what a great album they were going to make.
The evening ended with some on-stage antics where Chad kicked/threw ( I couldn't see) one of his drums and it hit Sammy – by the look on his face unintentionally. Still, they made up and it was still hugs and smiles all the way to the curtain call.
A blast of first class, grown up rock music.
David
