I would never dream of going to a tribute gig. I avoid bands just touring to trot out their old tunes who are no longer creating music. I resist bands purporting to be long-retired bands based on one or two of the lesser known original members only. However in the end I couldn't resist a midlands gig that featured Paul Kantner and David Freiberg from Airplane, two original members of Quicksilver(including Freiberg again) and Tom Constanten who played keyboards on some of the early Dead albums. I Have to confess I really enjoyed the gig even if the main act Starship did verge towards being a Jefferson Airplane tribute band a fair amount of the time.
Tom Constanten started the gig off with a short solo set at his electric piano. "Cold Rain and Snow" was followed by a Chopin piece and then "All Along The Watchtower" to the tune of "Werewolves of London". He also did an instrumental which was not dissimilar to "St Stephen" and finished off with "Carolina on My Mind".
Next up was Quicksilver Messenger Service as represented by Gary Duncan on lead guitar and David Freiberg on acoustic guitar with a drummer, keyboards player and singer (Linda Imperial) who were not part of QMS originally. I can't say I recognised many of the songs but they did play "Mona", "Gypsy Lights" and "Edward the Mad Shirt Grinder" in their set which lasted about an hour. It was fun. David Freiberg is an excellent singer and musician and Gary had a pleasant enough lead guitar style.
Starship (Kantner and Freiberg) came on stage with the same drummer and keyboards player as QMS and with their version of Grace Slick -Cathy Richardson. She was brilliant as Grace Slick making a not bad stab at the voice and playing the stage presence with aplomb. She actually also "does" Janis Joplin on Broadway and as vocalist for Big Brother and the Holding Company. We got just one track of Janis when the band did "Me and Bobby McGhee" and it was quite shocking to see and hear her change (vocally) into Janis Joplin. The band started off with a couple of Starship tracks "Ride the Tiger" and one other before donning their Airplane persona to do "Crown of Creation" followed by "White Rabbit". Good as Cathy was, that song really requires Grace Slick's voice and Jack Cassady's bass for full effect. Paul Kantner then left the stage for a while and David Freiberg took centre stage. In succession he played "Deal" followed by "Loser" two of my favourite Jerry Garcia tracks and a reminder that the West Coast bands hung out and recorded together.
The last part of the gig with Kantner back on stage included "Somebody to Love" as a final track and then an encore of "Volunteers". They were by now whipping up a really good Airplane vibe. There was a nice touch at the end. Remember that we had seen ten musicians plus a whole bunch of roadies who had come all the way from America and were now playing for less than two hundred people in a small obscure midlands venue. They weren't exactly making money from the gig. Some of the audience left but some hung on calling for more. A roadie came out and thanked the audience but said that they wouldn't be coming out again. The audience hung on and bugger me out they trooped and did a storming version of "The Other Side of This Life". The hippie vibe lives on. Top notch.
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