Swindon Concert Review

THE WILTSHIRE FESTIVAL 1998
PARTY IN THE PARK
SATURDAY 15th AUGUST

I thought as I will be going to the two UK concerts this year I would make one
a FULL concert review and one a more rounded review, as I would suspect the
concerts will stick to the same set list. So this review is going to be made
up of my reaction to the show, my opinions of some of the songs and
performances and some of my personal opinions - some you might agree with -
some you won't (I am beginning to actively dislike HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO),
but I hope at least you will get a little flavour of the show and that the
article gets you listening to some of the songs Bonnie played to see if you
agree with me or not.

After an agonising "sing along" with three local radio dj's (due to technical
problems) Bonnie hit the stage to DRIVING ME WILD. As always Bonnie looked
fantastic. Her new haircut cuts years off her, she looks incredibly sexy and
appears to be totally at ease despite some sound problems which were to
resurface later in the show.

It must be odd for Bonnie to play in the UK. She hasn't had a big hit here
since 1985 with "Holding Out For A Hero" (of course we all know "Making Love 
Out Of Nothing At All" Should have been a monster - she was robbed!!) and she 
must wonder sometimes who her UK audience is. This then was a "greatest hits" 
show with the bulk of the material from Bonnie's biggest UK album FASTER THAN 
THE SPEED OF NIGHT and from Bonnie's own favourite album, HIDE YOUR HEART.

It is stange then to watch your favourite singer mesmerize and captivate a
crowd consisting of many youngsters who were not even born when "Total Eclipse
Of The Heart" was at No:1. Yet Bonnie does it. I think it's the sheer guts and
energy that she injects into a show that wins people over.

The songs are also  "classic" rock songs that age extremely well and Bonnie is
fortunate that as she is growing older her voice is getting much better with
more power, clarity and a sublety that is hard to describe.

There was no new material tonight with the exception of DRIVING ME WILD (from
FREE SPIRIT).  Bonnie had scheduled TIRE TRACKS AND BROKEN HEARTS  - her
brilliant contribution to the WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND musical, but a late start
due to technical difficulties meant that the show had to be cut by 15 minutes
and TIRE TRACKS was one of the songs to go. I think I would have dropped SAVE
UP ALL YOUR TEARS a classic Bonnie song but one that is more attached to Cher
in the UK. It was such a shame as Bonnie could have given more people the
chance to hear a classic Jim Steinman song (forget the sugary Boyzone No: 1
and the appauling Tina Arena song from the show) "Whistle Down The Wind" has
few truly great moments (I've seen the show) but TIRE TRACKS AND BROKEN
HEARTS is classic STEINMAN/TYLER.

Still the soundtrack album will be a MONSTER hit and Bonnie is going to get
GREAT publicity on the back of that - similar to the way that she was rocketed
back to attention with the inclusion of Holding Out For A Hero on the
Foorloose album.

I digress. Back to the show.

The thunderstorm effect from the opening of MAKING LOVE OUT OF NOTHING AT ALL
crashed through the sound system and my heart leapt into my mouth - I love
this song! But it was not to be - instead it became the new intro to HAVE YOU
EVER SEEN THE RAIN? which was once again one of the highlights from the show
(Bonnie if you are reading this for the second year I beg you - put this live
version on a B Side - it is TOO good for your fans not to hear).

LOST IN FRANCE/IT'S A HEARTACHE were played accoustically and they work SO
well this way. With just a guitar to back Bonnie you can hear every resonance
in Bonnie's voice. Bonnie got the huge crowd singing along and had them right
smack in the middle of her hand!

They also got TO LOVE SOMEBODY, STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART, SAVE UP ALL YOUR
TEARS and HIDE YOUR HEART.

TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART - what a song. Bonnie bathed in blue spotlights,
dry ice pouring into the evening air - that song had every hair on my body
standing up!!! Nicki French should be boiled in oil for even attempting to
sing that song (and murdering it by taking out any trace of emotion) - there
should be a law against some songs being covered. Total Eclipse is one of
them. This is Bonnie's anthem and no one is EVER going to better it, so why
bother trying?

The show ended with a thunderous FASTER THAN THE SPEED OF NIGHT.
I have said it before and I'll say it again, that song is a nightmare to play.
There are so many changes and you have to give out 100% energy 100% of the
time.  Bonnie's band played a blisteringly good version and Bonnie gave it her 
all.  It was difficult to think she could top that performance.........but I was
wrong.

The encore.  Bonnie sashays onto the stage in a white satin jacket.
"I l-u-r-v-e the blues" she declares and the band kick into, what I am rapidly
believing is becoming the ULTIMATE "Bonnie Tyler" song TURTLE BLUES.

This as you might know, is a cover of a song by one of Bonnie's idols,  "Janis
Joplin". It is patently obvious that this is the direction Bonnie would
"lurve" to be going in. This is the performance of the night. Bonnie screams
out the words, her voice dips and rises like a rollercoaster. Unlike some of
the more "structured" Steinman songs where a vocalist has to hold back to
reach certain notes and treat the song almost like a vocal exercise, TURTLE
BLUES allows Bonnie to have fun with the song. In this way it gently coaxes
Bonnie to have fun with her range as she dips and weaves her way around the
song. You can tell Bonnie is having a great time singing this and I only wish
she would attempt more songs in this style.

OK Bonnie how's about CRY BABY or a no holds barred version of PIECE OF MY
HEART (THE highlight from THE WORLD STARTS TONIGHT album), BALL & CHAIN or
TELL MAMA. I know you would love to do them and we would love to hear them!!.

The song gets rapturous applause. I am on my feet right in front of the stage
and for a second I seriously think about risking the wrath of the bouncer in
front of me and jumping on stage and hugging Bonnie - what a song. What a
performance. Unbelievable!!!!

All good things must come to an end and it's the last song HOLDING OUT FOR A
HERO. This is the only song Bonnie sang that I felt was a little below par. I
have long thought that this song had aged badly but Bonnie always gave it so
much umphhhh! when she played it that it carried it along - and after all it
was a BIG record. But there were technical problems with the keyboards and
following THE performance of the night in TURTLE BLUES maybe Bonnie should
have had a breather (she deserved one her throat must have been red raw after
the beating and thrashing she gave it during TURTLE BLUES!!!!. I don't know.
It would take a brave person to drop one of your biggest selling records from
your set, but Bonnie thrives on risks. Who knows?
Don't get me wrong here. Bonnie gave the song 100% and even tried different
phrasing in singing the song, but I felt her heart wasn't in that song.
Perhaps it's just me.

A huge firework display ended the concert and I went back to the Conference
Centre and had a brief word with Bonnie about how great I thought the show
was. Bonnie then went to change and I staggered back to the car, which
thankfully I was not driving (thanks for doing ALL the driving Lindsay) and
quickly dropped into a deep sleep (I'm not very good company in cars!!!)
dreaming of the interview, the concert and of next week when, once again, I
will be seeing my favourite artist sing and meeting my idol - one of the
friendliest and nicest people I have ever met - BONNIE TYLER!!!!!