Newcastle, Nov. 2 Show Review

Well...in a word....UNBELIEVABLE!!!! Highlight was speaking to the man himself....it was fantastic!! Anyway, Greg, you know the face behind "benny the bouncer" now, LOL.

To the show, what can I say, I don't know where to start. First of all, we walked into the City Hall, saw the nice collection of speakers Greg had put on stage and thought...yup it's gonna be loud...and it was, not too loud but just right. I'd like to take a moment to say the stage set up was brilliant and the lighting was outstanding...they both helped to make an absolutly brilliant gig.

To the band...there is real talent in that band. The guitar player was outstanding and "Take a Pebble" was unbelievable to both hear and watch. The opener, ["In the Court of the Crimson King"], outstanding and I was surprised by the tightness of the band in "Schitzoid Man," brilliant! What else...oh yes, it was fantastic to hear songs like "Footprints in the Snow" and "Farewell to Arms," which by the way was one of the highlights, the sound on that song was amazing. The "Christmas Song" as many are calling it, was right there at the top with the highlights and was great to hear it played live.

It was especialy nice to see Greg Lake play guitar and can I just say, his voice was perfect tonight. He hit every note right on and it's nice to know that he still has a great range in his voice. For me, I came away from the gig feeling very, very good about it all. The music had blown me away (I must admit...I really didn't know what to expect...) So I am sorry for going on a bit here.

Finally, "PAAE" [Pictures at an Exhibition], played at the home of "PAAE," the place where it was recorded. It had a great reception and was great to hear. "KE9" [Karn Evil 9] sent shivers down my spine (after a little playful waiting in the wings by Greg and his band while the audience were cheering for more).

Overall, an amazing gig. Congratulations to the band!!!

Steven Pearson