Bachman, Turner Take Care of Business
Jun 23, 2010
By DARRYL STERDAN, QMI Agency - Last Updated: June 1, 2010 12:55pm TORONTO SUN
Canadian music legends Randy Bachman and Fred Turner kicked off their first tour in nearly 20 years with a surprise club gig in their Winnipeg hometown Monday — and the 66-year-old vets had no trouble turning back the clock to their ’70s guitar-rock glory days.
Playing for some 300 friends, family and fortunate fans, the leaders of Bachman-Turner Overdrive and their new backing trio powered through a 95-minute set of classic radio hits and deep album cuts, along with a sprinkling of new material from their forthcoming studio CD.
“We’re happy to be back in Winnipeg,” a black-clad Bachman announced to the mostly middle-aged crowd. “We’re starting our world tour, and this is the place to start!”
A fine start it was. Mounting the small stage at 9:15 p.m., the quintet launched straight into their hard-chugging hit Let it Ride, with a denim-vested Turner stepping up the mic in public for the first time in years. It was as if he’d never left. While the bassist has shed his trademark girth — “These guys have each lost about 100 pounds,” a guy near me marveled — his voice wasn’t missing an ounce of power. Don’t let the white beard fool you; Turner still sounded like a cross between a gravel truck and a cement mixer. Except when he cut loose every now and then with a primal scream straight from a slasher flick. Between one thing and the other, his face was usually so red I half-expected him to blow a gasket onstage. Something I didn’t expect: His playing was still right on the money, his fingers flying around the neck of his bass without hesitation. Clearly, Fred hasn’t just been sitting at home watching TV.
Not that Bachman was any slouch. His vocals seemed a little stronger than they have been lately — maybe trying to keep up with Turner has raised his game — and his fretwork was precise as always, without sounding rote. Give him points for recreating most of his solos note- for-note from the studio versions, including the complicated jazz runs from Blue Collar and Lookin’ Out for #1. And give him bonus points for spicing them up a bit, even working the strings of his Gold Top Les Paul with a drumstick at one point.
The rest of Randy’s backing band — taking the place of former BTO members Rob Bachman and Blair Thornton, who refused to sign off on a reunion — were dependable sidemen. Sure, anybody can play BTO songs.
But not as simply and solidly as these guys. The drummer nailed Rob Bachman’s caveman pounding and unhurried gait. The two guitarists — one of whom doubled Turner on eight-string bass sometimes — filled in the spaces without getting in the way.
But the most impressive part of the night was how much the two guys at centre stage were clearly digging it. You couldn’t have smacked the grin off Turner’s mug with a hammer; and while Bachman seemed tense at first — could he have been nervous? — he loosened up after a few songs and some appreciative applause from the crowd.
They earned it with a set that moved smartly, gaining momentum as it went. After easing in with Let it Ride, they ramped up with Rock is My Life, and This is My Song before shifting into a higher gear with the propulsive Give it Time and the punchy Hey You. With Bachman and Turner trading lead vocals, they slowly but surely worked their way up to the fittingly titled Not Fragile, with Randy dishing up a blistering, snarling solo.
“It’s gonna get heavier,” Bachman claimed. He wasn’t kidding. The pounding Stayed Awake All Night segued into American Woman — the band’s one non-BTO cut and an unnecessary addition — followed by the heavyweight boogie of Four Wheel Drive. How long has it been since they played that one? Also dusted off during the set were blasts from the past like Sledgehammer, Take it Like a Man and Hold Back the Water.
Of course, as Bachman pointed out, “Fred and I are back together for two reasons: The old music and the new music.” So we were introduced to three new numbers: The stompy Rollin’ Along, the funky Moonlight Rider and the radio-friendly Slave to the Rhythm. Stylistically, most of the new material fits seamlessly with the oldies — though some of the performances were still a little rough around the edges.
The same could not be said for the mandatory set closers: You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet, Roll on Down the Highway and (duh) Takin’ Care of Business. You’ve heard them 1,000 times. They’ve played them 10,000 times. But on this night, they were played not only with the skill of seasoned pros, but with the renewed enthusiasm of old friends reconnecting with their past — and looking ahead.
“We’re on our way to Toronto, then London, then Sweden Rocks,” said Bachman. “But nothing rocks like Winnipeg.”
Not for these old dudes, anyway.
Set List:
Let it Ride
Rock is My Life, and This is My Song
Give it Time
Hey You
Rollin’ Along
Lookin’ Out For #1
Not Fragile
Stayed Awake All Night / American Woman
Four Wheel Drive
Slave to the Rhythm
Take it Like a Man
Blue Collar
Sledgehammer
Hold Back the Water
Moonlight Rider
You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet
Encore:
Roll on Down the Highway
Takin’ Care of Business
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