Bad Company
Choctaw Event Center
Durant, Oklahoma
July 30, 2010
By Jeb
Wright
Set List:
Can't Get Enough | Honey Child |Run With The Pack |Burnin' Sky |
Oh Atlanta! Seagull |Gone,Gone,Gone | Electricland | Simple Man
| Feel Like Makin' Love Shooting Star | Rock 'n' Roll
Fantasy | Moving On
Encore:
Bad Company | Ready For Love
Bad Company
is on the road supporting their latest CD/DVD Hard Rock Live.
The band features three original members, vocalist and
multi-instrumentalist Paul Rodgers, guitarist Mick Ralphs and
drummer Simon Kirke. Joining the band onstage is former Heart
guitarist Howard Leese and bass player Lynn Sorensen.
The
anticipation for Bad Company was evident by the long lines at
the merchandise booth, where at each show you can buy a raffle
ticket to support the Fender Center’s Kids Rock Free Program,
which provides low cost music lessons to children ages 7 to 17.
Each night drawings are held and ticket holders have a chance at
winning rare stage used items, autographed set lists and more.
Additionally, Rodgers and his wife, Cynthia, will match the
donations they receive on tour. This is a great example of an
artist giving back to the music community and realizing that
there is more to life than collecting dead presidents. In fact,
even Bad Company’s tour t-shits were affordably priced at
twenty-five bucks. In this day and age of greed and
self-promotion it is very cool to see some people still care
about music fans. Bad Company has also partnered up with Abbey
Road Live, who will be recording each night’s performance. One
can purchase the CD and pick it up after the show.
There was a
couple sitting near the front row that were married earlier that
day. They had actually met at a Bad Company concert the year
before. With this much goodwill and mojo floating around the
Choctaw Event Center, there was no way that we were not going to
be in for one hell of a show.
The band
opened with a song most figured would be the encore, “Can’t Get
Enough,” which set the precedence for a sing-along and got the
crowd involved from the opening note. Rodgers, who is growing
his hair out and sporting a beard, just looks damn cool as he
confidently saunters across the stage. He deserves his
nickname, “The Voice” as he has one of the best in the
business. Obviously, Rodgers is the ringleader but he shares
the stage with founding member, and guitarist, Mick Ralphs.
Ralphs appears more road worn than Rodgers but still delivers
the classic pentatonic riffs and leads the songs cry out for.
Backing up Ralphs is Howard Leese, who is an excellent
musician. When Ralphs and Leese perform lead harmonies on
guitar, one can’t help but move and shake along with the music.
Behind the musicians, on the skins, is one of the hardest
hitting drummers in Rock n’ Roll, Simon Kirke. Simon is in
excellent physical condition and gives 110%.
There were
a number of songs that the casual Bad Co fan may not have
expected to hear during the concert. The hardcore fans,
however, were cheering in delight at their admission. “Honey
Child,” “Oh Atlanta!,” “Gone Gone Gone,” “Electricland” and
“Simple Man” were all brought out. There were plenty of
classics played as well. “Burnin’ Sky” and “Run with the Pack”
were both greeted exuberantly. “Seagull,” acoustically
performed by Rodgers and Ralphs, was a highlight of the
evening.
The last
four songs of the main set packed a punch that left everyone
wanting more. Leese came out with a ukulele strapped over his
Paul Reed Smith electric and played the opening to “Feel Like
Makin’ Love” and was joined by Rodgers on harmonica. The earthy
beginning eventually gave way to the rocked out version of the
tune and the crowed lit up like a Christmas tree. “Shooting
Star” saw the crowd singing as loud as Rodgers until he gave up
and just let the crowd sing. “Rock n’ Roll Fantasy,” a true
crowd pleaser, kept all in attendance on their feet. The final
song of the main set was the Ralphs’ penned “Movin’ On.”
Bad Company
quickly returned to the stage in response to the thundering
applause. Rodgers sat down at the grand piano and stuck the
ominous opening chords of the bands’ signature song, “Bad
Company.” The show ended with an elongated version of “Ready
For Love.”
While it
would have been great to hear “Deal with the Preacher,” “Rock
Steady” and “Good Lovin’ Gone Bad,” one can hardly complain.
Bad Company: Rodgers, Ralphs and Kirke, are playing well and
Leese and Sorensen fill up the sound on stage. The boys and
girls at the Choctaw Event Center make Bad Co feel welcome and
the result was an evening of music that had a smile on
everyone’s face from beginning to end.
Bad Company
is not doing a lot of shows in the United States. In fact,
there are only six more shows, as of the writing of this
article. The band is going to Japan after the USA, so waste no
time getting your tickets.
Check out
tour dates at
www.badcompany.com or
www.paulrodgers.com.
