ARTIST REVIEWS
Gods 2002: Harem Scarem
Band Line up:
Vocals: Harry Hess
Guitar: Pete Lesperance
Bass: Barry Donaghy
Drums: Creighton Doane
Set List:
Change Comes Around
Killing Me
Hard To Love
Stuck With You
So Blind
Who-Buddy
You Ruined Everything
Warming A Frozen Rose
It Ain't Over
Honestly
If You
How Long
Outside Your Window
The Paint Thins
No Justice (Encore)
Review:
Well, this is the band many had come to see and they didn't disappoint.
By the time the band hit the stage at 8.30 pm, the venue was packed.
So packed, in fact that the balconies were opened to allow more breathing room.
But the real action was down front on the dance floor. This area was packed and the applause immediate as the band was introduced.
After cancelling last year's appearance, the guys were ready to make up and straight up fired into a quite aggressive rendition of the classic Change Comes Around.
Then it was straight into Killing Me, which I wasn't sure if they would pull off the harmonies, but I shouldn't have doubted. It was huge!
For their first ever UK appearance, the band were determined to play a set of tracks from all areas of their history. They did.
In particular the guys pulled out three tracks from their debut album – tracks they rarely play these days.
First up was Hard To Love, which really went down a storm.
Harry in particular was having a lot of fun. He grinned his way through the set, cracked a few jokes and just looked like a guy having fun.
First joke came when he said the band would play a Rubber track: “Oooohh, Rubber…” he stirred the crowd. One guy cheered – Harry thanked him!
The rocked up versions of Stuck With You and Who-Buddy were awesome.
Another joke – in thanking the label for their support, he introduced the next track – “…no pun intended guys, but, You Ruined Everything”….funny stuff!
And again – he threatened to replay one track, as his collar got turned up and that wouldn't look good for the DVD!
Another – introducing a track from Voice Of Reason (Warming A Frozen Rose), Harry dedicated the track to Now & Then's Bruce Mee, saying this was his favourite album. It's not – they had discussed that the day earlier. Again, good glimpses of the funny sense of humor Harry has.
Mid set slowed down a little for the ballads It Ain't Over and the monster crowd reaction of the night for Honestly.
If You, a rousing How Long and a heavy as hell version of The Paint Thins followed, which lead to the band saying goodnight.
Harem were the first band of the night to get an encore and didn't disappoint with a hard rocking No Justice to more frenzied crowd reaction.
Again it was good night and it was planned for a second encore, but alas, the DJ announced that was it….a big boo from the crowd.
Fair enough too – but we could have gone on all night at this point. Pete, who also spent the night playing up to the crowd and truly thrashing his guitar totally destroyed the strings on No Justice. It was planned for the band to come back and play Weight Of The World and Saviours Never Cry, but time was against them.
Harry joked the next day that the band would come back in November and play 2 songs to complete the set.
It was a varied set that really should have kept everyone happy. I think everyone there could have had a wish list of tracks to be played. The band did their best to cover everything and I could personally have only wished for Saviours to have made the cut.
Generally, if the hands in the air and the roar after each track were any indication, then it was mission accomplished. Even the Rubber tracks went over well!
Harem Scarem get the award for band of the night!
Bring on the DVD NOW!!
Pic: Bruce Mee
Pics: Deno Tofalos
Pics: Jeff Price
Pic: Britny
Pic: Sharon
