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[ X UK Tour 2003 - London ]
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FRI Oct 31st 2003: Carling Apollo, Hammersmith, London, ENGLAND. 
[5 Pics by Jonathon (Gallery).] [SETLIST]
Disintegrate Intro, Encore:
[Ricky Warwick] :: Church of Paranoia, Can't Live With Maybe, Enemies, Mysterioso, Three Sides To Every Story (with Viv), Ending is Better. External Links :: [ Venue Pic Bakertony: 5 Fan Pics ]
[Show Notes] :: Cap: 5039. Supported by MusT & Ricky Warwick. Venue re-opened on Oct 21st with an AC/DC show (sold out in 4 mins): the venue is now larger with a capacity of over 5,000. Brian May also guested here the last time they played the venue in Sep 1987, the third night of 3 sold-out gigs on the Hysteria tour.
Fan Review :: by Me Happy Birthday 2 U :: OK it's almost 1am, most people would be sleeping after a gig, train journey and 1.5 mile walk home but not me. I'm here to tell you about one awesome evening!. After a surprisingly nutcase-free trip across London on the Underground I met up with a friend and got straight to the venue. Thankfully no waiting around outside the tube station like Brixton with some whiny guy saying "Buy & Sell Tickets for Def Leppard" every 5 seconds. It was great to finally get to see a show at the legendary Hammersmith Odeon (as it was called before the corporate name changes - at least it isn't called the Dunkin Donuts Center!). This venue is famous in British rock history for some great gigs in the 70s & 80s by the likes of Queen, AC/DC etc etc not to mention Sheffield's finest. Speaking of which I remembered on the way there that this was the very first venue the band ever played in London with Sammy Hagar so tonight they've come back to where it all began. Me too because I saw Lep for the first time not too far from here in Earl's Court. It's also worth mentioning that a certain drummer turned 16 years of age on Nov 1st 1979 when the band supported AC/DC here. Something Joe would surely remind us of later on...sounds like the ingredients for a great gig...
"Coma", "We Will Rock You", "Rock and Roll Part 2" - "Action" and the place was jumping already. The view from the center of the front balcony was amazing. A clear view over the whole stage and first 3 rows.
I think though that we in the upstairs area were more into the show than those standing! I only saw 2 people sitting down near us. The sound mix was spot on. No ear ringing after the show and you could hear everything
in crystal clarity. Next up the first of the songs left out on Tuesday "Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)" and it's clear the band are on great form and so are the crowd. But things really started to heat up with the next tune
"Make Love Like a Man" with the mass sing-a-long. This was by far the loudest crowd I've been a part of. (no alcohol to distort my view of the atmosphere tonight-seems not everyone in Cambridge was as into it as we had been...).
"Hysteria" started with Sav atop Rick's drum riser (making it's return after not being able to fit in some venues) and the song got the best reaction I've heard it get. It was a good time to look around and soak up this
atmosphere, the superb light show helped to create a great mood. This is also when the singing started to get really LOUD. Like a big wave of noise going back to the stage. From this point on, during the main choruses the
crowd almost drowned out the band. Hysteria ended and they went straight into "When Love & Hate Collide" and the sound just got better and better as did the reaction. Everyone on their feet and clapping along
(I strategically avoided the bruise from Tuesday).
Then it was time for the Greatest Hits portion of the set to begin (as if it hadn't already) and "Rocket" kicked in with the usual explosion and awesome red lights, pumping bass drum (and bass guitar) and mass clapping and cheering and surely the structural engineers of the venue were starting to sweat a little as the place rocked. The pace never let up from this point until the end. This was by far the best extended version that I've seen myself. The guitar dual was simply stunning, Vivian again getting the crowd to applaud Phil and then Phil doing some kind of Indian dance when Viv playd his last part which was quite amusing. Joe came back out "ohh oohhh oh oh oh ohhhhhhhhh...." etc but then started to sing something a little different but very familiar - wasn't this played before they came out? Joe sang... Crowd joins in "We will we will Rock You, We will we will Rock You" before the song ended in all it's glory.
"Armageddon It", "Photograph" follow and the mass Hysteria continues. I decide at this point that this is the best I've seen them play, the lighting rig in 1992 might have beaten this but nothing else: sheer class. Slaughter, Winger, Dokken etc - go home and
rethink your lives. "Pour Some Sugar On Me" next and once again the best version I've heard - so clear sounding, especially the guitars. The clapping and cheering was reaching fever pitch before the last song. Joe got into another small speech about those 1979
shows and you knew he was building up to introducing the great man once more. Then as the rest of the band came out Joe asked us again and Viv and Sav were doing the Wayne's World "we're not worthy" gestures to Rick's drum riser. He got another LOUD cheer and
it seemed he was having such a good time he wanted more and gestured for the crowd to keep it going and we did.
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What happened next was very cool! Joe started a long speech about the venue and history (which I mentioned earlier). he talked about rock magazines in the late 70s.
That a certain Geoff Barton championed rock bands and went up to Sheffield to see them in a small club (a shithole as he eloquently put it), got pissed on cheap beer and whiskey and loved the band. Gave them coverage in Sounds and 2 months later they played
here with Sammy Hagar. And then...4 nights with AC/DC - and on the second night....."this guy turned 16". I've never heard such loud cheering before. But then before Joe could lead us into HAPPY BIRTHDAY he introduced a special guest. "...and he's brought
his Mother along...". Kath Daly came on from stage left holding a birthday cake and the cheeering got even louder. Rick blew out the candles and all 3 of them were stood center stage and the whole place sang to him. It was a really nice moment. Joe again asked for a
sing-a-long on the next number. He said that so far Portsmouth had been the loudest crowd by far. He said we had to be louder since this was the last night of the tour as the cheering continued - in fact they had to pause before starting the song. "Two Steps Behind"
obviously followed and again the wave of voices hit the stage and afterwards Joe said "well well the last night of the tour is the loudest".
Joe thanked people who read Classic Rock magazine here in the UK and for those who voted "X" number one in two catagories. This was used to
introduce the next song "Now" which as usual sounds way heavier than the album version and something I hope they continue to play on the next tour (along with FLW).