As promised: My Slane Review

Well, now that I have had loads of time to sleep and to rest the weary legs, standing for almost 10 hours is one disadvantage of Slane, I did promise a full review!!
Firstly, Slane itself. Only an hour from home but I have never actually been hence why it was perfect when BJ was announced as the main act, my mind was set to go and I treated myself and gfr to gold circle – the first time to be that close as we normally sit in the stands. The Richie drama made me doubt going as did the weather forecast but truthfully the more it went on the more I decided to go and see what it was like and to just enjoy it.

Slane village was weird all closed up and we just dandered through not really knowing where to go. Finally got to the entrance and queued for 2.5hrs. Getting in was fine apart from the people trying to queue jump. Bought the customary t-shirt. Selection was ok but not great.

Slane was a great arena, the famous hill and the iconic castle made for a fantastic setting the ‘car’ stage at the bottom. The weather......dressed for rain and the cold and got heat, sun, dry with only 3 showers throughout....great!! We positioned ourselves just right of centre and 5 yards off the barrier to the catwalk.

Support acts, hadn’t heard of any of them and was apprehensive about them warming the crowd up but I thought all 3 were very good. Better than some we have had before like last tour or the likes of Rasorsh*te and The Felling. Truthfully I thought Coronas played too long, Bonjovi were to be on at 7.30 and I was getting tired of them at the end.

So the show, personally I thought it was awesome. I came knowing the set would be basic, all the hits with a couple of new ones added in. I did not expect to predict it just as well as I did......sadly predicted ILTT and cringed when it came. Still, only a minor negative to be honest. Song by song.....


1.That's What The Water Made Me – it is my favourite off the album which is why it disappoints me as the opening song, it’s over too early! Should open the encore IMO. Still I love the outro and it got the crowd going. Could see as soon as Jon came on he was loving it and he would give his all to break the 3hrs.
2. You Give Love A Bad Name – standard 2nd song. From the start of the show, the band was on fire. You could see Jon wanted to be there and besides Bobby killing the solo, we all knew the song and so the atmosphere was electric.
3. Born To Be My Baby – as always another bouncing along song and the first time to hear Phil really solo, a good job!
4. Raise Your Hands – get the hands up and everyone did, sadly Jon forgot we were in Slane and not Dublin throughout the show!!
5. Runaway – old time favourite
6. Lost Highway – use of the screen for the car. Could barely see the screens until the sun disappeared which was late on and a disadvantage of the outdoor concerts in Europe this time of year. Could do without this one but didn’t mind it.
7. It's My Life – let’s put this thing in 2nd gear......well play the song quicker then Jon! Too slow for my liking. Still, show going well by now and the crowd all round me were loving the show. Big hit!
8. Because We Can – next new song. Everyone was singing and went down great. Shame that when Jon strummed after not many knew the actual words though! Lol!
9. What About Now – thought this went over better than some had been saying it has. Certainly not many going to the toilet in our area!! I enjoyed it but don’t think it will on the next tour.
10. We Got It Going On – again, I may not like LH songs filling the set when it is the WAN album they are touring but this song goes down great live and really has the crowd pumping.
11. Keep The Faith – the electric atmosphere was still going strong and Faith was excellent with the whole band nailing it. Loved the extra outro too. Phil X was playing superbly and KTF was a great crowd pleaser.
12. When We Were Beautiful – wham, Jon knows how to kill the show!! Why oh why this song?? No one actually song this within a 30yard radius of me in the gold circle. Boring!! Yes, it is hard for Jon to keep doing fast paced songs throughout but it is no excuse as he just had a break during the Faith outro. Why not play Amen or even a new song never played rather than Beautiful.
13. I'll Be There For You – Crowd still on a downer after Beautiful and add in the missing Richie. Halfway through we found our voice again and Phil did a great job. Enjoyed it but wanted Richie there for this one. Well done to Phil on the singing front. Taken to the role more and more!
14. Captain Crash & The Beauty Queen From Mars – not a fan of song but gfr loves it. People hate it, fine, but when you see the place swaying from side to side, you would play it if you were Jon. Crowd in palm of hand moment and it helps his ego if he is happy!! The swayng was great and then looking behind.......awesome view.
15. We Weren't Born To Follow – Bobby kills another solo, what more can I say?
16. Who Says You Can't Go Home – hate this with a passion. The All Rights drive me nuts.
17. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead – I would actually put Rockin all over the world in as a separate song before SWID has they pretty much played all of it! Good song to win the crowd back and it would seem from the reviews Jon was right, they were not clapping their hands like that at the Neil Young show!! Sleep When I’m Dead was as it always is, slow and only fun for the covers of which sadly there was only one. Jon does a good impression of Mick though!!
/ Rockin' All Over The World
/ Start Me Up
18. Bad Medicine – should have done Shout rather than teased. Everyone wanted it, The Hill was bouncing and to add that in would have been great. Still, love Bad Medicine as a song and will never get bored hearing it live.

Didnt realise there was a word limit, part 2 coming in a minute!!!

Encore:
19. Dry County – I love it but no longer rare as that is 4 in a row for me and it takes up the time of 2 songs, could have had 2 new songs to listen to instead. However, I love it and that did not change. I closed my eyes and the solo was Richie playing but he wasn’t there which tells me how great a job Phil is doing!! Doesn’t quite do Richie’s organismistic faces though during solos! Lol!
20. Wanted – early in encore and a sad moment when Richie isn’t in the middle with guitar aloft. Still, great vocals from Phil and David!!
21. In These Arms – a surprise of sorts but a big hit to please Slane. Great song live
22. Someday I'll Be Saturday Night – Another great song live with the only missing the extra adlibs in the middle. Crowd was bonkers throughout
23. Have A Nice Day - I feel this is a true rocker live and love hearing the guitar on it until Bobby plays. WTF was he doing there?? Is my ticket money paying for him?? I want a refund! It really rocked at Slane with the heavy guitar, one of their best rockier new tracks since Crush.
24. These Days – annoyed at missing the start, see below! But special song even if it is not rare. Just loved singing along to it, whole group of us arms round each other belting it out and swaying from side to side, who cares if some on here do not think it is rare....I would prefer a moment like this rather than hear a song and no one no it live!!
25. Blood On Blood – one of my favourites. Actually do not know why but think it is the overall song, the chorus and verse, change to slow it down and teh guitar work throughout! Lol!
26. Livin' On A Prayer - Immense! If it had ended there, I wouldn’t have argued. I Jon does not need to sing as the crowd sorts it for him!! Seeing the videos and chatting to friends on the hill the place was rocking. Some are Slane regulars (Chillis, Robbie, U2 and KOL) and they said they had never heard such loud crowd participation for one song and seen the place moving like it did during Prayer and that includes Sex on Fire and Angels!!!!!!
27. I Love This Town – could see it coming when the guitar came out. Crowd stunned after Prayer to be hit by this. Understand why he likes doing it for a show like this but the reaction at Slane and the other night when he asked to ‘cheer for your favourite’ and there was silence should tell Jon to pack that one away.
28. Always – again predicted this to finish and Jon did well. 3 hrs in, in the noise of the crowd I could barely hear him singing such was the crowd participation. We wanted another but truthfully, there was nothing left to top the ending, the band left it all on the stage and then some and so the long walk home started.........and looking up at the river of people walking along the road to Slane back to the buses, you can see why the residents hate it!! The fireworks as we left was a great touch missing from many of the shows previously attended by myself.

Anyone see the actual setlist to know what the audibles were?


Show negatives:
No Richie obviously
When we were beautiful being such a killer after KTF
I love this town
Lack of using the catwalk bar Bad Medicine – is it cos Richie isn’t there?
Jon strumming after BWC and the crowd not knowing the song
No extra cover in KTF or Bad Medicine and only Start Me Up in Sleep when dead
Downside was missing the start of These Days cos of an arse behind who kept saying to me to let him stand in front of me.....like what, you paid the same as me, i have been here 5 hours f*** off somewhere else pal!! He took his sunglasses off to try to make himself look threatening and so I did my ‘stink eyes’ and believe me, Jon would not give stink eyes if he knew what mine would be like staring back at him. Thankfully, the man decided to back down before I really had to sort him out. Turned out he had been annoyed a number of people around us so I got a lot of thanks!
Only 3 WAN songs – tour the album so play the damn thing!!


Show Positives:
The show overall despite the above negatives......only minor in the whole experience
The band being on fire
The stage and fireworks after
The Captain Crash wave, looking back at the crowd and seeing everyone swinging in gold and up the hill, that is why it is played at venues like this.
The noise during Prayer
Dave being the most interactive with the crowd that I had ever seen
Tico and Dave throwing things at each other and having a laugh throughout – did the Irish whiskies beforehand have a part to play???!!! 
Jon’s vocals, he was doing his maximum and more
Jon’s speeches about loving to be there, I actually felt they were real this time
Phil X’s performance
First time in Gold Circle, best and sound in all BJ shows I have been to

I thought Phil did a great job. Truthfully, I am not a guitar player and so a lot of you can tell the difference and say why Richie is better but in my eyes, he nailed Always and Dry County, was great with the other solos, actually sung great backing vocals and overall had an immense amount of fun. He has grown into the role, interacts a lot with Tico and even more with the crowd as he becomes more accustomed to the role. Hell the guy was playing lead guitar for one of the biggest bands in the world at one of the most famous venues and you could clearly see it meant so much to him. It clearly did not mean that much to Richie and so as far as I am concerned, stop bashing Phil X for filling in, he is doing great and deserves a lot more praise than he is getting!!

I would score it 9/10 for the overall experience and Richie should be worried. I am a massive fan and missed him big time but the time has come to sort the whole problem, whatever it is, out. As one back of a T-Shirt said as the touring parties walked along the catwalk before the show Richie, Jon, Both of You, Enough of the Trash talking

Roll on New York, the new night 1!!

Thank you for your review. Glad you are still coming to NMS. Are you doing both shows or just the one with the bumping of Wed to Saturday?

Thank you for the review, really great to read.

Great review,

thanks man

I don't get the Neil Young reference?

Neil Young was playing in Dublin the same night!

just the first one as i am flying home on the new 2nd date! bit of a shame as the plan was to get the final show of the tour but someone managed to muck that up and swap it!

Jon quoted it during the show and from some reviews, Neil Young was a damp squib!