Concert Review: Doncaster, UK - October 18, 1999
Andy Haynes:
Well we got back from Doncaster a little while ago. It had to be the most peculiar setting for a concert ever - but who cares?:)
It was nothing short of brilliant. Chris and the full band played for about 90 minutes. It was a cold night so he said that he would warm us up and he did. The only slow numbers that were played were LiR and Snows of New York. All he did off QR was When I Think of You other than that it was old favourites all the way (but no Patricia, Spanish Train or Borderline).
It took a while for the place to fill up but it was packed in the end. Both Yorkshire TV and the BBC were in evidence and the whole thing was pretty thoroughly filmed. It almost seemed too much for just a local news item.
Douglas Smith:
To expand on Andy's report
The organisation
There were flyers on traffic lights at Meadowhall shopping centre, there were clear roadsigns for the ASDA concert anf firewoorks until they led to a "No entry" sign...we followed others round and came to the ASDA area and parked ( relatively ) easily in The Dome leisure centre car park at about 1800
At this time no one was being let into the stage area but I was told that CdeB had already done the sound check with Lady in Red ?
The ASDA store is 24-hour and we went in...to find an area with "Spark to a Flame" and "Quiet Revolution" Cds taped off...a few minutes later CdeB came in and signed a few posters etc before starting on the first of several TV interviews...then went outside for further interviews...then came back in and disappeared into the store
The behaviour of the TV crews and "Event staff" was deplorable...it's not fair to push children, who had been waiting patiently, out of the way to let camera stands in.
30 minutes later and he came back for more ...this time Christine was within 2 feet of him so may have been seen on the Yorkshire area news reports :-) but she had given me the pen and posters and I was on the other side of a barrier 12 feet or so ) :-(
It was about this time that the stage area was opened up
The music :
The band ( on a side stage ) before CdeB was The Buskateers who did several Neil Diamond/Monkees/Beatles & other cover versiosn and were very good ( Not in the Runrig class but better than Ezio :-) )
CdeB started abiout 10 minutes early at 19:50 by my watch
The running order was :
Sailing Away
Love's got a hold on me
Oh my brave hearts
Brother John ( the House of the Rising Sun mix )
Hotel California
Revolution ( all 3 parts )
Missing You
Lady in Red
Wheh I Think Of You
The Snows of New York
Blonde Hair, Blue Jeans
Honky Tonk Woman
Don't Pay The Ferryman
Encore :
High on Emotion
Hey Jude
Fireworks
The set finished at about 21:15
Once again he was having fun ...thankfully the "kick" of WITOY hasn't spread past Astrid and Kate. If this was the warm-up for the German concerts then you will have a great time.
He had some good topical comments and invited children down to a seating area in the front.
I didn't see any of the list people but heard the strains of Happy Birthday :-)
A great concert :-)