London, England- October
23, 2000
Setlist
Thanks to Simon Murgatroyd for the setlist
Reviews
Robert Hughes writes
Playing at what is arguably the best acoustic venue
in London, Paul Simon delivered over two hours worth of the highest quality
musicianship money can buy.
Dressed all in black, with his now trademark baseball cap (this time red) and playing his famous yamaha and Martin guitars, Simon took centre stage in front of one of the best bands I have ever seen to showcase a selection of material from 'You're the One' together with a generous helping of songs from the history of his career, his voice stronger than 'Graceland' and ROTS.
The audience seemed unfamiliar with the new material, but this did not deter the enthusiasm of their reception, particularly for 'Old', a more upbeat drum driven version than the CD and 'Darling Lorraine', a musical and lyrical gem of the story of a relationship, that may well yet find a place in that tiniest of categories - 'the best songs ever written'.
Simon never fails to serve up a suprise or two live and this was no exception. 'One man's ceiling is another man's floor', sung with the atmosphere of a smoky blues club, with Alain Mallet's jazzy piano, and the inevitable 'Bridge over troubled water', but this time sans piano and gospel feel, Simon's electric guitar picking out a slow melody line.
The band retired after an hour or so for a set of acoustic ballads, 'Old friends/Bookends, 'American tune' and 'Homeward Bound', with just Simon, his Martin and the brilliant Mark Stewart on Cello simply hypnotising.
Back for two encores, Simon plyed a reworked 'Kodachrome', chopping the lyrics and the rhythms around so cleverly, 'Proof' from ROTS with the audience on their feet electrified and 'Still Crazy after all these years'.
Criticism? Maybe too much percussion, and not enough Steve
Gadd. The best drummer in the world
was tightly reined in throughout the set. Simon could set him free.
...Oh yes, and the idiot London apollo steward who decided to chase down a guy with a video camera three rows from the front while Simon sang quietly 'Pledging your love/The late great Johnny Ace'. He might have been very seriously dealt with by the rest of us if he hadn't stopped when he did.
James Keen writes
The storyteller reigns supreme
What I came to realise through his set last night was just how much of a storyteller
Paul Simon is and he tells his stories brilliantly. Everyone in the audience
could hear every word because he communicated perfectly. He has something to
say and we were there to listen. He played straight for 2 and a quarter hours
and it was the best concert of my life. Being a huge fan and being in the fourth
row was obviously going to help, but the band were amazing (particularly the
stalwart Stevie Gadd and Bakithi Kumalo), his set was tight, his performance
excitable and the whole audience was having a blast. Believe it or not, one
major highlight was his new songs which were new stories to tell and therefore
fresh and exciting. He practically acted out each one. The best, and perhaps
the best song of the night, was "Darling Lorraine" in which he wandered
around the stage holding the microphone. It was just brilliant. Hurricane Eye
is also an absolute classic. My 'travelling companion' had not heard any of
the new album but her comments after the show were "I loved "You're
the One" and "Darling Lorraine" - god, poor lorraine - and that
hurricane one..." The new songs also demonstrated just how great his voice
still is.
He didn't say much to the audience, except noting after Homeward Bound that
"whoever took down that plaque at that railway station should put it back".
I also missed a bit of commotion that his son Harper made early on a few rows
behind me. Someone else will have to tell you what happened there - either he
was being mugged or prevented from dancing! Either way Paul was laughing.
I also particularly loved One Man's Ceiling, 50 Ways, American Tune, Late In
The Evening, Me and Julio, all the Graceland numbers, the Old Friends/Homeward
Bound/I Am A Rock medley in the middle of the show. Also the finale, and I believe
a tour debut, Still Crazy After All These Years. Magical. You'll have to get
a set list from someone else - I was having too much of a good time.
The most important thing was that Paul Simon was clearly loving every minute
of it. It gave him as much pleasure to perform for us as it did for us to see
him perform and that's just great. I could understand why he wanted to play
smaller venues, and the Apollo holds about 5,000, because the sound and the
intimacy was so compelling.
Oh, and talk about devotion. I met a guy who asked me where I got my T-Shirt
(which was from New York last year on the Paul/Bob tour) and he told me he had
come all the way from New Zealand to see the show(s)!!! He'd been to see Paul
last year in San Diego and a couple of other West Coast shows. The couple sitting
next to me had come over from Amsterdam especially. Quite impressive. At least
this time I only had to come down on the bus from Oxford!
I'm fairly certain he kept catching my eye because I was dead straight in the
middle and his gaze naturally fell to the first few rows through a lot of numbers.
I couldn't help but nod and mouth the words, as if saying I get it - I understand
what you're saying and I'm loving every minute of it. Finally, I got to shake
his hand before the first encore and that was a thrill beyond comparison. His
music has provided a soundtrack to most of my life and you don't muct closer
to someone whose work has made such an impact on your life. Thanks Paul, for
everything, and I'll see you again tonight!!
Toby Webb writes
Last night was my first Paul Simon concert, needless
to say he did not disappoint. At just over two hours the uninterrupted setlist
was, I think, identical to the October 19th Hamburg concert, except for the
final encore which was -very appropriately- 'Still crazy after all these years'.
Unfortunately I arrived slightly late missing the first
song (that's the London underground for you...), however the rest of the show
was fantastic and the reproduction of so many songs from his catalogue perfect.
I felt that some such as 'Hurricane Eye' and 'One Man's Ceiling Is Another Man's
Floor'
were even better live than on the albums, probably because he let the band really
go to work on them.
The Johnny Ace song was a gentle and thoughtful addition to the show and Paul explained how this was the first record he bought in 1954 and also recounted the brief history of this performer before leading into the magnificent 'The Late Great Johnny Ace'.
The only moment where he went slightly astray came in 'Old
Friends' during the third verse when he attempted to reach too high a note for
his voice. However 'Old Friends' 'Homeward Bound' and 'I Am A Rock' (a song
I thought he no longer performed) fit very well into the show and unlike the
other songs
were performed very simply with just Paul on guitar and vocals with little backup
from the rest of his band - who are clearly a very talented array of musicians,
particularly Steve Gadd, Vincent Nguini and Mark Stewart to name but three.
The audience enjoyed the show and as the night progressed
I would say that he certainly connected with everyone in the theatre. Some songs
such as 'You Can Call Me Al' and 'American Tune' were met with ovations, but
the highlight were the encore performances. Everyone was on their feet by this
point and
many were running down to the stage shaking Paul by the hand as he worked his
way across the audience. He seemed genuinely touched by such an enthusiastic
reception and rewarded the audience with 'Still Crazy After All These Years'
as his way of saying thankyou.
After the show I was fortunate enough to meet the man himself along with another forty or fifty people at the stage door and thanked him for such a wonderful concert. He seemed very sincere and down to earth and took the time to answer peoples' questions, particularly about the emblem on his baseball cap (i.e. the red one he wears on the cover of You're The One) which belongs to a Mexican sports team (baseball I think).
In all an incredible show, if the rest of the tour is anything like this people are in for a real treat. Paul is one of a fairly select band of performers who is still enjoying a professional peak even after more than three decades in the business and long may this continue. I hope he considers returning to England next year if there is to be a further tour.
Gary Stewart writes
Hello there people!! My names Gary, I'm 19, and was
at my first Paul Simon concert last night in London. The concert was amazing,
and lasted about 2 hours 10 minutes. Unfortunately I didn't write a set list,
but Paul began with "That's where I Belong", and finished with "Still
Crazy after all these Years".
As I am a relatively young Simon fan, it was great to hear that, at 59, Simon still sounds fresh, as does his versions of old classics such as "I am a rock", and "One Mans ceiling is another Man's Floor". Gadd particularly made it for me, as I, mysrlf am a drummer and percussionist, and Gadd is God!!!
The only thing that let the concert down was the lack of response and enthusiasm from the audience. I'm certain they had a good time, but their reluctance to show it disappointed myself and friend, who were dancing, and singing away!!
Anyways, hope you all have as good a time as I did!! Bye. Gary
Nick Clark writes
Paul made a triumphant return to the UK on the first
of his three night stint at the famous Hammersmith Apollo. A fine venue, three
drum kits and numerous guitars packed the stage which cramped the band but not
the singers style. The setlist was, as you have seen from previous nights. The
only thing he is rotating seems to be the second encore - at Hammersmith it
was Still Crazy. I've seen Paul Simon do the Graceland set and 'Born At the
Right Time' tour - the last time he was in the UK but he's certainly never performed
like this to a UK audience. As previous reviews indicate he was far more ALIVE
than ever before. Gone were the solemn trawls through his setlist and pouting
guitar strums - in were the almoct comic self-caricaturing leaps around the
stage and yes, over the full two and a quarter hour set. He is jigging the order
around by the looks of it and set his stall out with the album opener, 'That's
Where I Belong'. He got a rousing reception from the old theatre which was bursting
to the seams with dancing in the aisles from early on by those who could get
only standing room.Second up was Graceland and as he sang it hsis face burst
into a broad grin with the crowds response. He knew he was on home territory.For
a man not known for showing his emotions the whole set was a celebration of
his life and work. He revelled in the applause and it enhanced his performance.
He let himself go, moving as much without the security of the guitar as with
it and the crowd loved him the more. True, he still spoke little but his gestures
betrayed more than ever. On the last tour in 91 he uttered not one wortd so
anything was improvement on that. He was happy to be there. He didn't have anything
to prove but just enjoyed himself. The backing musicians were great to. The
horn section came up with 'One Man's Ceiling' - a slightly different version
but much enhanced, the new version of 'Late' played towards the end was absolutely
brilliant - a great new brass line and the percussion throughout was of the
highest order - at one stage three drummers 'soloed' at once. Paul surrounds
himself with first class musicians and this band was no exception. Not that
the man himself has anything to prove. After a rousing 'You Can Call Me Al'
he was left to hold the fort with what was evidently the old start of part two
- a run of the old S&G favourites starting with a version of 'Old Friends'
which he just wasn't ready for - perhaps because of his exertions in the song
before. He soon recovered and delivered a superb 'Homeward Bound' offering a
rare comment at the end asking for the return of the plaque stolen from Widnes
railway statio ! . The band came back to play the new, slightly more beaty 'I
Am A Rock' but it wasn't just this - 'Bridge' was also a bit more uptempo and
the fans responded better to it. After the hoarse 'Bookends' his voice seemed
to get stronger. He really pushed himself on songs like 'The Late Great Johnny
Ace' and the poignancy of it was only enhanced by his referring back to his
childhood in 1954 whilst playing 'Pledging My Love'.
Of the new material 'Old' was better than the record, 'Hurricane Eye' was a
great way to close the set and amazingly, fo him, he stayed on stage as the
other band members went off and took the applause with great aplomb and humour
- walking along the front of the stage and shaking hands with many of the audience
whilst the rest bayed for the enevitable oncore. 'Kodachrome ?' he said responding
to the crowd and so it was, a new rhythmic version with added lyrics that was
a novelty for someone who had maybe played the song too many times and was trying
to find a new way to interprete it. He finished, as at Hamburg, with 'Proof'
and 'Bridge' which he did well before coming back on for 'Still Crazy'.
So in conclusion, it was a great night. I have to say it was better than the
last tour and for me, better than 'Graceland' because, for the first time he
is not on a mission. He's simply here to enjoy himself and the crowd caught
his mood and shared it. We all have songs we wanted to hear - I would have liked
'Sound of Silence' but I guess he's fed up with that and knows he'll have to
play it in the USA soon. For a man with such a strong bad catalogue it must
be difficult to satisfy everyone. I think he just picked those aongs that best
reflected where he is at this time and those that are great fun to play. What
more do you want huh ?
Joe McGlynn writes
What do you say to the person that you have wanted
to meet all your life and are less than one minute away from doing so. This
unexpected opportunity happened after Mr Simons superb concert at Hammersmith
on Monday evening. For a man just into his sixtieth year he gave a remarkable
performance of energy, with his usual brilliance. The set-list was as expected,
I had read the reviews from the Stockholm and Hamburg performances. He has always
been a man of few words, on stage. But when he speaks you listen! When he sings,
you listen. The contrast from his earlier concerts [1970,s] when he was more
subdued on stage have now changed. Has his music has evolved into a more rhythmic
up tempo beat he seems at ease to welcome audience participation. However, apart
from the standing ovations this didn't
happen. We did get an extra encore of Still Crazy After All These Years. Apart
from introducing his band members he didn't say much [paradox]. He did mention
after singing Homeward Bound, that whoever stole the plaque from the railway
station should return it! The local authority had placed a memorable plaque
on Widnes station, commemorating his writing the song there, and within days
someone had stolen it. A few years ago (1996) I went to NYC and stumbled upon
the Brill Building. It was in fact my wife's fortieth birthday and has we were
walking down Broadway it was her who noticed it. So, in we went, I couldn't
believe it when I saw Paul Simons address inside, although I knew his office
was there. Up we went in the lift (elevator) to the fifth floor, I think, Suite
no. 25. My memory is fading. Was he inside, what would I say if he came out?
Anyway, was this the closest I would ever get to saying hello!
Here we are at the end of the show, in London. We had travelled
down from Liverpool and with my wife being disabled we naturally let the crowds
disappear before we left. When we got outside the building, there were about
50 to 60 people waiting. There was no chance of getting near the
stage door, so we waited to see his car go speeding by. What no one expected
was for Paul Simon to pull up at the queue (line) and get out and greet his
loyal fans. This was my opportunity to shake him by the hand and say something
to him. He mentioned that he was missing his family and I just said that I had
waited a long time for this opportunity to meet him. You wait all you life to
meet someone and on this occasion he could of driven by, which everyone would
of expected anyway.
I would just like to say THANK YOU from myself and all the other fans who waited outside the theatre.