Respect The Rock Tour 2000
PORTSMOUTH, UK - PYRAMID CENTER - march 10, 2000
setlist:
Overture
Feelin' Good [Nina Simone]
Grace Kelly Blues
Packing Blankets
My Beloved Monster
Ant Farm
Fucker
It's A Motherfucker
Jeannie' s Diary
I Like Birds
Daisies Of The Galaxy
The Sound Of Fear
Tiger In My Tank
The Cheater's Guide To Your Heart
Suicide Life
Climbing To The Moon
Flyswatter
Mr. E's Beautiful Blues
Susan's House
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Novocaine For The Soul
I Can't Help Falling In Love With You [Elvis Presley]
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Hospital Food
A Daisy Through Concrete
P.S. You Rock My World
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Brave Little Soldier
[setlist sent in by Bruce]
info #1:
Portsmouth is a working class town on the south coast of England which has traditionally been less genteel because of the influence of the UK's biggest Naval base and the 20,000+ University population. I also noticed that some people who were at the Friday night show had travelled down from London because the gig in the capital sold out.
At one point E treatened not to continue the show, he sat on his piano stool demanding silence before they continued. He then told the audience to make the most of the EELS' last ever show in Portsmouth. I thought that it was unfair to punish 98% of the audience because of the behaviour of a few.
Talking to people since there is a defnite split in opinion as to whether E was making a fuss over nothing (a few people yelling out between songs and a couple standing to the left of the seating area and dancing) or these people were ruining the evening for everyone else
[sent in by Bruce]
newspaper review:
Welcome to the fascist world of the EELS
Nod your head, tap your feet, applaud politely between songs but extend your enjoyment any further and you're out. Yes, two people were rejected from the Pyramids for having the cheek to dance at a gig, and countless others enjoyed a ticking off from security if they started moving about too much. Zealous bouncers are nothing new at pop shows, but this extraordinary state of affairs was at the band's insistence, because dancing is apparently 'offputting'.
The regimented rows were agreed beforehand and then Mr. E himself actually told some members of the audience to 'sit down and shut up'. Most bands spend their entire time trying to whip up an enthusiastic response, The EELS seemed intent on quelling any reaction at all. But then, maybe you need to be a little weird to create true artistic music E certainly scores on both counts. The gig was a run-through of his off-kilter blues and country tinged with a kind of melancholy punk attitude.
The bulk of the new set came from wonderful new album Daisies Of The Galaxy, but there were visits to old favourites such as Novocaine For The Soul and Susan's House. The musicians (EELS have an ever-changing line-up to back E) provided an almost jazzy feel to proceedings, while the main man's soulful piano and vocals (which range from achingly sad to good-time singalong) were superb.
Musically, this was one of the best gigs I've witnessed in a long time, but I wouldn't cross the road to see again someone with such contempt for his audience.
[review by Barry Rutter, The News Portsmouth © 2000 - used with kind permission]
info #2 - the aftermath:
E has since been quoted in Monday's paper (10th April 2000):
"EELS singer E obviously hasn't forgotten his night in Portsmouth in a hurry. Not content with getting fans thrown out of the Pyramids Centre for dancing, he has now slagged off Pompey (nick name for Portsmouth) audiences to grown-up music mag Q. In a piece about the EELS gig in Antwerp he tells interviewer Nick Duerden he didn't enjoy the Portsmouth show and describes the audience as 'drunken football boys'."
My friends and I reckon that between three and six people were creating the noise. Bizarrely it is alledged that as part of their rider the band asked for an electric cattle prod, the promoter was unable to supply as they can only be sold / hired to licensed people.
Let this be a warning to other audiences that it will take very little to upset the band, they could quickly find themselves without a show. It also demonstrates how near the edge E is during a live show! Shame really because musically they were very impressive.
[sent in by Bruce]
