“But perhaps the evening’s
biggest real crowd-pleaser was Hallett’s spirited version of Come
and I Will Sing You, a call and a response invoking audience
participation” by Lana Michelin from the Red Deer Advocate
published 29 October 2013.
“A highlight of the evening
included a rousing rendition of The Night Pat Murphy Died. Fans
responded in turn, and nearly blew the roof of with their applause”
by Jason Hewlett from the Daily News published 26 October 2013.
As the Great Big
Sea tour travels throughout the US and Canada I found several great
reviews and photographs in the local media from people offering a
fresh, professional and inclusive perspective. Some of those from the
Canadian leg are copied below.
The first review “Great Big Sea show a Celtic celebration” is by Lana Michelin from the Red Deer Advocate in Alberta, Canada with photographs by Jeff Stokoe.
A cold corner of the Prairies unofficially became a rollicking part of The Rock, when Great Big Sea performed a celebratory Celtic-flavoured concert at Red Deer’s Memorial Centre.
“Sounds more like a Friday night than a Monday night, hey Red Deer?” said lead singer Alan Doyle to a full-house crowd of about 700 people — everyone from children to seniors. Judging by the responding whoops and cheers, many transplanted East Coasters were undoubtedly part of the enthusiastic, party-hardy throng.
If these Red Deer-area residents were starved for hearty Atlantic musical fare, then the boisterous Newfoundland-based band was only too happy to serve up foot-stomping sounds from home.
Great Big Sea turned the Memorial Centre into something akin to a lively bar on St. John’s George Street by launching into some greatest hits and some recognizable standards: Fans leapt to their feet for Ordinary Day, followed by a clap-along version of Donkey Riding, done a cappella style to the beat of an Irish drum, and the infectious When I’m Up (I Can’t Get Down).
The group’s bodhran, guitar and tin whistle player, Séan McCann, showed off strong vocals on The Night Pat Murphy Died, about exuberant Irish wakes. “Some of the boys got loaded drunk and they ain’t been sober yet!” sang McCann, as fellow band member Bob Hallett, (also a guitarist, tin whistler and fiddler) accompanied him on the squeeze box.
The band, on its 20th anniversary tour, launched into Heart of Hearts, with the lyrics, “I drove a million miles with you, I broke a million smiles with you ... in my heart of hearts, I’d do it all again!” It was clearly a love song to the audience, made more apparent by the hearts suddenly appearing on a video screen behind the band.
The screen was framed by two large, neon-lit Xs, standing for XX, the title of Great Big Sea’s current greatest hits album.
Looking over the sea of fans’ faces, Doyle declared, “Sold out to the doors! Red Deer was the first concert to sell out on the whole tour.”
McCann joked that he’s always liked Red Deer as it’s Rudolph’s the Red Nosed Reindeer’s hometown, “And he’s Santa’s freakin’ favourite!”
After the two musicians somehow segued to the topic of naughty films shown on Petty Harbour’s first French-Canadian TV channel, and how a third X in the band’s album title would have led it to be stocked in adult video stores, Doyle decided “I feel we should sing something more wholesome now.”
A Boat like Gideon Brown proved just the ticket, with its happy flute solo.
The gifted band members played two sets with an intermission, pulling off great covers of Pete Townshend’s Let My Love Open the Door and Slade’s Run Runaway. Great Big Sea also performed the hit Consequence Free, When I am King, Goin’ Up, and the comical tunes Scolding Wife and Helmethead, about hockey.
As well there were Lukey, Penelope and a poignant acoustic version of Nothing But a Song.
Even more memorable was the haunting The River Driver’s Lament that started with just Doyle’s voice, but gradually included four-part harmony, thanks to Hallett, McCann and bassist Murray Foster. Drummer Kris Macfarlane kept the beat on the bodhran.
Safe Upon the Shore, a ballad that advises never asking favours from the heartless sea, was another shiver-inducing tune.
Additional powerful moments were provided by McCann’s performance of Far from the Shores of England — a tribute to the brave souls who sailed off into the unknown on wooden ships, and Doyle’s Yankee Sailor, about a poor Newfoundland lad whose girlfriend took up with a U.S. sailor stationed on a naval base on the island.
Fans warmed up to the band’s rousing performance of early hit Wadd’ya At, which was used for a 1990s Newfoundland phone commercial that was shown on the concert’s video scene. Doyle later quipped, “For all you young people out there, those big boxes are telephones. One call at a time was all they were good for.”
But perhaps the evening’s biggest real crowd-pleaser was Hallett’s spirited version of Come and I Will Sing You, a call and response tune involving audience participation.
The largely upbeat concert that left fans standing, cheering and dancing wound to a regretful close with Old Black Rum and Live This Life — about appreciating every minute of our sad, happy, complicated lives.
“I’m grateful for this evening,” said Doyle to his fervent followers. A fan shouted back, “Many more years!”
Hopefully not too many more, though, before Great Big Sea returns to reindeer, I mean, Red Deer.
The second review “A great big two decades” by Jason Hewlett from the Daily News in Kamloops, British Columbia with photographs Murray Mitchell. (No copyright infringement intended for either the article or photographs).
Leave it to multi-platinum Canadian band Great Big Sea to celebrate two decades in the music business with an arena show that felt a kitchen party.
But that’s exactly what vocalist/guitarist Alan Doyle, tin whistle/bodhran player Sean McCann and accordionist/fiddler Bob Hallet did at the Interior Savings Centre Friday night.
Sure, Great Big Sea stood on a large stage backlit by twin Roman numeral Xs — representative of their recent compilation XX — but the performance evoked the band’s good-time drinking mood usually reserved for a more informal setting.
This, of course, is what Great Big Sea is known for, having garnered success by turning traditional Newfoundland songs into radio-friendly rock hits.
Signature song Ordinary Day kicked off the first of two lengthy sets along with a video highlighting Great Big Sea’s 20 years in the industry.
“It’s Friday night in Kamloops and it’s going off,” shouted Doyle.
The audience’s enthusiastic response set the stage for the rest of the night as people clapped, sang along to the lyrics and pumped fists in the air.
It didn’t matter if Doyle, McCann and Hallett played their big hits, original tunes or cover songs, Kamloops knew them all.
“Thank you very much,” Doyle said after a particularly impressive sing-a-long.
A highlight of the evening included a rousing rendition of The Night Paddy Murphy Died. Fans responded in turn, and nearly blew the roof off with their applause.
“This isn’t a disco. This is Friday night in Kamloops,” Doyle observed. “You’re looking very good tonight.”
There was also time for some joking around.
“We’re Great Big Sea and we’ve come all the way from Newfoundland, where the palm trees grow,” said Doyle. “Bring your bikinis.”
e said the concert was 20 years in the making, and that they’d do it all again in a second. Given the dancing, singing and general fun on display, no one in the ISC would be disappointed.
Great Big Sea first played Kamloops in 1993 at Thompson Rivers University, then the University College of the Cariboo.
