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		20/07/07 - KEEPMOAT STADIUM, DONCASTER Review by Steven Stanley: After a show in Sheffield only 20 minutes down the road from Doncaster in May... I didn't expect another show in South Yorkshire so soon. Particularly in Doncaster! As a kid I would catch the bus with my Grandma to this town and buy a lot of Bryan CD's from here... never in my wildest dreams did I think that he would play this town one day! As we have had no sun and plenty of rain since April, this was always going to be a washout show... and it certainly was! Before the show myself, Karl Watson, Karl Austin, Karen, Barry, Nicola, Big T, Nat and Mave all pubbed it up instead of waiting for hours inside the stadium getting drowned in water. We headed there halfway through support act John Parr's set. Once inside we were greeted by Jack to make our party even bigger... John Parr dedicated a song to the flood victims of South Yorkshire, upon asking "what song would be be-fitting of this?" Karl quickly said "Why Does It Always Rain On Me?" which got a few laughs. Instead though, (and lord only knows why) he sang the song "The Best - The Best A Man Can Get"... which during the chorus me, Karl (and everyone around us) sang back "Gilette! - The Best A Man Can Get!" which got a few laughs and was so funny. Apparently 20% of people who had tickets didn't turn up for the gig - which is understandable to some degree as it really was hammering it down! This is how to stadium looked 30 minutes before Bryan came onstage (below)... people staying in the dry for as long as possible! By this point we were all drenched and 30 minutes later Bryan came on with 'There Will Never Be Another Tonight' which was great. Above you can see in the picture the rain bouncing down. Obviously the b-stage wasn't used tonight due to the torrential rain, which was a shame but it was always gonna happen. 'Back To You' was a highlight where Karl and I got everyone to bounce... it was really cool with the whole crowd bouncing around us. Particularly with the driving rain - it felt like a proper rock show. During the show the techs had to move Gary's keyboard backwards as it was getting soaked. The stage was also waterlogged but the band to their credit kept playing through the conditions. Before 'It's Only Love'... birthday boy Keith Scott got a big 'Happy Birthday' from the crowd which was great - his solo was great too with Bryan toweling down Keith's guitar halfway through to get the rain off! 'There's Gonna Be Some Rockin'' was done on the mainstage seeing as there was no b-stage which was great to see. After Darren gave Bryan the setlist with 'Cloud NOOOO!!!! 9' on it the day before, Bryan dedicated the song to him which was funny - and me and Karl did funny dances to take the piss! 'Run To You' was also fun!... Big T really enjoyed his first BA show but when he came out he asked why Bryan ends his rock shows acoustically? I couldn't give him an answer - its certainly not what the crowd wanted who were standing in the rain - we all needed to be kept warm! Ah well! Still a good show though and you cant deny his talent onstage when doing the acoustic songs. In the circumstances; bad weather, small crowd etc, the show wasn't bad - still had fun with everyone that came along! After the show we all went to the hotel and had a fun time watching the Snowpenair DVD and watching Karl jam on his guitar - before we swiftly took him to buy the new Harry Potter book on the way home! Setlist: There Will Never Be Another Tonight Can't Stop This Thing We Started Somebody Open Road 18 Til I Die Let's Make A Night To Remember Back To You Summer Of '69 Everything I Do Cuts Like A Knife When You're Gone It's Only Love Heaven The Only Thing That Looks Good On Me Is You There's Gonna Be Some Rockin' Cloud #9 Run To You Straight From The Heart All For Love Please Forgive Me ********** Review by Moya and Maria: MOYA This gig was supposed to be a great event because it was my birthday and Maria and I were going to the gig together once again. Maria flew in from Cologne on Thursday night, the flight was delayed by one hour, our car played up on the way to the airport, the scene seemed to be set for things to go wrong!!!!! However, I was so pleased to see Maria and we were excited about the next day. We arrived home from the airport around 12.30 am, had a hot drink and went to bed. Next morning, my birthday had arrived. Maria gave me a great present in two bootlegs from the Birmingham NEC and Sheffield in May, plus a fab tshirt with all the gigs I had been to over the last few years written on the back, plus some chocolates. I was excited to think I would be able to wear my new tshirt for Doncaster…..ha, ha!!!! After a leisurely breakfast we set off. We arrived at Keepmoat at about 11 am. It was a quick drive, just down the road. We were surprised when we got there to see hardly anyone there. We had platinum circle tickets without a turnstile number, so we could go to either platinum entrance. After having a word with one of the other fans we decided to go around the other side where there were only two people waiting. Also there were two lots of doors, one set hadn’t anyone in front of them. We decided to wait there, as both sets were to be opened simultaneously ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,ha. ha!!!!! We were alone there for quite a while until Ann, Hazel, Michaela and (sorry can’t remember!!!!) joined us. It was a good atmosphere, everything seemed to be going well. The security people were so friendly and helpful, we had toilets, a café and it was great. The weather wasn’t too bad and we had a small amount of shelter under the overhang anyway. It didn’t start raining until about 3.30. The security seemed to have it all sorted. The doors were to be opened at 4pm. The security assured us of a good place. We were right at the front, in the best position to get to the stage quickly……………this was to be the day we get to the middle………..ha ha!!!!! The wrist bands arrived and were put on us before the doors opened………..bags were searched before the doors opened and I commented to security……..”I am impressed”. They seemed to have got it “spot on”. However things were going to change. How did we guess? Things were going to well. Maria and I couldn’t believe that this time, we would get a place in the middle. How could it go wrong? A man came out of one of the other doors and called to the security woman that he was waiting to open the doors. He told her that he was on his own. We didn’t really understand the significance of this, until it became obvious that he was manning the turnstile behind the door we weren’t standing behind. The other queue had begun to grow, later in the afternoon. People had just arrived and were in a pretty good place. Our queue had been there quite a long time, in fact most of the day since 11 am. Suddenly the other queue’s door opened and they began to go through. We waited for our door to open……..and we waited………….and it never did!!!! We went crazy and shouted for them to hold the other queue because now late arrivals were going in and we were stood there. Of course nothing happened and we were so frustrated. There was a barrier between us and the other queue which was moveable and Ann pushed the barrier away to go forward. Security tried to stop her because they said it wasn’t allowed. She still went forward and went into the door. I didn’t see what happened, only that she was determined (quite rightly so) to get her rightful place. We were not allowed to follow her so after a while we ran to the end of the other queue and walked passed the people in the queue. They knew we should be there and didn’t try and stop us. However, I heard the security man shout to stop Ann. Apparently, someone had accused of her of pushing someone out of the way. We all managed get into the stadium, and to the left side, not a bad place, but we should have been first in. Ann was stopped from going in and they brought 3 or 4 police officers to her and also security were called. It was dreadful to see this. Eventually after about half an hour, she was escorted off the premises and refused entry into the concert. In our opinion, this seemed a harsh decision. She had driven all the way from Cornwall, picked up her friends on the way, waited all the day in an orderly queue only to be treated this way. It was an upsetting sight to see. MARIA Meanwhile it had started to rain and we were not allowed to bring umbrellas in. I didn’t understand why the doors opened at 4 pm when the concert didn’t start until 7.30. Moya and I thought we would have been prepared well with our rain coats. More and more people arrived in white and later in yellow ponchos which made us look like ducks. There were not too many people in. Sure the rain let them stay at home where they were dry and warm. The supporting act which was John Parr, was still on stage when we came in. They were doing the sound check and played their instruments still longer than an hour. They didn’t want to stop. It seemed that they loved playing their music a lot. Nearly to the end of their sound check they sang a song with us together, Summer Holiday, and then left saying they will be back in less than an hour and a half. The rain got massive and Moya bought us two of these wonderful duck outfits which made us feel a bit warmer. A while later the rain stopped which we hadn’t expected but were happy about. John Parr’s band came on stage again and started their set. Moya told me before that John Parr was from Doncaster and also mentioned their song St Elmo’s Fire, which I couldn’t remember but surely I did when they later played it. MOYA When they finished all their equipment was taken out, and Bryan’s roadies came on and tried to get the rain away. The wind blew it all under the stage’s cover. There were big puddles of water everywhere next to the front and they used mops and towels to clean the floor. They took towels to get the wetness away but soon after they finished and Bryan came on stage it started to rain heavily. again. Gary had the worst place and his piano was covered with a towel and a little later the piano had to be moved further back on the stage. During Bryan’s first number he waved his arms to the roadies to move his guitars further back on the stage. The wind blew and I thought it liked quite dangerous. The first number was THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER TONIGHT. The plan had been to start the concert on the B stage and for Bryan to walk down the middle of the platinum circle to the stage. That had to be abandoned for obvious reasons and the concert seemed to start flat somehow without any build up whatsoever. With each successive number Bryan seemed very concerned about the equipment, and he wiped the guitars each time. Therefore there was a silence between numbers which was strange. It was obvious that he was struggling with his voice and it sounded as though he had a heavy cold. In our opinion, the concert didn’t lift until SUMMER OF 69, which always creates a great atmosphere, because it is such a great great classic of Bryan’s. I certainly tried hard to get into the mood and so did Maria. We occasionally glanced at one another because neither of us, at times, could stop shaking with cold, and we so wanted for the rain to stop and our “normal” concert to begin. It is difficult for us both, on this occasion, to do a “normal” review. The elements were appalling and I really thought that it would have to be cancelled. You have to take your hat off to Bryan, Keith, Mickey, Norman and Gary for doing their very best to keep playing under difficult circumstances. It must have been miserable up there, but it sure was uncomfortable where we were standing too. It’s always great to the see that band and to see Keith on his birthday, but I think the “the uniqueness” of the concert became apparent when Bryan did away with the encore when he said something like…………why bother going off, we want to stay, you don’t want us to go, so why bother. It was very strange. The when you’re gone girl, Sam, from Castleton (or Castlefield) as Bryan said………….was very good and very wet. Bryan seemed to enjoy her company, as usual, and you have take your hat to her, because she didn’t appear to be shaking at all!!!!! Bryan seemed totally amazed by the whole weather situation and as he said, in all the concerts he had done, and he’s done a fair few, he had never experienced that amount of water on stage. It was totally mind blowing. There was one B stage number played which was “There will be some rockin” which always gets people moving…..I love it. No other B stage numbers were played. Bryan finished the concert with PLEASE FORGIVE ME…………………a beautiful number perfect for an English Summer’s evening!!!!!!! Maria and I were of the opinion, that, understandably, Bryan wanted to get through the concert safely and quickly and he seemed preoccupied often. He sang new words to many songs and some words in the wrong order!!!!!!...................but we understood. He obviously thought we were all mad to stand in the rain and become so saturated. But Bryan, we are all fans and we will stand there and get wet! (We would rather not get wet, but we can’t influence the weather). All in all, I am glad we went because it was another unique experience for us both to remember. We have attended a good few concerts together now since 2002 when we went to Leeds. That was another wet experience, but nothing like Doncaster.. I hope it doesn’t put Maria off coming back to England for outside concerts. We had a great time on my birthday last year in Bickling\| and we were hoping for the same this year. We must have looked strange walking back to the car………..a little disillusioned, very stiff and damp. The word “Old Rock Chick” comes into mind, certainly on my part anyway. My legs were so sore from standing in one place I could hardly put one leg in front of the other. Maria walked much better, but there again, she is younger than I am!!!!!!!!! We couldn’t wait to get in the car and get the heater on. I was worried about the steam we might cause, so we had every blower blowing and by the time we got out of the car park everything was clear. We had taken off our shoes and socks because we couldn’t stand them anymore. Our coats were stuck to us and believe me there wasn’t an item of my clothing which wasn’t wet……………..and I mean not one! Some of Maria’s were dry, but only a few!!!!!! By the time we reached Wickersley, our skin was dry and pickled…..we looked as though we had been in the bath for days. We had to put on our cold wet shoes and coats to walk into the house…………..we laughed and we shivered. Once inside we changed our clothes and put on warm sweaters. We had a glass of wine…………….well I had two, and went to bed. I slept like a log………………it was so warm and dry in bed. Maria slept well too. MARIA I’m off home today. It has been an adventure, but not my best concert. We are all hoping for the new album soon which will bring some new concerts. We can’t wait and hope for a good, warm and dry venue next time. COME ON BRYAN, GET THE ALBUM FINISHED……………………PLEASE!!!!!

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