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Arrow Rock Festival, Lichtenvoorde, the Netherlands
June 10th 2006
Day 2: Pavlov's Dog, Ray Davies, Dio, Def Leppard, Queensrÿche, Roger Waters

The second day of the festival it seemed like many of the visitors had just come to see the main act of today: Roger Waters. Of course one of the highlights of the festival but there were more bands on stage worth a visit; experienced bands like Dio, Status Quo got the crowd going. Warming them up for the grand finale, 3 hours of Pink Floyd and solo work of mr. Waters.


Pavlov's Dog

The unknown band to many of the festival's visitors, David Surkamp has reunited the band this year to play some more songs of the cult status albums 'Pampered Menial' (1975) and 'At The Sound Of The Bell' (1976).

Music
Somehow this was one of the least concerts of the festival when it comes to both music and performance. The band these days looks more like David Surkamp and family. No there are no big mistakes and the favourite songs of the 70's cds are played like the much anticipated 'Julia'but there was something just not right. It wasn't the sound in the tent because that was good.



Performance
This is where it gets even worse for Pavlov's Dog, for some reason there seems to be a complete lack of enthusiasm while they play. The only one who can be caught smiling at the audience is the blonde violin player. The rest of the band just does their thing basically bored to death or trying to get the audience to that level.

Rating
Music: 6
Performance: 4
Sound: 7
Light: 6
Total: 5





Ray Davies

Starting a bit late due to tourbus problems it seems like Ray Davies, former singer of The Kinks and by now over 60 years of age, is in no way distracted from his show. With a recent album called 'Other People's Lives' he has proven he's far but done with making music.

Music
Unfortunately Ray didn't start off his concerts with some songs of The Kinks but sang some songs from his new album first. The audience did enjoy his newer work but wasn't really mesmerized by it. It was only when the band started playing songs like 'You Really Got Me', '20th Century Man' and 'Sunday Afternoon'. While the last one got the audience going the real euforia kinked in when he played mage-hit 'Lola'.



Performance
Ok you can be late and people who have been working franticly to get everything ready for the band have just left the stage, but entering the stage as cool as Ray Davies did is special. Looking fashionably with sunglasses and a jacket his whole appearance and moves made you believe this man is singing the truth, maybe somewhat influenced by alcohol, who knows. Anyway this guy didn't have a very flashing show but he managed to make this big stage feel like the small dark hidden stage in a pub.

Rating
Music: 7
Performance: 7
Sound: 7
Light: - (daylight)
Total: 7





Dio

At some point in time we all reach the moment when we can stop working, sit back and relax. For most people this happens to be around the age of 65, just one year till Ronnie James Dio has reached this age. The former singer of Rainbow and Black Sabbath has a strong live reputation and is one of the big men in metal. Will time catch up with this guy or is he stil going as strong as before.

Music
Dio is the beginning of metal music and for sure he hasn't given up on his passion. The music is very powerful and so is this short man's voice. With classics like 'Holy Diver', 'Heaven And Hell', 'Man On The Silver Mountain' and 'Rainbow In The Dark' the bands plays what the audience wants to hear. Powerful metal from Ronnie's solo work and songs from Rainbow and Black Sabbath. But besides the great songs there's just one thing that keep popping up: how does such a short guy sing with such power at this age?



Performance
After careful observation there are two things wrong with the performance of Ronnie James Dio: his outfit and the stage's height. The outfit is a bit weird for a metal legend as he is, a bit too many purple medieval details. And as for the stage, well people could have seen Ronnie a lot better when he would have played at main stage. And yes he could easily pull it off, like he did last year at Graspop and Waldrock. This man is full of fire, walking back and forth on stage, making gestures and poses that might be considered un-cool but when Dio does it, nobody would say such a thing. If anybody is entitled to do all this it's this big man. The lights are a bit dim from the front but the background is very colourful. And as for the retirement question, retirement at 65? No need for that yet, Ronnie James Dio is still very much full of energy, showing aging doesn't affect enthusiasm and passion.

Rating
Music: 9
Performance: 9
Sound: 8
Light: 7
Total: 9





Def Leppard

On main stage a band who have been described as a wilder, rougher version of boy bands like take that and all the other names most people have forgotten by now. They have been around for a while by now, grown older and by now not the guys the teenagers would go crazy about. But the question of course is what the former teenagers, now in their mid 30's would think of it.

Music
Just like many of the other bands at this festival the band played a couple of hits to please the general crowd now gathered at the big field. With songs like 'Let It Go', 'Pour Some Sugar On Me' and 'Let's Get Rocked' the small contingent of Def Leppard fans was easily pleased. It wasn't a bad bit of music but the band just didn't seem to convince the audience. It was all a bit too loose and the vocals suffered from the hands of time. The sound on the plain was however good, making the lesser vocals during the concert more obvious.



Performance
The band looks like a boy band to be honest, different types just a bit too obviously styled. Where the music was somewhat unconvincing the performance was even more fake. No these guys just did their trick and were lucky to play right before Roger Waters on main stage otherwise it might have been a lot less crowded.

Rating
Music: 6
Performance: 6
Sound: 7
Light: - (daylight)
Total: 6





Queensrÿche

With Geoff Tate on vocals and a formidable reputation in the 90's this band was just very unlucky to fall victim to the popularity of grunge. Yes this band is very talented and their fans sure know this, it's just that their breakthrough never really happened. 18 years after their masterpiece 'Operation Mindcrime' they released a sequel to the album in 2006 after having studied the 1988 original just to make sure it would have the same sound and feel.

Music
With a set filled with songs from their 1988 classic and it's 2006 sequel the central theme of the show is Operation: Mindcrime. Geoff is obviously feeling well because his voice has the right amount of power to give these songs the right emotion. The rest of the musicians of the band are pulling their weight making sure the music matches the vocals. And it's not just Geoff Tate on vocals; Pamela Moore joins him on stage after a song. The music sounds good over the speakers and all that's missing is Dio on guest vocals.



Performance
Good old Geoff is really living his music on stage with a pair of criminal sunglasses and even a gun the crime atmosphere in amplified. The rest of the band is rather static compared to the frontman who walks up and down the stage making big gestures to emphasize his vocals. Too bad the tent is not fully filled and even slowly running empty because right after Queenrÿche it's time for Mr. Waters and that's where people are heading, to get a good spot and not because this band is bad!

Rating
Music: 8
Performance: 8
Sound: 7
Light: 7
Total: 8





Roger Waters

Where to start introducing Roger Waters? Former singer, bass player and co-founder of one of the icons of music Pink Floyd. It has been in 2001 that he visited the Netherlands for his In The Flesh tour, a concert that has massive amounts of fans wondering when they could see him in concert again. Well it seems like Roger Waters isn't just doing a copy of the 2001 shows but wanted more. With the moon shining on the plains of Lichtenvoorde there could have been no better scenery for the integral performance of Pink Floyd's 1975 classic 'The Dark Side of the Moon'.

Music
When the band is on stage the show kicks off with one of the most powerful songs of Pink Floyd's 'The Wall'. The audience all around the field just couldn't stop singing along to the great versions of songs like 'In the Flesh', 'Sheep' (even after the concert people kept on making sheep sounds while leaving the festival), 'Shine on You Crazy Diamond' (with a great Dave Kilminster on guitars) as well as some songs of the 'Final Cut' album. These 'Fletcher Memorial' and 'Southhampton Dock' haven't been played in a long time and were most certainly a big surprise in the setlist. Further there were of course some solo songs like 'Perfect sense' which made a good impression but the exploding oil rig literally shook the crowd, what power from the speakers! Just before the first break Roger announces the second part saying: "after the break we'll be back for that" while he points at the full moon in the sky. After the break Roger waters played the complete Dark Side of the Moon where he had some vocals taken care of by Jon Carin (Keys) and Dave Kilminster. Leaving the singing to others with the right vocal range might sound like a cheap solution but the voices of these men were far from cheap, they did great in their own right and the songs never felt unreal. The back ground singers Katie Kissoon, PP Arnold and Carol Kenyon each did a song of their own grabbing their share of fame during 'Mother', 'Perfect Sense' and 'The Great Gig in the Sky'. It would be impossible and unfair to select any of the lovely ladies as best female singer; there was no competition just lots of shivers down the spine.



The rest of the band consisted of good individual musicians: Andy Fairweather Low (Guitar/Bass), Snowy White (Guitar), Graham Broad (Drums), Ian Ritchie (Saxophone) and Roger's son Harry (Keys). As a whole the band just sounded very solid and well balanced, and those few individual mistakes, who cares? We always discuss the sound and normally it's just there and nothing special but this show had quadraphonic sound with the music coming from the front and all sorts of sound effects from speakers half way down the field on the left and right. Needless to say the sound was impressive. After a short moment of silence the band did a nice 'The Wall' encore making the whole audience sing along till the last tones of 'Comfortably Numb' have faded away.



Performance
One man with a bass guitar, that's what the people came for, but they got much more. Not only a complete band as stated before but the stage show was simply stunning. No racing around to come up behind you again by the musicians but careful but enthusiastic interaction between Roger and the audience. If he was singing his eyes just went across the first lines and an occasional smile to a fan could be seen on the big video screens. And while others were doing the singing Roger just moved from side to side cheering up the audience while singing along with the music without a mic at his side. Of course all the solo artists got their shave on light shining on them and if for some reason it wasn’t enough Mr Waters kindly requested for more. The real treat however was the magnificent video projections in the background: not just semi-psychedelic video but also photos of Pink Floyd in the good old days.



The real treat however were the surreal video during The Fletcher Memorial' showing a house full of wandering souls, light coming from a disco ball while on the wall portraits of many dictators were hung up. The comic like video played during 'Leaving Beirut' showed the entire story of 17 year old Roger Waters hitchhiking from Beirut and warm hospitality of local strangers, all this with lyrics on screen while they were sung. But there was more, as could be expected, like a floating inflatable astronaut during 'Perfect Sense' and a raised spinning wheel of fire during 'Comfortably Numb' towering high above the stage. Combine all this with occasional fireworks and flames and you sort of get the picture. Though it'll never be the same as being present, the photos should at least feed your imagination. Roger Waters doesn't just make concept albums but plans his shows into detail, and the lucky ones are those who get to witness it. 



Setlist
01. In The Flesh
02. Mother
03. Set The Controls For the Heart Of The Sun
04. Shine On You Crazy Diamond
05. Have A Cigar
06. Wish You Were Here
07. Southampton Dock
08. The Fletcher Memorial Home
09. Perfect Sense parts 1 and 2
10. Leaving Beirut
11. Sheep
---
12. Speak To Me
13. Breathe
14. On The Run
15. Time
16. The Great Gig In The Sky
17. Money
18. Us And Them 
19. Any Colour You Like 
20. Brain Damage 
21. Eclipse
---
22. The Happiest Days Of Our Lives
23. Another Brick In The Wall (Pt 2)
24. Vera
25. Bring the Boys back Home
26. Comfortably Numb

Rating
Music: 10
Performance: 10
Sound: 9
Light: 10
Total: 10




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More photos on page 2

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