Rockhal, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg23rd August 2022
Toto - “The Dogz of Oz” Tour 2022
They are pop culture and are one of the few 1970s bands that have endured the changing trends and styles continuing to remain relevant while enjoying their multi-generational global fan base. We are talking about the American band TOTO. On Tuesday, the legendary band around Steve Lukather and Joseph Williams were back in Luxembourg to delight the many visitors who found their way to the Rockhal on this warm summer day.
TOTO are an American Rock band formed in 1976 in Los Angeles. The band has released 21 albums (13 studio albums, 1 soundtrack 7 live albums), and has sold over 40 million records worldwide. The group was honoured with several Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2009. Joining Steve Lukather and Joseph Williams on the road are new band members bassist John Pierce (HUEY LEWIS AND THE NEWS), drummer Robert “Sput” Searight (GHOST-NOTE), and keyboardist / background vocalist Steve Maggiora (ROBERT JON & THE WRECK). Keyboardist Dominique “Xavier” Taplin (PRINCE, GHOST-NOTE) and multi-instrumentalist / vocalist Warren Ham (RINGO STARR) segued over continuing their tenure in the ensemble. This marks the fifteenth incarnation of the TOTO line-up in consideration of band members or sidemen who joined or exited.
Music & Performance
TOTO entered the stage punctually at 9 pm and started right away. The stage set was classic and simple: a black canvas with the band logo and TOTO’s typical symbol of the sword adorns the background of the stage. “You’re never alone in the world” rang through the Rockhal and the audience knew immediately that this song was ‘Orphan’, a track from the album ‘Toto XIV’, which was released in 2015. During the second song ‘Hold the Line’, which is one of the band’s most famous songs, the Rockhal sang along loudly. Even after 40 years of stage presence, the American band TOTO still knows how to rock the stage and how to amaze the crowd.
The songs ‘Georgy Porgy’, ‘Pamela’ or ‘Home Of The Brave’ were also on the setlist and got loud applause. Again and again Steve Lukather lost himself in wonderful guitar solos, but that belongs to guitar heroes, as he is one, like the air to breathe. But it doesn’t just stay with the guitar solos. The audience should not be deprived of a drum solo such as a keyboard solo on this evening. The sentimental ‘I Won’t Hold You Back’ and a cover version of the Beatles classic ‘With A Little Help From My Friends’ were also on the menu that night and triggered a goose-bump moment to the people in the audience. The world hits ‘Rosanna’ and ‘Africa’ were, of course, not to be missed and, with great saxophone parts by multi-instrumentalist Waren Ham, provided the crowning finale to a very successful rock evening, which came to an end with the encore ‘Stop Loving You’.
Setlist
01. Orphan
02. Hold the Line
03. Till the End
04. I’ll Be Over You
05. Keyboard Solo
06. White Sister
07. Georgy Porgy
08. Pamela
09. Kingdom of Desire
10. Drum Solo
11. You Are the Flower
12. I Won’t Hold You Back
13. Waiting for Your Love
14. Home of the Brave
15. With a Little Help From My Friends (The Beatles cover)
16. Rosanna
17. Africa
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18. Stop Loving You
Rating
Music: 8
Performance: 8
Sound: 8
Light: 9
Total 8.3 / 10
All pictures by Elena Arens
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