[Heeplist] Vogue Theatre, Vancouver 4/28/2018

[Shaun Roberge]

Apologies for the delay.  It's still just setting in that I've finally seen
the all mighty Heep.  Aside from nearly missing the ferry the day went off
just as planned.  Don and I arrived in Vancouver around 2pm on a rainy,
grey day.  After checking into the hotel we went and had a look at the
theatre, as neither of us had been there before.  Sadly, there didn't
appear to be much advertising for the show and tickets were still
available.  After drying off a bit and killing a couple hours we arrived
back at the theatre an hour early and people had already started lining
up.  Any doubts about a small crowd were shattered as the line was
eventually down the street, around a corner and up an alley.  Luckily, the
rain eased up and I was able to display my Uriah Heep Live t-shirt, Don had
his '94 Wizard tour shirt.  There was a good array of different shirts from
many years ago.  I'm not really sure what happened but an older fan that
was ahead of us in line ended up on the ground and first responders were
called.  After checking his pulse, blood pressure and other vitals they
confirmed he was okay, but asked if he wanted them to send an ambulance.
He just kept repeating no.  I don't think there was anything that would
prevent him from seeing the concert; and I thought I was excited.  When the
doors finally opened at 7pm, we quickly ran up to take balcony seats on
Mick's side of the stage.  The seating was general admission so we didn't
want to doddle.  When we got to the front row of the balcony we noticed
signs reserving a section of seats for the Shaw family.  A woman was there
informing people so we talked to her and she was one of Bernie's cousins.
We took our seats in the second row, right amid 20-30 of Bernie's family
and friends, most of which were Vancouver Islanders like ourselves and
extremely friendly.  After conversing a bit with the cousin, I went and
bought my 2018 North American tour shirt.  It will be a prized item in my
tour shirt collection.  At 8pm the opening band started their set.  They
were a local band called Uncle Sid, a quartet with bass, drums, one guitar
and a female singer.  The sound mix was way off so I couldn't hear a single
word she was shrieking into the microphone.  The guitarist was decent and
the band had good energy but overall not my style, not enough space between
the music.  Glad we brought ear plugs.  Their set ended around 8:30 so it
was only 30 minutes till Heep.  Looking around I noticed the balcony had
really filled up and the floor was packed.  As soon as the clock struck 9
the lights went out and the magic was about to begin.  When Lanzon coolly
strolled on stage and hit those first "Gypsy" notes I was floored.  That
rhythm section of Gilbrook and Rimmer had me mesmerized. It almost seemed
as if Mick floated to the stage, propelled by magic and power.  Absolutely
the perfect way the start your first Heep show! Bernie's appearance was met
with thunderous applause from his family.  His vocals were clear and crisp
and he had the look of a western outlaw.  The setlist was the same as the
other shows so I knew we were in for something special.  "Look at Yourself"
got people grooved up and feeling good, while "Shadows of Grief" left them
speechless.  When it came to "Stealin'", everyone was back to singing along
and going nuts.  I liked the inclusion of "The Law", a newer song that
reminds people they're still putting out great music.  "Sunrise" had
excellent vibes with a big yellow spotlight highlighting Bernie and a
powerful performance.  Before they played "The Magician's Birthday", Bernie
said that he knew for a fact that someone in the audience named Tina had a
birthday today, dedicating the song to her.  Tina was quickly pointed out
by his family.  Seeing the legendary Mick Box with those dark glasses and
big grin playing that song is one thing I will never forget and always be
thankful for.  I loved how during "The Wizard", Bernie put his arm around
Mick and sang it about him, very fitting considering the spell he had just
cast upon the audience.  "One Minute" is one of my favourite songs from
Outsider, especially when they punch it after the soft opening verse.  The
introduction for "Between Two Worlds" was also about trying it out during
the sound check so that's definitely part of the show.  "July Morning" was
done exquisitely and was the perfect lead-up for the crowd pleasing "Lady
in Black".  Heep stuck to the plan and left the stage after LIB with a
standing ovation from the audience and monastic chanting of Heep, Heep,
Heep; encouraging them back for another song.  How could they leave us
without a little "Easy Livin'"?  The mighty Heep then handed out some
souvenirs and shook hands with their beloved fans before parting the stage
with the grace and class of kings.  Having been to many concerts, I can say
without a doubt they are one of the most polished bands I've ever seen,
purely professional.  Although I never got to see any of Heep's previous
great bass players perform live, I feel that Davey and his bong-rattling
bass is a good fit for the band, nicely feeding off Russel's contagious
energy.  I liked his style and his stage presence, especially the LED
lights on the neck of his guitar.  All in all it was a fantastic night of
timeless music performed by one of the world’s greatest live bands.  I
considered trying to sweet talk our way backstage with the family but given
the amount of people and the expense of their trip it wouldn't have been
right to impose.  I'm happy just to have seen them live and am confident
they will be back soon.  The night ended with being woken up by drunks in
the hotel room next door.  Just as I got up to do something about the noise
they started singing "Easy Livin'".  I went back to bed knowing they had to
be good people, regardless of the noise.  ALL HEEP IS GOOD HEEP!

Apologies again for the delay.

Shaun R