Review of Cologne show

[johnfoyle]

A friend - who wishes not to be named - sent me
this comment -




Hi John,

so good to hear from you as always!

Just a quick note to give you a short impression on
last night's show in Cologne.I'm not sorry to say that
it was a very average (mostly a very uninspiring and
bad show).EC performed "God's Comic" (incl. the same
old story) and "Watching the Detectives". I don't want
to hear these songs over and over again when I go to a

Costello show. It's so boring! Nothing but poses and
overacted gestures. This isn't enough for an artist
like Mr. MacManus. I paid € 39 for a seat in the 2nd
row.

The best song to me was a vocal duet w./Steve on "This
is Hell".

Anyway, I don't like any of the new songs from North.
I'm very disappointed and I won't go to the Berlin
show tomorrow night although I already bought a very
expensive ticket some weeks ago.

I left the show last night shortly before the 2nd
encore (starting with "Almost Blue") to get the last
train home. I'm still very tired and I think it
isn't worth to attend a Costello show nowadays (maybe
he do better shows in other countries).To be honest, I
think he's growing old....

[pip_52]

A vocal duet with Steve?

Wow, that had to be interesting. I'd pay 39 euros to see that . . .

[johnfoyle]

Since This Is Hell is such a new addition to Elvis `n Steve`s set it might be no harm to consider again the lyric - maybe Elvis is feeling particularly `close` to it`s subject matter lately .....

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Chorus:
This is hell, this is hell
I am sorry to tell you
It never gets better or worse
But you'll get used to it after a spell
For heaven is hell in reverse

The bruiser spun a hula-hoop
While all the barmen preen and pout
The neon 'i' in nightclub flickers on and off
And finally blew out
The irritating jingle
Of the belly-dancing phoney Turkish girls
The eerie glare of ultra-violet
Perfect dental work

-chorus-

The failed Don Juan in the big bow-tie
Is very sorry that he spoke
For he's mislaid his punchline
More than half-way through a very tasteless joke
The fraulein caught him peeking down her gown
He's yelling in her ear
And all at once the music stopped
As he was intimately bellowing "My dear"

-chorus-

The shirt you wore with courage
And violent nylon suit
Reappear upon your back
And undermine the polished line you try to shoot
It's not the torment of the flames
That finally sees your flesh corrupted
It's the small humiliations that your memory piles up

This is hell, this is hell, this is hell.

My favourite things are playing
Again and again
But it's by Julie Andrews
And not by John Coltrane
Endless balmy breezes in perfect sunsets framed
Vintage wine for breakfast
And naked starlets floating in champagne
All the passions of your youth
Are tranquilized and tamed
You may think it looks familiar
Though you may know it by another name

-chorus-

This is hell, this is hell.

[girl out of time]

brilliant lyrics! i love this song....

[Gillibeanz]

Not worth going to an Elvis concert? IS THIS PERSON INSANE???

[miss buenos aires]

39 euros? Orchestra seats in New York were $75. I wouldn't complain about the price if I were your friend, johnfoyle.

[martinfoyle]

http://www.elviscostello.info/concert/0 ... logne.html

-Elvis Costello & Steve Nieve live in Cologne, Theater am Tanzbrunnen, 23-10-2003
Elvis and Steve were „in the mood again“ - and in a very good mood. For myself it was the fourth time I saw the guys live in Cologne, last time just a year ago in the E-Werk. But then it was a rock concert, this time, of course, a different thing, comparable to the Lonely World Tour gigs.

Elvis started off with unexpected numbers like „Uncomplicated“, „Suit Of Lights“, „Telescope“ and (!) „Stranger In The House“. After six numbers he introduced the main purpose of the concert: to perform the quiet numbers of his recent album NORTH. So Elvis put away his guitar and let his voice fill the theatre, sometimes without a microphone, just accompanied by the wonderful piano playing of Steve. It was a very intimate location, a theatre with a capacity of 800 chairs, filled with 400 to 500 fans, mostly true Elvis-followers, I guess.

After a few songs of NORTH, it was time to take the acoustic guitar (two times the electric guitar on „Toledo“ and „Watching the Detectives“) again, to keep changes in the mood. So he played almost the complete NORTH tracks (with the exception of „When Green Eyes Turn Blue“) and besides that a selection of songs out of all periods; expected ones like „God’s Comic“ (one of the highlights) or „This House Is Empty Now“ (in total he played 4 songs from the PFM-album!), but also surprising ones like „Home Truth“, „Inch by Inch“ or „This Is Hell“.

The concert ended - as in several concerts of this tour before - with Elvis on the piano with „Let Me Tell You About Her“ and „I’m In The Mood Again“, finishing of with „I Still Have That Other Girl“ and „Couldn’t Call It Unexpected“ sung without a microphone. A brilliant ending of a wonderful concert with two inspiring musicians and the singing voice of Elvis that seems too become better and better. It seems he can sing everything!

15 minutes after the show another highlight: Elvis came back to sign autographs in the foyer of the theatre: About a 100 fans took the opportunity to get a personalized autograph of Elvis Costello, including myself. A wonderful evening with a great, great artist!

[PlaythingOrPet]

The shirt you wore with courage
And violent nylon suit
Reappear upon your back

Maybe Steve has fallen back into his old ways and Elvis is sending out hints.

[verbal gymnastics]

The shirt you wore with courage
And violent nylon suit
Reappear upon your back

Maybe Steve has fallen back into his old ways and Elvis is sending out hints.