Artist: Gotthard
Label: Nuclear Blast
Release: 2006
Rating: 4.5/5
After eight studio albums and one acoustic live CD, the top dogs of Swiss “hard rock”, Gotthard, have finally managed to release their first real live album, recorded on the last day of their “Lipservice” tour, on 8.12.2005 at the huge Hallenstadion in Zürich, on home turf in Switzerland, of course. Their latest album “Lipservice”, which they were promoting on that tour, has (incidentally) gone almost double platinum by now. The consistency and professional approach the band pulls off so convincingly these days meant that a number of shows on the “Lipservice” tour in Germany, France, Spain and, of course, Switzerland were completely sold out, which proves once again that Gotthard are a highly respected band across Europe. Sadly, Slovenia, despite the support it showed Gotthard on their visit to Ljubljana last November, apparently doesn’t count as part of Europe.
This live recording is excellent, and Gotthard have packed it with the most impressive stuff from their studio records! Right away (even without watching the DVD) you can pick up on the “arena euphoria” of the loyal home crowd and the band’s true “outdoor” live sound. On stage Gotthard are relentless, flawless and a solid fortress of raw-edged “hard rock”, really a celebration of the classic “hard rock” approach, into which they work, with real class, elements of R & B (the swaggering renditions of Sister Moon or Mountain Mama, with Leoni’s witty wah-wah flourish) and rock’n’roll (the openers All We Are and Dream On). So genre-wise Gotthard are a kind of living relic, though they certainly don’t shy away from the tricks of the “hair-and-makeup bands” of the late eighties and early nineties (I Wonder, Anytime Anywhere). The brilliant performances, with Mountain Mama, Said And Done, Top Of The World and Lift U Up setting the place on fire in particular, and the excellent ballads Let It Be, In The Name and Heaven mixed in through the set list, win over the listener in an instant. They’re proof that in 15 years of existence Gotthard have truly grown into a huge stage attraction, one that absolutely thrills with its own unmistakable take on “hard rock”, whether the stage is in a small club or a big stadium. Gotthard always come at it with everything they’ve got.
As I said, the band sounds perfectly tight, they’re explosive on stage and throw out real “big rocker” balls the whole way through! The solos are white-hot and full of feeling, the rhythm section is rock solid, and the songs are wrapped in the warmth of the Hammond sound, which adds to the euphoria of the live atmosphere! The sound is definitely lively and full, with all the instruments properly balanced. Lee sings without a single slip, gives it everything, and never runs out of breath in any register, not even the especially dizzying ones. Lee’s bombast and passion definitely recall Steven Tyler (Aerosmith), who is one of Lee’s idols.
Anyone who caught Gotthard in Ljubljana last November will find Lee’s approach very familiar. During Hush (orig. Little Richard) he gets the crowd singing along, but the response is far livelier than the one in Ljubljana. The second half of the set list is slightly different from the Ljubljana one, and Gotthard also close the show with real intensity, with the Led Zeppelin classic Immigrant Song, which they skipped in Ljubljana.
Why a DVD and (just) one CD in the package? The audio recording of this concert has been trimmed down, sadly, to a single CD, with some songs left off. Why? It’s just proof that live CDs are slowly on their way out and the DVD is taking over. The DVD therefore contains the complete Gotthard show “from A to Z”. Obviously the folks at Nuclear Blast figured this would sell the Gotthard “live” CD/DVD with the biggest impact. The DVD definitely shows off the band’s outstanding stage show, authenticity and spontaneity. Gotthard truly enjoy themselves up there, and so they take the listener straight into their world of “hard rock” magic, which they conjure up in a supremely convincing way. And if you don’t pick that up from the audio alone, watching the DVD will convince you 100% that you don’t mess with Gotthard. The band is probably at its creative peak, and this “live” CD/DVD has definitely come out at the perfect time for them. A must for every fan, and also interesting as a kind of souvenir for the few who didn’t miss Gotthard in Ljubljana, and for everyone looking for the authentic face of genuine “hard rock” stage neighing!
Lineup
Steve Lee – vocals
Leo Leoni – guitar
Freddy Scherer – guitar
Nicolo Fragile – keyboards
Marc Lynn – bass guitar
Hena Habegger – drums
Track list
CD:
1. All We Are
2. Dream On
3. Hush
4. Mountain Mama
5. Let It Be
6. Top Of The World
7. I Wonder
8. Said And Done
9. One Life, One Soul
10. Nothing Left At All
11. Sister Moon
12. Mighty Quinn
13. In The Name
14. Heaven
15. Lift U Up
16. Anytime, Anywhere
17. Immigrant Song
Album length: 78:02
DVD:
1. All we are
2. Dream On
3. Hush
4. Mountain Mama
5. Let It Be
6. Top Of The World
7. I Wonder
8. Said And Done
9. One Life One Soul
10. Nothing Left At All
11. Sister Moon
12. The Other Side Of Me
13. Firedance
14. Battle Of Titans
15. Homerun
16. Mighty Quinn
17. In The Name
18. Heaven
19. Lift U UP
20. Anytime, Anywhere
21. Immigrant Song
DVD Bonus:
– Making Of Hallenstadion Show
– Making Of Video “Anytime, Anywhere”
– Photogallery
– Videos :Anytime,Anywhere, Lift U UP & Dream On
DVD length: 112:00
