Wizard John Lawton Cast His Spell at Jazzy in Postojna! (2008)

“I came straight from London just for this gig,” says John Lawton in his unmistakable English accent, while his old pals in Mary Rose busily tinker with their instruments, fussing over the last little details with obvious impatience, just minutes before the big moment. A special occasion, then, and the air is crackling with the energy of huge expectations. Everything has to be perfect, which is only understandable, especially when you’re recording a one-of-a-kind live document that’s supposed to carry last night’s show at Jazzy in Postojna out into the world in the near future! That’s right: Mary Rose and John Lawton, the great John, who back in the day more than successfully followed David Byron in Uriah Heep, are putting together a record of their live power, most likely in both formats, CD and DVD!

Watching Mary Rose completely switched off from the world and in their element is still that ultimate pleasure, one that has always been worth swallowing the downside of their inflexible program for. And when it comes to John Lawton, that program proverbially revolves around the familiar running order of Uriah Heep classics, suitably adapted to the way the Postojna band understands and expresses them. The hour-plus ride through the memorized repertoire flew by in a flash, confident and without any major surprises. So it’s easy to imagine the excitement that, besides the well-known tunes, the brand-new I’m Alive and especially the vocally dazzling Tush! stirred up! John went at the old ZZ Top classic with particular gusto. At a respectable sixty-three, and despite increasingly noticeable symptoms of “age-itis”, his voice still radiates that signature bluesy edge, which gives songs like Hanging Tree and Reach Out an unbeatable roughness. And when it all simply got to be too much for John, the fantastic Žak jumped in to help. Free’n’ Easy and Easy Livin’ ended up more or less in the hands of the fantastic guy from Rijeka, whose supernatural vocal range took these already energy-charged songs to new heights.

As welcome as Stealin’ and Wizard always are, just like at every previous reunion with John Lawton, it’s Lady In Black and Free Me that remain the essential ingredient of the charm of John’s visits south of the Alps, building, along with the obligatory singalong effect, a bridge of joy and mutual understanding across the thrilled crowd. And of course there’s the mandatory Gypsy, with Davor Kastelec in the starring role. The ease with which the maestro buries himself in the black and white keys is still a feast for the eyes and a balm for the ears. The all-round talent Davor wowed us once again, most of all with a wild solo take on the “gypsy evergreen”, where the themes of Beethoven, Dvořák and, for a change this time, even Rachmaninoff once again ruled. Sadly, this unique chance to see the maestro at work was probably also the last one, at least within the Mary Rose lineup. It’s undoubtedly a major milestone on the band’s musical path, which makes immortalizing Saturday’s show practically a must.

So John Lawton once again pulled off that distinctive flavor of the old rock school, which, with the exception of Mary Rose, we rarely see on our stages. I’d even say he did it in a totally routine fashion. Add to that the quickly contagious intimacy of Jazzy, and on Saturday night we were definitely treated to another touching get-together with one of the few still-active and, best of all, completely down-to-earth icons of rock & roll! A thrilling show, full of lively communication and tightly delivered hard rock! And the pile of humor-filled conversations we swapped with the evening’s main protagonists backstage after the show, in a totally relaxed mood and over a glass of “Johnny’s” favorite whiskey, made the night unforgettable!

 

Setlist:

 

1.Hanging Tree
2.Take You High
3.Stealin’
4.Reach Out
5.Wizard
6.Lady In Black
7.Easy Livin’
8.Free Me
9.Free’n’ easy
10.Gypsy
11.I’m Alive
12.Tush

Words: Daniel Pavlica
Photos: Špela Macuh