Watched by the likes of Neil Murray,
formerly of Whitesnake, and
Queen’s Brian May, the US quintet
bounded onto the stage at 8.35 to
the tune of Jerusalem, the permashaded
Neal Schon cranking out
the first of many fine guitar solos.
New boy Jeff Scott Soto then took
centre stage, adding hard-rocking
vim to proceedings. Deen Castronovo
drove things from the back, while
Ross Valory’s pounding bass and
Jonathan Cain’s fluid keys and
rhythm guitar were as impressive as
the five-part harmonies the band
launched into on the likes of the
raging Keep On Runnin’ and
Remember Me. The 25-song set,
spanning 130 minutes, had
umpteen high spots, from the
clapalong, strobed Wheel In The Sky
and Castronovo-sung Who’s Crying
Now?, to the proggy debut album cut
Mystery Mountain, and a storming
Chain Reaction. Most Journey
periods were plundered and, with
standards such as the dazzling
Lights, emphatic Mother Father,
singalong La Do Da, and bluesyintro’d
Lovin’ Touchin’ Squeezin’, the
pace was unrelenting.
An arms-aloft Faithfully led into a
chorale of Don’t Stop Believing from
the multi-aged crowd, before a
kicking Anyway Way You Want It and
the killer, Union Jack-toting encore of
Separate Ways.
