Jethro Tull, Sibiu, Romania, 30 VIII 2007

a memorable sweet dream

Or

Jethro Tull
 August 30 2007

Sibiu, Big Square

Romania

The big day of August 30th, being merely a Thursday like any other, was a special day for all Romanian fans of Jethro Tull (mainly said, since the even could count also as a special day for all/any fans of rock or all the people who adventured into coming to see this, furthering becoming a really decent mention of Romania nailing another great event), since the band (which summed up all the thorough values of blues, rock, prog, concept music, folk and quasi-folk, new 80s rock, hard rock, heavy metal?!?, new-age and finally general rock, purely out of style, within full decades) landed in Sibiu/Hermannstadt (acquainted as European Capital & Center in 2007, together with Luxembourg) and performed an exciting, natural and inspiriting show. The credit belongs to ARTmania, which managed to book the concert, and it is even a high credit to consider, since the show was free for the people and, thus, cracked open the Big Square of Sibiu for practically hundreds of fans to see it. ARTmania themselves mentioned that their wish was to make a great event of music for the music lovers and the big spirit of a music festival - signs of special belief in this Jethro Tull concert having existed, not just presumptively.

Of course, now, that Jethro Tull benefited from a contract in order  to show up and, given an entire European Tour they embarked into, Sibiu (and Romania) was neither an uncommon nor an inconvenient tour-point for them to play in. The special feelings of "Jethro Tull in Romania" were within the great performance, coming from them, and the fine chance and choice of getting to listen to such vibrations and pulses, coming from us all. An interesting idea comes upon realizing that this tour may be pre-arranging the release of a new JT album, something the band announced on stage and even played two (or were there actually three?) pieces from it. Not so essential details turn out happy anyway, anyhow.

Symbolic notes aren't necessarily of the greatest relevance in this concert's entire impression, but there's not a better way by letting them slip away. Jethro Tull celebrates (or almost does/did already) 40 years of rock, music and art (everybody knowing the quality and the pretentiousness of that) and it still stands marvelously healthy and well-imposing; Ian Anderson himself shares his 60th Anniversary, him too being in the best shape you could think of (and it definitely has to be the fabulous spirit of music and the one of a great and "weird" man never ever getting tired inside him).

Under the same chapter, only looping towards us listeners, this is the second time Jethro plays and bangs in Romania, their first concert, held in Bucharest (1995 or 1996, was it now?), having been, from what I heard, one of the greatest smashes of a rock concert our country was bewildered by, thanks to the post-revolutionary slow openings towards such great names and legendary hopes. Going even more dramatically (should I not?), all the great fans must have shared the immensity of such a concert being what they dreamed of (and I certainly think of my parents, living and smoking this music 30 years before me). Up in the 70s and the 80s, the legendary rock was listened, but such tales went as underground passion, just like the greatest of Romanian rock (and, more spotted, folk) music went by the same underground precisions - it is in fact so many times appreciated that, if a band like Pheonix wouldn't have fled the country out of desperation, and if bands like Sphinx and such huge talents would have had the freedom of music, they would have achieved a music better than Jethro and the Rock Gods themselves. There was no such tensions in Jethro Tull playing in Sibiu, but it's really nice to consider all this, straightforwardly.

Time to actually wrap around the concert. The Big Square wasn't flooded by audience, still it became full at the right time, minutes before the show was to begin. If at on point you could have thought that only connoisseurs and delighted good (old) rock fans would come and face the band, it was nevertheless more than that, in the end - even within the fans there was no strictness, watching many youngsters and a lot of obvious rock general fans coming to realize the essentialness of this act. Minutes after the concert started, a heavy rain poured on all of us, nevertheless very,very,very few were the ones to quit on the Jethro Tull dream (me myself, having endured being totally soaked). Equal to all this feeling, Jethro did constantly good up to wild impressions.

Out of all the Acoustic, Orchestral or General Jethro Tours the band (and most especially Ian) had in mind for this year, Ian chosed to invite friends under the belt of a concert band, without any waste in doing that. While it is misfortunate that Martin Barre, despite still heading on with Ian in Jethro's various practice, decided not to tour this time, this Quintet (not sure if to call it New or Alternative, Fresh or Distinct), did no lofty performance whatsoever, whether you know what the traditional spice in Jethro Tull is based on or whether you get the hang of the real-time huffs. All in all, even if radical fans had, most naturally, the dream of the original band (or, at most, to the classic line of inspiration) or even if one was acquainted enough with Jethro's new decade activity (let's say, Living In The Past DVD-like , or knowing Ian's most recent ideas of music formations) as to draw comparisons, the band of this occasion was still very inspired and hinted within the roots of the everlasting "passion play".

One by one: Ian Anderson is indeed the last man to ever quit on the empirical Jethro reference, even with Barre and other old spark musicians being essential and over-worthy. The man, as a concert artist, was both independent (not to read: strayed) both respectful to the band's strong comfort, his music personality going even deeper  than it (always) seems. By the opened-up character the entire show had, Ian was a really generous musician, but most importantly he played with a health of a rock ox, having also a relaxed and natural rhythm. Finally he came with some masterful ingredient: a full joy and vigor (his humor never missed, as well), some of the weird and dastard expressions and stage moves all fans love and know, a wild charisma and a gentle passionate stroke. And the Flute!!

Four artists to go, and David Goodier did actually the role of a shadow artist, on bass, without meaning an imprecise play. The other three simply proved some unexpected portraits. John O'Hara played a lot of keys and accordion, the latter being a more perfect instrument in his hand; the keys were spotless themselves, but also preferred some new-age intros and other scratches of melody and fascinating rhythm. James Duncan was a good young drummer, with a nice British enthusiasm in reaching out to the audience; the biggest strokes of his percussion were also the ones with a deep and over sounding beat, on all levels. But the bigger artist who could, just as well, be a metalist or a rock jammer was Florian Opahle, a novelty guitarist from what I understand, who was "allowed" some wild and independent moves, through the entire level of the interpretation, a lot of rush 'n' roll, mostly modernly ticking, running through his bossy talented veins.

The concert lasted two hours, without any nervous signs of time mattering anyhow. The band itself played with a lot of energy (one that other artists usually use it to score their end of a performance) only to pick up the pace and go into another piece - same goes with the flick of getting tired, it simply never happened! True, the first quarter of the show was chilly, with short and nice pieces, only to get more ecstatic by every new fretless mood. Jethro didn't play as masters of virtuosity, but they sure did act as great, charismatic, flavor-exploring and art-kicking rock mood-manic magicians, the way you can take it as flawless, once you really enjoy it all.

The repertoire was greatly depicted within the classic stubborn gems and exponential compositions, some exceptions doing their own creative lead. Anyway, if music from Roots To Branches or Dot Com was actually expected, it didn't come even close to such a reflection. The classic juice actually thickened only up to 1972, with just the sugar-rum Jack In The Green, from 1997, being also played. The blues period, after it run its period dry, never ever shared a phenomenal reach within concerts, so this one choose no differently: Someday The Sun Won't Shine For You as an intro, with Ian playing solo, My Sunday Feelng, very tonic, Nothing Is Easy, the charcoal-blended Sweet Dream - best to mention. Right at the beginning, Thick as a Brick was played, under an excerpt-mingle of seven or so quick minutes that Ian & co. settled on performing ever since - it was nevertheless a fantastic feeling and musical moment, the crowd adapting to such a beloved musical rock tune. The audience loved even more the pieces from Aqualung, My God cheering up the most. Aqualung was actually stirred in a new version called (humorously or not) Staircase to Aqualung, a radically different rock composition only with short moments of the well-known riff, plus with some of the incisive lickerish vocals. Mother Goose , acoustically-scorched, was not left out. Three pieces, as classic music adaptations (Ian calling them "porno jazz"!), came along very nice: the famous Bouree, sounding lovely, a "medley-ed" Moz'art, more for the fans of the new Jethro sound, plus America, after a Bernstein piece, refreshing but mildly cut by catchy tunes. Lastly, Jethro played at least two new pieces that will be on the new album: the style fits "new rock", but the lines of flute melody and rhythm spice did swell. At the very end, the closing pieces was the epic Budapest, which was sensational under an intensity of unimaginable strength, once the band started improvising a lot and also beamed on with heavy explosions - it was amazing and breathless. The encore, Locomotive Breath, did the same mix of phenomenal passion and blistering pleasure,  at a point when the audience was already delirious. What a crafter, therefore, perfectly imagined concert!!

As I hate to tell, after all this, about flawed details, I'll just resume that there were very few moments when the band mixed the wrong attitude (or slipped on thin ice) and even fewer were the moments when some cliques and sound-wave ticks, even though they were present and loud, went on discouraging and hitting soft and undesired emotions. The concert was simply too professional and passionate, on one hand, and attractive, on the other hand, to share mixed or relaxedly played feelings.

Jethro Tull in Sibiu, Romania - a blast!

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Here are some pics, sorry for all those that show an obscure zoom, I was simply a bit too far from the stage to get clear shots, all the time: