For those that were there in the 80’s and 90’s we all know that the Rock music we had back then was the best in the world, but sometimes it takes a show by a band like Winger to remind you just how ‘next level’ it really was. Winger closed their Farewell Tour of Australia in Perth tonight in a room full of love and a crowd that will take home some incredible memories of one of the very best bands of the era. There is no doubt in my mind that this will be the very finest show I will see all year.
I first saw Winger way back in 1991 on the ‘In the Heart of the Young’ tour and still have the tickets stub to conjure up those distant memories. Over the years I’ve been lucky enough to have seen them on various tours from their only other visit to Australia with Ratt on the ‘Winger IV Tour’ back in 2007, to ‘Firefest III’ back in 2006 and a great show in Vegas in 2015. If I’m honest though tonight was the crowning glory.
I was lucky enough to catch Reb and Kip before the show and against my better judgement, prompted by a couple of fans, I asked Kip if we’d be hearing ‘Tears of Blood’ from the latest record ‘Seven’. “Mark, no human being could pull that off live” was his answer. Tonight’s show fittingly ended in the golden west, with Perth also lucky enough to see Kip Winger’s last Australian solo date before covid struck a few years back. Based on that wonderful show, many in the crowd could not believe that after an absence of 18 years Winger was back, but this time with Paul Taylor who missed that 2007 trip.
It’s rare to find a band 38 years on that sports all of its original members, and I honestly don’t think, pound for pound, you’ll ever see such musical talent on one stage at the same time. When you look at the caliber of guitarists Reb Beech, Paul Taylor and John Roth you’ll find three players at the very top of the tree and when you contemplate their backing vocals, and what the add to the songs! Man! When you add to that the wonderful Rod Morgenstein, you have one of the very best drummers in the business. And what can you say about the bass and vocals of Kip Winger? The man just gets better with age.
So on with the show…
Support tonight, like all dates on the tour, came from our good friends Shotgun Mistress and it would be hard to find a better pairing for Winger Downunder. Tonight marks my 5th Shotgun Mistress show and I can honestly say they get better each time, and tonight both frontman Glenn Patrick and drummer David ‘Diamond’ Lee tell me before the show that they’ll be letting their hair down tonight as it’s the end of the tour. Now I don’t know if that was why they sounded and performed out of their skins, but they did. Last time I saw them was last year supporting that fine new breed of Rock and Rollers ‘Dirty Honey’ and so it’s great tonight to see them up sharing the stage with these legends.
As setlists go Shotgun Mistress have now got it nailed down from start to finish with not a single track that doesn’t hit the spot, and based on the set not only have they made a heap of new fans but they also shifted some great quantities of merch, showing what an impact they made. Bassist Ben Currow is in fine form tonight, throwing shapes and driving the momentum, whilst what can you say about Matt Wilcock? What an incredible guitarist. Shotgun Mistress well and truly warmed up the crowd for the main act and to see the front row singing along with songs like ‘Jude Judas’ and the incendiary closer ‘Beed Me Out’ is no mean feat for first visit West!
With two great albums under their belts that really sizzle, they’re on fire when the lights come on – Shotgun Mistress is unmissable live!
Perth was honored to see Winger’s final set on Australian soil tonight. The roars as the lights went down and the band took to the stage were deafening. Launching into the heavy riff of ‘Stick the Knife in and Twist’ from latest album ‘Seven’ you can hear how the band has evolved since their debut, it’s a song that’s tight as, carries a great groove and yet when paired with mega-hit ‘Seventeen’ that comes next it still is unmistakably ‘Winger’.
Most bands if they opened up with their bigger songs would flounder. So it’s remarkable that after the fun and fireworks of ‘Seventeen’ Winger can roll into the upbeat ‘Can’t Get Enough’, the tight and heavy ‘Down Incognito,’ the sing along favourite ‘Miles Away’ and the always amazing ‘Rainbow in the Rose’ cut with a searing solo spot with the incredible John Roth and still have another 13 gems for us to close the tour. But when you look at the Winger back catalogue its one of incredible consistency and one that sees their post-reformation work as good as, if not better than, the songs that made them huge back in the day.
What makes tonight so incredible is that perfect storm – Winger is a band that has the songs, has the musicianship but also has somehow defied the passage of time, and man those backing vocals (there’s no ‘tracks’ here tonight) are just incredible. So after singing us into submission to open the show its great to both get some wonderful chat from Kip and also some seriously entertaining ‘solo spots’ from every band member. Over the years as a Hard Rock concert goer solo spots have been the bane of my concert going life, but tonight each spot turns a life time of concert going on its head – each is unmissable!
Melodic Rock doesn’t get any better than this and you find yourself hanging on every note. One of my highlights is the mesmerizing spotlight on Reb Beech, who has always been one of my favourite guitarists whether it be with Winger, Whitesnake, Black Swan or any of his other projects. The fact that the solo blazes into his own song ‘Black Magic’ works perfectly, and I’m sure that the huge number of musicians, and specifically guitarists I see in the audience are hanging on every note, knowing they’ll be scratching their heads and upping their practice when they get in.
‘Pull Me Under’ from Karma sounds bigger and better than ever, and the far lass played ‘Time to Surrender’ reminds you of how great that debut album really was. Rod’s drum solo, that follows is a thing of wonder and comes as the living breathing moment of realization that drums solos can be more than just interludes, though it has no right to be this entertaining!
My ‘Better Days Coming’ highlight ‘Midnight Driver of a Love Machine’ is huge tongue in cheek fun and ‘Proud Desperado’ from ‘Seven’ underlines the reality that Winger’s later work is just as essential as the early records. And if you thought that all the big guns had been shot at the start then the set proper closes with some of the most memorable Hard Rock songs of the era. ‘The timeless ‘Headed for a Heartbreak’ and ‘Easy Come Easy Go’ make way for the sublime ‘Madalaine’ which itself seamlessly flows into the set closer and one of the highlights of the show, that sees John Roth lead the way into ‘Saints Solos’ that sees John, Reb and Paul tear it up to end the set on an incendiary note.
It’s not over of course, and as it’s the last night we are treated to just a little bit more as the band bid Australia farewell with the perfect encore of ‘No Man’s Land’ and ‘Blind Revolution Mad’ from ‘Pull’ and of course the show stopping ‘Hungry’. It’s been one of the very best shows I’ve ever seen.
Covering almost all the bases (there is nothing from ‘IV’ in the set) Winger proved tonight not just why they were the musician’s band of the late 80’s but also why the fans of that era of Hard Rock will never forget them. Winger may not have made it as big as some of their contemporaries but I personally would pitch their catalogue up against any of those rivals. As songwriting partnerships go, for me at least, Winger and Beech is my Lennon and McCartney…
Reb told me before the show that offers are coming in for after Winger plays their final shows later this year – next stop on the Farewell Tour is the Frontiers Rock Festival in Italy on April 26th then Penn’s Peak and M3. Let’s hope that’s not the final time we see these legends. I for one am excited to see what the future holds for each and every one of them, but most of all who wouldn’t want to see the ‘Reb Beach Band’ live?…
PHOTO GALLERIES UP ON MONDAY
PERTH SETLIST
Let me know if I missed anything I was having way too much fun!
Stick the Knife In and Twist
Seventeen
Can’t Get Enuff
Down Incognito
Guitar Solo (John Roth)
Miles Away
Rainbow in the Rose
Guitar Solo (Reb Beach)
Black Magic (Reb Beach song)
Pull Me Under
Time to Surrender
Drum Solo
Midnight Driver of a Love Machine
Proud Desperado
Headed for a Heartbreak
Easy Come Easy Go
Madalaine
Saints Solos
Encore:
No Man’s Land
Blind Revolution Mad
Hungry
With thanks to Silverback Touring & John Howarth for the media access.
