still in E. Europe, Aug. 5...
think he'll just leave it there??

He must write something about his own tour?! I don't mean it musicwise only but he has a message to deliver. I did an interview for the local newspaper (among others deutsche presse agentur and a radio station also present) at his tour start the day before the final O2-concert. Before the show he talked on a conference of forest owners and was well-received by them.

Though reading about the shows themselves is interesting, no "closure" is really needed. It's a rock n roll show, either it will happen again or it wont.

Chuck returned to America yesterday. I had the opportunity to talk to Chuck Leavell after his last "Green Leaves and Blue Notes tour" show in Frankfurt on Friday. I asked him about the blog: The blog will be continued - including the Stones and his solo tour "soon". He only needs to chose the right pictures and then will it be posted.

thanks JJHMick for the info. I will look forward to reading Chuck's ramblings.

If it continues I hope he adopts a bit more positive style. I really got tired of hearing how hates playing with the Stones and what a grind it is. While he wishes he was the star, he should be thankful for the role he does have.

He'll take all the credit for the setlists when it suits him, and then complains that it really isn't his call the rest of the time. He really has become a social climbing little whiner.

I disagree, Steven. I didn't read all his blogs but I regard any negative comments you mention as the musician's and not the person's point of view.
I have seen him twice (first show in Laubach und the final in Frankfurt) during his tour and had on both occasions the opportunity to interview him (in Laubach pre show after his speech at the congregation of the Forest Owners and as a guest of the after show in Frankfurt).
Probably, as questions/answers in Laubach were quoted by the dpa journalist(Germany's leading news agency) and the review of the show and the interview were given to him and/or the tour organizers, the Forest Owners, I had made a certain "impact" to get closer to him.
He never showed any star allures, he seemed to feel very relaxed as if among friends (at least two of the leaders of the Forest Owners organisation seem to be). He had played with professionals of the Big Band of a radio station in Laubach as well as with an (though ambitoned) amateur cover band in Frankfurt.
He never showed that "American friendliness/cheerfulness" that is rather "exaggerated" to a European.
To be complete, here are the Rolling Stones relevant facts (or at least, what I think I can say): He flew back to America on Saturday. Wait "half a year" what will happen with the Rolling Stones because everybody is more happy to be back with their families. Chuck will be producing Montgomery Gentry in nashville before Christmas and has some US dates for speaches regarding his environmental issues.

Chuck has always been nothing but gracious. I don't see how anyone would think he "hates playing with the Stones." That is ridiculous.

for the folks who were pining for closure,
Chuck's now got the St Petersburg part of his tour diary up: [www.chuckleavell.com]
i reckon more will follow shortly ...
update: sure enough! Scandinavia's up now too



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2007-10-07 20:16 by with sssoul.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2007-10-07 20:10 by stilllife87.

why would there be?

Remind me never to eat too much caviar... Chuck on Helsinki:


The gig [Helsinki]turned out to be one of the strangest of the tour. It was a sold out stadium…huge crowd of probably more than 50,000. But they were very quiet throughout the gig. They wouldn’t sing along on Sweet Virginia (…or at lest very few did) and in general were just flat. It didn’t help that Keith was not at his best…I think he must not have had much sleep and was perhaps dehydrated from eating all the salty caviar in Russia. It was obvious to all that he was having some trouble, and we were concerned about him. But Mick and Ronnie did well and while it certainly wasn’t one of our best sets, we got through it ok. In any case we were all relieved to get through that one. By the next show Keith was fine, and we were all relieved.

/



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2007-10-07 20:19 by melillo.

Keith - "dehydrated from eating all the salty caviar"???????????

I mean....come on.......!

a creative euphemism deserves admiration :E

Perhaps you'll disagree but I kinda think that Chuck didn't have to single Keith out in this way. He hasn't done much of this sort of thing before about individual members of The Rolling Stones, has he?

After reeling off all the glories of St. Petersberg etc, where he would not be without Mick, Charlie, Keith, Ronnie, it seems tacky. Has Chuck ever admitted he himself was "off" at any show?

It was kind to use a creative excuse.

Those who were at the concert were rather more critical of Keith
[www.iorr.org]

Looking at the photos here, as Chick mentions, the audience wasn't exactly going wild!

>> I kinda think that Chuck didn't have to single Keith out in this way. <<

true, he didn't have to, but maybe the major brouhaha the media made of it made him feel he should say something.
i think it's not the first time he's said someone was not having a great night.
the phrase "dehydrated from eating too much caviar" charms me anyway,
and it'll come in handy next time i need a creative excuse.

>> Has Chuck ever admitted he himself was "off" at any show? <<

good question.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2007-10-08 00:18 by with sssoul.

"dehydrated from eating too much caviar"
OMG that's a good one!! I think I'll use it next weekend...

yeah well you know what, that stadium had 50k in it because of the stones not chuck, so chuck can put his blog where ever he wants to

Chuck rarely if ever says something about someone being off.
This time he almost had to, I think, because of the falling over
and all. The rest of the band was worried, I think.

i just re-read topi's review of the helsinki show. pretty brutal. i didn't see that in any of the 8 shows in europe this summer. guess i was lucky. i did see a short dazed-looking walk in budva and he rarely got the intro to BS right in july but other than that - no falls or worried looks. i'd kind of like to see that, actually. got any video links?

Topi here. During She´s So Cold Chuck clearly saw Keith down, because it happened right in front of Charlie´s drum set, not far from where Chuck was/is. In fact, I saw Chuck leaning over his keyboards and looking at Keith, obviously to see how Keith was doing and what had happened.

BTW, in that Swedish TV4 interview, Mick himself admitted - indirectly - that the Helsinki show was bad. He went on about the Swedish reporters critique of Keith in Gothenburg which was, according to Mick, some misunderstanding as the reporters "really were talking about the show in Finland". Mick then added that the Gothenburg show was indeed a good show. Now, Mick himself did not give is own opinion on the Finland show. ;-)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2007-11-04 13:50 by Topi.