Originally published by L.S. Media. June 7th 2011.
One of the problems with bringing out a new album at the start of a tour is that no matter how good it might be regarded in years to come, the first chance that audience members get to hear it, is when’s raw and unfiltered. The live bugs have not been eased out of the set and the band can seem cold, aloof and uncaring about the years of support they have received from their fans and although that is most certainly not the case with Journey, in some eyes it can be damaging.
As one of the biggest A.O.R. bands of all time, Journey arrived in Birmingham as part of a package that saw them play in front of a well attended L.G. Arena with Styx and Foreigner. To follow Foreigner in any context is a job that requires deftness of touch, a certain amount of courage and a set list that will not rely much on an album only having been released the Monday before.
It is with great pity for those who attended the gig, which should have been an absolute steal for all three bands on the night to reaffirm their ties to their fan bases, that some sections of the audience were left bemused by the new work being played and even leant heavily to some fans not sure of whether they should stay or go.
Journey opened up their part of the night as headliners with Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) from the1983 album Frontiers, Only the Young and Edge of the Moment. These opening moments showed exactly why Neal Schon, Jonathon Cain and the rest of the band were right to bring lead vocalist Arnel Pineda into the band in the first place.
Arnel Pineda is an exceptional vocalist and front man whose very appearance on stage gets the energy pumping as he high tails it round the stage like a Duracell Bunny on speed, his range is amongst the best and his interaction with the crowd to be congratulated. Playing off the band, Arnel showed he could mix it perfectly between outrageously awesome and sympathetic to the past.
A highlight of the show was listening to drummer Deen Castronovo performing diligently the song Mother, Father. Deen’s voice pitched perfectly between high sentiment and genuine feeling and rough, raw emotion.
The band rounded off the evening with a wonderful nod to the past with the fans favourites Don’t Stop Believing and Anyway You Want It.
3 stars
Ian D. Hall