Ian Hunter Rocks the Fillmore

January 28 2011 The Fillmore 
San Francisco

I couldn't resist the chance to see Ian Hunter play at this classic venue and decided to make the trek from Vancouver to see the show. So we flew in Friday afternoon with just enough time to check-in to our hotel and head over to to the Fillmore. We had a beer or two with some fellow board members in a pub nearby and headed over to the hall.

The show was fantastic. The band was great and Ian rocked like it was 1974. He made what I thought  was an unusual song choice to begin the show with Sea Diver but it is such a great song it turned out perfect  and he remained seated at the keyboard for the first 6 songs.

Sea Diver

Life After Death

Cleveland Rocks

Dancin' on the Moon

Shallow Crystals

Irene Wild

He moved away from the keyboard and picked up an acoustic guitar for a rousing version of  "Arms and Legs", an obvious fan favourite from the latest album "Man Overboard".

Arms and Legs

Flowers

Soul of America

Man Overboard

Wash Us Away

23a Swan Hill

Then Ian gave the crowd a choice of which song he would play next. The choices were "Boy" and "Michael Picasso" and althought there were cheers for both, The touching tribute to best friend Mick Ronson was obviously the crowds choice. 

Michael Picasso

Sweet Jane

I thought "Sweet Jane" was one of the weak spots (if there was one) during the reunion shows and not my favourite MTH song anyway but they finished the first part of the show with an absolute rocking version of the Lou Reed classic.

The band returned to a thunderous applause and slowed down the pace with a few unusual live choices including "Somewhere," a song from "West Side Story"

Letter to Brittania

Ballad of Little Star

Somewhere

They got back to some serious Rock and Roll  where Sweet Jane had  left off with Ian playing his birthday gift Maltese Cross replica guitar, which he explained was a 70th birthday present from Joe Elliott. 

All the Way From Memphis

Walkin' With a Mountain

Rock & Roll Queen

Once Bitten Twice Shy

The band left the stage again but the crowd screamed for more as everyone knew there were a couple of songs that he never leaves out. After a good few minutes of applause the band came back for the last time.

Roll away The Stone
Saturday Gigs
All the Young Dudes

Scott McCaughey from REM joined the band for Dudes looking a lot like the late Jerry Garcia.

After a bit of a lie in Saturday morning I was able to get around to some of the sights of San Francisco. Saw much of the downtown hanging from the side of a cable car.

 Had a bread bowl of awsome clam chowder down at Fisherman's Warf

Standing at the famous corner of Haight and Ashbury, the center of everything duri ng the Summer of Love. Peace!

Oh, and I ate my delicious official Fillmore apple. If you didn't grab a free apple out of the box at the Fillmore you really missed out!

S-Ian Fr-Iancisco

Well it has been over a year since the glory of Mottober and it seems like it was last week. The great news is that Ian Hunter is making a rare appearance on the west coast. Vancouver? Seattle? No, that would be too good to be true. But he is playing three nights in California and I have tickets to the Friday night show in San Francisco on January 28 2011. So what better place to post my trip blog than right here.

Stay Tuned!

After Lights

Well, Mottober has come and gone. I can't believe it was eight months ago when this whole thing began. It seems like a just a few weeks ago. It was definitely THE best concert experience of my life. This reunion was 35 years in the making and I know a big worry for many, myself included, was that it couldn't possibly live up to our great expectations. I was worried that the concerts would be five old men who used to be Mott The Hoople.

People have asked me why I would travel across the ocean to see a band that few have even heard of here in Canada. Why would I do it for any band for that matter? People thought I was crazy. I can tell you that there is no other band I would travel 8 time zones to see. Of all the great bands of the 70's, why Mott? I don't know the answer to that. I guess it is just magic. When those five guys get together to make music, magic happens for a just a few of us on this planet that I am sure none of us could explain. But we can feel it!

And magic happened on that stage at the Hammersmith Odeon for five nights in Mottober. It was not five men who used to be Mott the Hoople. It was not Ian Hunter with a back up band. It was Mott The Hoople. And it was great!

Tuesday Mottober 6th

Unfortunately when Mott The Hoople took to the stage for the fifth and last time, Mark and I were likely somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean. Our flight was arranged prior to the announcement of the last two shows and we were flying home Tuesday. Mott The Hoople went on without us. I would have loved to have seen
Joe Elliott's Down N Outz. I hear they were great. If anyone reading this was there, please comment on what was great or different about this fifth and last show.

Mott the Hoople Reunion Concert No. 4

The Monday night show would be the last one for us. We had booked our flights before the 4th and 5th shows were announced and were flying home on Tuesday. Mott would have to go on without us. It felt strange to think there would be a show without us there. Since the set list is the same for all nights there is less and less to say about the show each time. I can say that they were just getting better and better and the last show for us would have us in our best seats right at the front. So this was the BIG show for us. I got some pretty good shots so I will match up the the pictures song for song.

Hymn For The Dudes

Rock & Roll Queen

Sweet Jane

One of the Boys

Sucker

The Moon Upstairs

Original Mixed Up kid

James Mastro from Ian Hunter's Rant Band helps Ian on with his acoustic guitar for the set of slow songs.

I Wish I was Your Mother 

Ready For Love

Born late '58

Ballad of Mott

Sweet Angeline 

Walkin With a Mountain

The Journey

Golden Age of Rock and Roll 

Honaloochie Boogie

All The Way From Memphis 

Roll Away the Stone

Ian and daughter Traci Hunter who does the female bit in Roll Away the Stone.

All the Young Dudes

Joe Elliott from Def leopard joins Mott to sing a verse of "Dudes" for the third time in four nights.

Anyone know who this guy is?

Keep a Knockin

Saturday Gigs

As Ian was singing "did you see the suits and the platform boots", Joe Elliott came out on stage parading around holding up a bright blue platform boot.

Ian directs the crowd in a chorus of "goodbye, goodbye" as the band leaves the stage.