Handfuls of hits taken to the limit (The Australian)

Link: The Australian: Handfuls of hits taken to the limit [ 15nov04 ].

The Eagles. Subiaco Oval, Perth, November 11. Melbourne tonight then touring nationally.

"NICE gettin' wet with ya," said Eagle Joe Walsh before his solo hit Life's Been Good. Indeed it has been good for Walsh and his three fellow principals, Glenn Frey, Don Henley and Timothy B.Schmit.

Despite persistent rain and in front of 30,000 fans, the increasingly soggy birds played a full three-hour set that went back as far as their first single Take it Easy and was as fresh as two new songs given their world premiere in Perth, a city the band hadn't played since January 1976.

One of those new songs, Walsh's One Day at a Time, speaks of his quarter-century drinking binge. The frank song didn't stand out among its more illustrious company, but it did suggest that even while the band is in the midst of a "farewell" tour, there is a Plan B in the wings.

New songs schmoo songs, this crowd was here to hear the hits, and the band, which made only six albums of new material in their recording lifetime, did not disappoint. Beginning with The Long Run they played all their hit singles, apart from Witchy Woman, with an impressive attention to detail made possible by the assistance of an eight-man band. As their voices warmed in the chilly air, the singing became stronger both on stage and off.

This band was triggering some important memories and during the ballads, particularly, the show ascended – or descended, depending on your point of view -- into a mass singalong. It can't be denied the band gave value for money, but it was painfully obvious during the middle stretch that there is a gaping distance between their best and worst material.

After a touching unplugged set that began with Tequila Sunrise and concluded with Take It to the Limit, solo songs such as Frey's You Belong to the City, Henley's Sunset Grill and Dirty Laundry, and Walsh's Walk Away and Funk #49 dragged interminably.

It was as though they had gone from serving top-shelf beverages to passing around home brew.

The patient crowd hung in, waiting for the aces, which came in the form of Hotel California, Take It Easy and Desperado, allowing the night to end on a decidedly high note. Sometimes you can have too much of a good thing.

Eagles Take it Easy in the Wet (Western Australian)

Eagles of a different feather played in the wet at Subiaco Oval last night cheered on by 30,000 delirious fans, and there wasn’t a football in sight.

On a rain-soaked evening, the Eagles kicked off the Australian leg of their Farewell 1 tour with more than three hours of the sun-drenched harmonies and classic rock that made them the biggest band of the ’70s.

Kicking — sorry — playing into the wind and rain at the city end of Subiaco Oval on a massive high-tech stage, the venerable firm of Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit made light of the conditions.

 The jovial Frey declared it to be “Canadian beach weather”, while the stoic Henley half-jokingly complained: “Water and electricity; my favourite combination”.

Towelling down their instruments, the four Eagles plus their eight touring musicians, delivered classic after classic after classic — with a couple of new songs making their live debut.

One was the appropriate No More Cloudy Days, after which Henley commented that it was raining on the only outdoor show of their 15-date Australian jaunt.

“I guess the good Lord is crying tears of joy because we finally came back to Perth,” the 57-year-old Texan remarked.

The last time the Eagles played here was at Leederville Oval in January 1976; the same year they unveiled Their Greatest Hits (1971-75) — the highest selling album of all time — and their biggest studio album, Hotel California.

The Eagles can boast a back catalogue almost without peer; from early country rock hits Take It Easy, Peaceful Easy Feeling and Tequila Sunrise to later middle of the road tunes I Can’t Tell You Why and The Long Run. And don’t forget their solo outings; Walsh belted out Walk Away, Glenn Frey got saxy on Miami Vice number You Belong to the City and Henley tried to improve the climate with Boys of Summer.

The Eagles are ultra-professional, utterly edgeless performers and the epitome of platinum-coated classic rock. Subiaco Oval is the biggest-capacity venue of their tour. The band will play to well over 200,000 people during the tour, each paying between $96 and $559 for tickets.

Australian Press Release

Debbie was kind enough to send us a copy of the Australian press release. It's in PDF form, so you'll have to download it to look at it.

Thanks, Debbie!!!

Video Stills

Helen sent us stills from an interview broadcast on Australian TV. She has generously sent us a copy of the tape and once it arrives and we get it converted, we'll post it here. These stills will have to whet your appetite until then. Thanks so much Helen!

Eagles Set to Rock Subi Oval

Thanks Jess!

Perth, Australia

The Eagles will be appearing in Perth on November 12th . Tickets are available from Ticketek. If you will be going to the show or have questions about the show, hit the comments button below and add a message. If you have questions about buying tickets, please see our tour faq.