Thursday night's show was a corporate show for The Traffic Club of Montreal,
with a rare appearance by the band. Although I have been a fan for many
years and have seen the solo show time and time again, I had never seen
Larry play with the band. Knowing this, Larry and Bob invited me along.
I arrived in Montreal at about 2:45 p.m., grabbed something to eat,
and headed off to the hotel to meet the guys. After a slight bit of
trouble, I find the hotel (it was right in front of me all along! -
I walked around it before finally finding the entrance!) and quickly
find the salon where the band is setting up. Larry, Bob and Ian, the
only guys I know in this crazy bunch, are nowhere to be seen. I simply
find a seat and make myself at home - I know they'll show up eventually.
The band is composed of names I recognize from the albums - Kenny Greer,
Paul DeLong and Jeff Jones, as well as Kevin (sorry - didn't catch your
last name!), who played the piano when Larry didn't. The ! guys soon
arrive and sound check begins shortly after. I immediately feel that
it's going to be a night to remember.
I was right. At 9:30 p.m. Larry hits the stage, alone, with a beautiful
rendition of "Pour un Instant." The band then arrives on stage and,
after a rocking intro, they kick into an awesome version of "All The
Lover In The World." And so it continued. It was great to hear the songs
as they were first recorded. Larry was FULL of energy! On a couple of
songs, such as "Guerilla Soldier," Larry turned the piano over to Kevin
and simply dealt with the vocals. AMAZING!! Again, he's so full of energy,
running and jumping all over the stage. All too soon, the evening is
over. The band is packing up and Larry is taking his time, talking to
fans and signing autographs. From there, the band heads back to Toronto
while Larry, Bob and Ian head for the hotel. The next morning Larry
does a radio show before heading off to Trois Rivieres for a String
Quartet show. (Wish I could have been there too!)
All in all, it was a great start to a great weekend. While the guys
finish the final two shows of the Quebec tour, I enjoy my first visit
to the fine city of Montreal. I hope to return some time soon (hopefully
on the occasion of another Gowan performance!). For now, I'm back in
T.O., anxiously awaiting the next show. No matter how many times you
see Mr. G., he gets better and better, and is always entertaining!