Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the Royal Albert Hall, Wednesday 20th June 2012
It was a beautiful sunny day. I worked till about 3pm then drove down from Norwich as far as Leytonstone, then caught the Central tube to Queensway. Feeling adventurous, we went for a meal in Little Persia on Queensway itself (never had Khoresht Ghormeh Sabzi before! but it was great) then walked through Kensington Gardens, gawped at the Albert hall and took a couple of touristy photos. We walked around the spectacular building, went in and had another beer, and generally joined in with the full house of middle-aged rockers. There was a terriffic atmosphere, like everyone was excited to be there and anticipating having a really good time, old enough to know better but flying way too high too high to care!
When they came out onto the stage the the well-seasoned Heartbreakers seemed a bit taken aback at the fervour of their first, deafening standing ovation. Petty said good evening with no explanation for the band's 13-year absence from touring in the UK; the band just reeled-off a string a string of those Heartbreaker numbers that have helped defined the refined end of American rock. Opening with 'Listen to Her Heart', through 'You wreck me', 'I Won't Back Down', 'Here Comes My Girl', and finishing the run with the Traveling Wilburys 'Handle with Care', when Scott Thurston seemed to capture Roy Orbison's croon with spine-chilling accuracy. As one critic said, when Petty played in the Wilburys with Lynne, Dylan, Orbison and Harrison he was "regarded rather as the runt of the litter; here, as he wished his former colleagues well “wherever they’re all travelling tonight”, he exuded rockin’ seniority in his pin-striped suit and cuban-heels. That sense was underlined by his band’s astonishing dexterity – their utility man, Scott Thurston, covered both Orbison’s sky-scraping “I’m so tired of being lonely” vocal part, and Dylan’s rasping harmonica". That led in to a tight rendition of the anthemic Freefallin’ that had everyone singing along, and increasing numbers of the audience up on their feet.
The Heartbreakers' stage set-up is unimpressive – some aged amps and roadworn gear – but this level of talent has no need to dress up: they act like a bar band but play like the veteran professionals they are. Petty clearly relishes letting his colleagues take some of the the spotlight, wandering around the edges of the stage just shaking maracas as Campbell and Ferrone went to town on a fevered run through Fleetwood Mac's 'Oh Well'.
As if there wasn'talready enough talent up on stage, up pops Steve Winwood to pitch in with timeless vesions of the heart-wrenching "Can't find my way home" and the truly vintage "Gimme some loving" .
The Heartbreakers became what they are partly as a reaction to the rambling self-indulgences of the seventies heavy/prog rock giants, but in recent years have begun to enjoy exploring and showcasing their respective virtuosity. Mike Cambbell, now introduced as co-Captain noodled interminably to 'It’s Good to Be King' but no-one wanted it to end. Tom and the band took it down a little for a sentimental rendition of 'Something Big' followed by a wistful but pulsing 'Don't Come Around Here No More'.
Then it was back to a bit of audience participation for Learning to Fly, where Mr. P's 61-year-old voice voice still caught those ethereal high notes with no apparent effort. The Heartbreaker favourites flowed on: Refugee, Running Down a Dream.... and, while Petty clearly knows how to play his audience it was equally obvious that he and the band were a little overwhelmed at their reception.
Petty's deceptively-simple lyrics and radio-perfect choruses often harbour a bittersweet edge: closing with the seductive images of 'American Girl' the band provided an unforgettable night for everone in the audience - and, one suspects - for the band members themselves. I doubt they'll stay away very long at all before heading back to thrill us again.
Tom Petty was probably the first big gig I've been to since Nancy and I went to see Joe Walsh + the Midnight Oils play Auckland football stadium in 1988! Walsh's "Life's Been Good To Me" from the FM soundtrack album had been an anthem for Ian and myself back in the late seventies as we tried to make the best of some very dark days. Oddly enough, it was on that same FM album that I first heard of Tom Petty - even that short version of Breakdown had me hooked! And the mighty Oils themselves doing stuff like "The Power and the Passion" were favourite listening when I first turned up in Kieta - thanks for the intro, Rick!