25 years ago: Cheap Trick plays AC/DC With Motley Crue At The Coliseum

Twenty-five years ago tomorrow - on February 24, 1989 Trick - Cheap played the Pacific Coliseum on a bill with Eddie Money , so obviously I went .

Even with Eddie Money on the bill.

Here is my review of the issue of the next week straight . Check it out while you're waiting for the hockey game to start maybe.

In the late '70s, one of the favorite pastimes of this scribbler was throwing album In Color Cheap Trick on the turntable and start 'er up. Fund rockin power- pop band was just the right brain lubricant between heavy sets of exam cramming .
In the Coliseum last Friday was great to see that there is still beautiful sound of the band.

After a forgettable performance by Eddie Money opening that featured musicianship seedy , weak voices , energy and anything, tricksters have things in the right way with the first of their latest album, In the Lap of luxury. Guitarist Rick Nielsen , with his wild antics , powerful looks awkward and lame - remains the star of the show even though it lacks the sex appeal of singer Robin Zander and bassist Tom Petersson . His ringing bell ingenious harmonic effect sounded great as the intro to " The clock strikes ten," a tune that Bun E. Carlos pounding steadily along with rapid fire drums . Carlos still looks like a bad accountant, but has left the chain rotten habit - smoking on stage.

Like other supergroups of the 70s, such as Aerosmith and Blue Oyster Cult , Cheap Trick went down for a period when their albums were not up to snuff . They had essentially disappeared from memory before storming back with the ballad hit, "The Flame" . And judging by the latest single from the band, "I never had much to lose," Cheap Trick has become a little winning sound that old. But it was still crunchy favorites like "Dream Police ," " California Man ​​" and especially "Surrender ," which won the most applause from the 4,300 fans in attendance.

In a moment Rick Nielsen asked the crowd what they viewed video station here in Canada, and found out that it was MuchMusic . Then he asked why people looked, and answered himself : "It is because occasionally play well things like Aerosmith, Motley Crue and Cheap Trick , right Debbie Gibson and Tiffany can be re K -Mart ? " .

The crowd liked that , and he also liked when three members - Motley Crue city to record their fifth album Long walked on stage to participate in a repeat of the ode of AC / DC ' s for the fast life, "Highway to Hell . " The two bands joined in that song again later that night at the Soda Club , which also stuck in the classic " Train Kept a Rollin ", " Girls , Girls , Girls" by Motley, and version of Cheap Trick Elvis ' No Cruel " .

Cheap Trick is still at it - without Bun E. Carlos , however. In fact play River Rock Show Theatre in Richmond on March 1 , and I bet they'll play "Surrender" .