Rick Derringer - The Limelight Club Crewe 7th May 2002
Setlist: Don't Stop Loving Me / Guitars & Women / Still Alive and Well / Coming Home / Real American / Dawn of Love / Listen to the Lord / Rhapsody in Red / Jump Jump Jump / Hang on Sloopy / Hoochie Koo
Rick Derringer is a legend in his own lifetime. He is a guitar player par excellence who doesn’t need to prove anything to anyone. With Hang on Sloopy, he had one of the biggest ever hit singles in the history of the music business, when he was still only a teenager. Playing alongside Johnny Winter he has laid down some of the most searing guitar work you’ll ever hear in your life. In Frankenstein, he wrote one of the all time classic rock songs for Johnny Winter’s brother, Edgar . In Real American, he penned a song which wrestling legend Hulk Hogan has used for his entrance music for most of the last two decades.
He has worked with almost everyone from Alice Cooper and Todd Rundgren to KISS, as a writer, producer and guitar player. Pat Travers cites him one of the people who influenced him. In 2001, he recorded DBA, with Tim Bogert and Carmine Appice.
He has a lovely wife, two beautiful children, believes in God and is the perfect role model for all youngsters everywhere. So, he’s totally crap live, right? I mean, all that religious stuff, and that loving family, wife and kids on the new record. It’s really boring and dull, huh? Isn’t it all a bit too twee and sickening? You’d think so, wouldn’t you.
Rick Derringer is a legend in his own lifetime. He is a guitar player par excellence who doesn’t need to prove anything to anyone. With Hang on Sloopy, he had one of the biggest ever hit singles in the history of the music business, when he was still only a teenager. Playing alongside Johnny Winter he has laid down some of the most searing guitar work you’ll ever hear in your life. In Frankenstein, he wrote one of the all time classic rock songs for Johnny Winter’s brother, Edgar . In Real American, he penned a song which wrestling legend Hulk Hogan has used for his entrance music for most of the last two decades.
He has worked with almost everyone from Alice Cooper and Todd Rundgren to KISS, as a writer, producer and guitar player. Pat Travers cites him one of the people who influenced him. In 2001, he recorded DBA, with Tim Bogert and Carmine Appice.
He has a lovely wife, two beautiful children, believes in God and is the perfect role model for all youngsters everywhere. So, he’s totally crap live, right? I mean, all that religious stuff, and that loving family, wife and kids on the new record. It’s really boring and dull, huh? Isn’t it all a bit too twee and sickening? You’d think so, wouldn’t you.
In actuality, Rick Derringer kicks major ass on stage. For this series of gigs, he is accompanied by Pat Travers’ rhythm section, Rick Navarro on bass and Eric Frates on drums, rather than his usual band. The first five songs were all familiar to me and each one convinces you that it is a good idea to attempt movements that your body has not been able to successfully achieve for at least a decade, so instead you settle for depositing your dandruff on the dance-floor. It is the thought that counts.
The new material is actually not bad. Rick’s wife Brenda accompanies him on the new material and whilst it not may be my first choice to slap in the CD player, it doesn’t make me want to vomit, shout abuse or walk out either. I’m no follower of traditional organised religion but I accept that others are. They have found something that they believe in, that gives purpose and meaning to their existence and, to a certain degree, I envy that. I wish I had that belief. Naturally, they will write songs based upon these beliefs and let’s face it, if I’m going to listen to this kind of thing, I can’t think of anyone better to write and perform it.
For my money though, give me Rhapsody in Red, any day. This track from the recent Derringer, Bogert, Appice album is such a stunning piece of music, I just stood there, mouth open, transfixed by the outstanding guitar work I was seeing. It is one of those instrumentals that gets under your skin and you can’t get out of your head, like Beck’s Bolero, The Stumble, Surfing with the Alien, or Sabre Dance. A truly great piece of music.
The new material is actually not bad. Rick’s wife Brenda accompanies him on the new material and whilst it not may be my first choice to slap in the CD player, it doesn’t make me want to vomit, shout abuse or walk out either. I’m no follower of traditional organised religion but I accept that others are. They have found something that they believe in, that gives purpose and meaning to their existence and, to a certain degree, I envy that. I wish I had that belief. Naturally, they will write songs based upon these beliefs and let’s face it, if I’m going to listen to this kind of thing, I can’t think of anyone better to write and perform it.
For my money though, give me Rhapsody in Red, any day. This track from the recent Derringer, Bogert, Appice album is such a stunning piece of music, I just stood there, mouth open, transfixed by the outstanding guitar work I was seeing. It is one of those instrumentals that gets under your skin and you can’t get out of your head, like Beck’s Bolero, The Stumble, Surfing with the Alien, or Sabre Dance. A truly great piece of music.
The set came to an end with two familiar songs from more years ago than any of us really care to remember. Firstly Hang on Sloopy, which I heard someone mutter, had no place in the set. What? Firstly, it is a piece of history that anyone should feel privileged to be part of and secondly, it’s a bit of good fun, into which, RD injected some fine guitar work. Lastly, Hoochie Koo, which should need no introductions and no explanations, brought an excellent performance to a most satisfactory conclusion.
I had never seen Rick Derringer live before and I had been eagerly awaiting this. Not only was I not disappointed, I was pleasantly surprised - he’s better than I thought he would be. If I’ve got one criticism, it was that he didn’t perform one of my favourites, I Play Guitar, but I’m really looking for something to pick fault with here. After going off stage, he went more or less straight out to meet and greet fans and spent a long time doing just that, as did his wife. I was very impressed by that and whilst I chatted briefly with him, he signed my ticket. I even missed the beginning of Hooked on Music for that, but it was well worth it.
He’s Rick Derringer. He’s still alive and well. He plays guitar and rock ‘n’ roll runs through his veins.
Mark L. Potts
The God of Thunder
11th May 2002
I had never seen Rick Derringer live before and I had been eagerly awaiting this. Not only was I not disappointed, I was pleasantly surprised - he’s better than I thought he would be. If I’ve got one criticism, it was that he didn’t perform one of my favourites, I Play Guitar, but I’m really looking for something to pick fault with here. After going off stage, he went more or less straight out to meet and greet fans and spent a long time doing just that, as did his wife. I was very impressed by that and whilst I chatted briefly with him, he signed my ticket. I even missed the beginning of Hooked on Music for that, but it was well worth it.
He’s Rick Derringer. He’s still alive and well. He plays guitar and rock ‘n’ roll runs through his veins.
Mark L. Potts
The God of Thunder
11th May 2002
About the photos...
What is there not to like about this lot of photos? I mean the Rick Derringer towel on a Marshall amp? C'mon, it don't get no more Rock 'n' Roll than that.
I love it!
I love it!