Finally got to see the drum maestro Simon Phillips last night. Remember Simon Phillips being on the first MSG album in 1980 and, if my memory serves me right, being in the Jeff Beck Band that played Manchester Apollo in 1981 (I rather foolishly sold my ticket for this gig - not the best decision I've ever made).
Now I'm 50 so the Protocol II and III albums are right up my street: relaxing, dreamy, Jazz-induced soundscapes based on the incredibly professional musicianship of the four members (Andy Timmons guitar; Ernest Tibbs bass; and Steve Weingart keyboards alongside Phillips on drums.
Genuinely wondered how Protocol would work live, and with a couple of beers thrown into the mix, it was a thoroughly therapeutic experience, just the tonic after a hard-working week.
Was also impressed with Simon Phillips' rapport with a small but appreciative crowd. Several times he came to the front of the stage to have a bit of good-natured banter with the crowd.
At one point, Phillips recognised a guy at the front of the stage who had seen Protocol in Malaysia and some other places, and at another time, he humorously asked if the guy at the lighting desk usually worked with KISS, as the lighting was way too fast-moving early on.
Of course, the musical coordination between the four band members was what mainly caught the eye.
At another point, Simon Phillips came to the front of the stage enquiring about the quality of the beer at the Proxima, as the band quite naturally enjoyed a beer after a 90-110 minute set:
Here, the crowd went a touch silent as the beer at the Proxima is nothing to write home about (Tyskie on draught, bottled Warka etc.). If the band had wanted good beer, they would've been much better served with the wide range of Polish and Czech bottled beers at the Klub Progresja or the bottles of Perła and łomża at the Hydrozagadka.
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