Jeff Scott Soto
Eightball Live Stage, Thessaloniki, Greece
12/04/09
After a 5 hours road trip to Thessaloniki, I was excited to finally step inside the 8ball club. To tell the truth I expected more people to join the Jeff Scott Soto gig. I mean, okay, I am not such a big JSS fan, but that guy, really knows how to throw a party! The promotion wasn’t much of a success either. Such a great voice and carreer (Talisman, Takara, Axel Rudi Pell, the voice of Malmsteen and much more) and not enough noise about this event.
Okay here we are – new album, new line up, old recipe. On the lead guitar was Jorge Salan from Spain, next to the other Spanish blood, Fernardo Mainer on the bass. A couple more new guys, from Brazil, on the drums – Edu Cominato and BJ on the guitar, keyboards and secondary vocals.
21st century and the party starts with the first song from the new album. Many new and old songs from his past career. The temperature rising, the crowd going crazy, the new line up totally rocking, everything was there for the perfect night out.
Jeff always has “that” thing with people – joking, making everyone be a part of the show. After an hour of unstoppable energy, was the time of the piano medley and the band to rest. By that time, BJ impressed the crowd with his voice in Faithfully.
JSS said himself… He missed us and we missed him and of course he knew the greek crowd very well. When the time for I’ll be waiting came, everyone went crazy, jumping around and screaming, but wait a minute… hold on! “That guy on the crowd just sitting back and doesn’t look so enthousiastic about it! I can sing like that too! You! Come here, let’s sing together” Who would say no when JSS asks you to sing with him.
Actually that guy was good. Sotto and Kostis had a great duet, singing the intro of I’ll be Waiting and then he said goodnight. But no! He couldn’t just leave us this way! So he decided to Stand Up & Shout like he always does!
To set us on fire so that we could party with him afterwards, he gave us that funky medley, danced, “shaked”, screamed, did everything a party man could ever do! Even when he went off the stage my heart was still beating fast. It was one of the craziest gigs I’ve ever been.
JSS’s band gave us such a time, enough to remember them till next time.
Report: Christina Marinou.
Photos: Fotis Karagiannis.