Palms Resort Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada
UPDATED DOORS SURVIVE SPECTER OF MORRISON:
"This is the Doors for the 21st century. Singer Ian Astbury stammered while making the
announcement, as if he--like so many in the sold-out crowd at Rain in the Desert at the
Palms-- could not fully embrace the Doors playing without Jim Morrison. While the concept
may sound preposterous to many, however, there was no denying the quality of the performance
Sunday night. Put quoation marks around "Doors" if you prefer, but the modern incarnation of
the legendary Los Angeles band stood up relatively well to the daunting challenge before it
in its third show in 30 years, and first concert of its 2003 comeback. With original members
Ray Manzarek and Robbie Krieger joined by longtime CULT frontman Ian Astbury, former Police
drummer Stewart Copeland and bassist Angelo Barbera (formerly of the Robbie Krieger Band) the
quintet gave the audience of around 1,600 a taste of what a Doors concert sounded like during
the band's heyday from 1965 until Morrison's death in 1971. From the opening notes of
Roadhouse Blues through the closing bars of the second encore Soul Kitchen,
the ensemble filled the room with raw energy, keeping most of the crowd dancing throughout.
Sounding as if he'd spent the past decade studying Val Kilmer's masterful portrayl of Morrison
in Oliver Stone's 1991 film, "The Doors," Astbury sang the evening's 15 selections in a voice
eerily similar to Morrison's own. In fact, until Astbury addressed the crowd between songs with
a few spoken words in his natural accent, fans would have been hard-pressed to remember the
singer actually hails from England. Astbury even conjured up the image of the man he replaced,
with flowing, curly hair, sunglasses, and a black leather jacket all serving as reminders of
Morrison's enduring presence. The night was filled with other icons from the Door's past: a
classic photo of Morrison towering behind the stage, American Indian dancers onstage for
Ghost Song and the words "NO/ONE/HERE/GETS/OUT/ALIVE" flashing onscreen during Five
to One. Morrison and original drummer John Densmore aside, the only key component to the
Door's fabled live set missing was a spirit of adventure that often bordered on a sense of
danger. With the unpredictable Morrison at the helm, anything could happen at a Doors show.
But Sunday's apperance essentially followed the script. Coming from the lips of 40 year-old
Astbury, the lyric "Show Me the Way to the Next Little Girl" from Alabama Song should
have even sounded more menacing than it did when sung by Morrison, who died at age 27. But
Astbury, who regularly thanked the crowd for its support, came across as more polite than
threatening. Heavy on hits, the set list alternated between tight rockers such as Love Me
Two Times and Wild Child and looser numbers such as When the Music's Over
that gave the musicians ample oppurtunity to stretch out. Then there was also a few less
successful songs, signs that the five men require more time on stage together. Break on
Through and Alabama Song both stalled at points. The band took just one stab at
"new" material, actually a reworking of an old tune, Strange Days. The new rendition,
which Manzarek said will likely appear on a new Doors album due by the end of the year, hardly
sounded like a dramatic departure from the original. Manzarek, whose dynamic keyboard gave the
Doors' music a unique quality during a period dominated by guitars, sizzled all night, even
adding a few new twists to his two most recognizable solos in Light My Fire and
Riders on the Storm. Looking professorial in spectacles and a suit jacket, the silver
haired 63 year-old beamed like a proud papa as he watched his bandmates fulfill his lifelong
vision of a Doors reunion. Krieger, third fiddle to Morrison and Manzarek in the old days,
showed that he may be worthy of his own page in rock's history book. The 56 year-old demonstrated
impressive range, from hard-driving rock and blues to psychedlia and even a surprising turn at
reggae as Astbury sequed into Bob Marley's Get Up, Stand Up midway through Light My
Fire. Copeland, whose broken arm force the postponement of the Las Vegas gig in December,
seemed a bit unsure of himself, a far cry from his last Las Vegas appearance--a powerful guesting
stint with Les Claypool's Frog Brigade last June. Clocking in at one hour, 45 minutes (including
dead time between two encores), the concert could have been a bit longer. A few of Manzarek's
keyboard blasts were far too loud in the sound mix, perhaps explaining Densmore's severe hearing
damage during 2001's "Storytellers." But the band proved itself capable of carrying on the Doors'
tradition, with much to build on as it carries on with a reunion few thought they would ever
witness.
SPENCER PATTERSON of the LAS VEGAS SUN.
What an exciting night it was. The anticipation was clearly building as Doors fans began arriving
at Palms Casino Resort. The were easy to spot in the hotel merchandise store near the guest
elevators, where two designs of Dragonfly brand Doors shirts were prominently displayed at the
front.
Sunday morning my friend and I wandered into the 'Rain In The Desert' club and found the bustling
activity of a stage being erected, lighting hoisted, equipment moving in ... a beehive of activity.
We scoped out where we hoped to position ourselves during the show, said hi to Marco, and left.
As we milled around the slot machines near the entrance and check-in area, we greeted Ray as he
arrived, ran into Angelo Barbera and Marlee walking around, and saw 21st Century Doors manager
Tom Vitorino.
About 3:00 in the afternoon we decided to check out the vicinity of the club again. We lucked out:
sound check was underway. We hung around outside and listened ... they sure sounded great!
Showtime was scheduled for 8:00, and the doors would open at 7:00. There were already a few folks
lined up to get in at 3:30 when we walked by that hallway! Entry began promptly at 7:00 and we
headed for the area we had hoped to secure: a raised dance floor area in the center of the club,
but more importantly, it was level with the stage. The stage was probably 4 or 5 feet high, with
an area between the stage and the dance floor where fans were packing in. The VIP ticket holders
were sent to a semi-circle balcony area along the back of the room overlooking the entire crowd.
That would not have been my preference, as it was farthest from the stage.
There was an introduction by an unidentified gentleman, and the young lion photo of Jim was projected
on the overhead screens. At 8:20 p.m., Angelo and Stewart came onto the stage, dressed entirely
in black. They were followed by Ray, Robby, and Ian as the crowd went wild. Ian was dressed in
black jeans, black t-shirt, short black leather jacket, and sunglasses. Stewart's drums had 21st
Century printed in smaller letters below the logo. This debuted a few nights earlier when they
appeared on Jay Leno's 'Tonight' show.
Ray took his place at his Alesis keyboards, looking dapper as always in a dark jacket over a lime
green and black knit shirt. Robby wore camouflage pants, topped by a leopard print long sleeve
button front shirt. They launched right into Roadhouse Blues, getting the night off to a
thrilling and kick-ass beginning.
Break On Through was the second song. I felt it got off to a rough, choppy start in the
first few seconds, but they found their groove quickly, and Ian took command of that song. When
it ended, Robby removed his leopard print shirt to reveal that he was wearing one of the new 21st
Century Doors t-shirts that were for sale outside the main room. (There were two short-sleeved
shirts, a baseball jersey in two color choices, and a baseball cap.)
When The Music's Over was next, a very powerful performance. Ray sang the first "NOW" as
that song reached its climax. Love Me Two Times followed. I thought Alabama Song
had a slightly different intro, (but I'm not sure I'm right about that) ... then right into Back
Door Man.
There were several video screens usually projecting close-ups of the performance or psychedelic
backdrops, but Five To One was accented by video of police riots, war scenes, Chairman Mao,
etc., with No One Here Gets Out Alive interspersed between the cuts.
I looked at the people around me. We had chatted pre-show with some of them. Those who had been
skeptical were now transfixed by the performances, smiling ear-to-ear, and giving enthusiastic
thumbs up!!! A girl who told me she'd be moving out after the first two songs to another
location, stood riveted in her spot and never left until the very end.
Ray introduced Stewart Copeland and Angelo Barbera. Ian remarked that none were needed for Ray
and Robby. Ray said that they are working on a new album with new material that would be released
later in the year. With that, they went into Strange Days with its new introduction and
arrangement. A longer keyboard introduction led into Moonlight Drive, with Ray joining Ian
on the outro vocals "going down, down, etc." ... and then Ian recited Horse Latitudes.
Ray played a bit of boogie woogie after the "mute nostril agony" line.
Wild Child was next in the set. Ian really kicks it up in this song; his performance of
this is always especially energetic and charismatic. The recitation of Ghost Song followed,
with two native American Indians in costume entering the stage dancing. When the performance
transitioned into Hill Dwellers, Ian left the stage while Ray took over the vocals, while
the Indians continued dancing.
FINALLY we were treated to Light My Fire, always the ultimate crowd pleaser! Ian left the
stage when the solos began, but he returned during Robby's marvelous highlight performance and
crouched at the front of stage, shaking the hands of a few fans in front. When Ian resumed the
vocals, he tossed in a little Bob Marley with "Get Up, Stand Up, Stand Up For Your Rights." The
video projection behind this song was very psychedelic. It was 9:35 p.m., the band left their
instruments and waved goodbye.
Doors Manager Tom Vitorino came out to the microphone to ask if we wanted more ... HELL YES!!!!
The encore started off with the sound of thunder, obviously signaling Riders On The Storm.
Beautifully done! Maggie M'Gill followed, a pleasant surprise. Not a radio hit, not a
song familiar to the masses ... but Doors fans love this bluesy rocker with that great line,
"illegitimate son of a rock & roll star" .... and when it ended, Stewart left his drums and came
to the edge of the stage to slap and shake some hands, as did Robby. The rest of the band waved
goodbye again and exited the stage.
Thankfully, Tom came back out again in response to the roaring audience. It was a no-brainer that
these fans had not yet had their fill of Doors music, and they returned to the stage and went into
Soul Kitchen. Ray and Robby were singing along with Ian on this one ... Ray began playing
with his right foot and eventually stood up as he played... he was really jamming! Really, really
enjoying himself!
At about 10:00 it was over for real. Ray and Robby and Ian and Stewart and Angelo all lined up on
the stage and took several bows.
This was an amazing show. It was so wonderful to see Robby and Ray playing onstage together again.
Ian is a riveting performer - sexy & energetic, intriguing to watch and fully capable of taking on
the no-win job of Doors vocalist and front man.
The debate and arguments will continue ad nauseam about the merits of this new line-up. It is
unlikely that John will ever sit behind drums with The Doors logo again, no matter how happy it
would make me and millions of other fans. Apparently Robby and Ray want to play together and
create new music together. They deserve to do whatever they want to with The Doors music. They
knew this would be controversial; it was inevitable. I just hope they don't get discouraged or
put off by the bitterness and hostility being voiced by some fans.
The transition is clearly underway, as evidenced by "21st Century" being added under The Doors logo
on Stewart's drums, and tour t-shirts that incorporate the new name.
Fans not fortunate to have been born early enough to experience the original band should open their
minds and accept that they have a second chance. The Doors were not just Jim. Ian is not Jim,
but there is plenty of audio and video footage to fill that void. Ian is a hell of a live performer.
He has paid dues.
There is no way to know how long or how far the 21st Century Doors will go with this. Sure, I'm
biased; I am a long-time, die-hard fan of each and every Doors member. I grab every chance I
get to see any one of those living legends perform, and I am never disappointed. Getting to see two
at once is even better!!! I encourage everyone who has the opportunity to do the same.
Idafan
The Doors, 21st Century
My girl friend and I arrived at the Palms Resort and Casino about 7:00pm. We had just had dinner at
the rio and were getting very excited about the Doors show. As a long time fan of the Doors, and The
Cult, I knew this was going to be a special experience.
A year or two ago on Storytellers of VH1, The Doors made an appearance with various different guest
lead singers. They all sang different Doors songs. I remember when Ian sang Wild Child, how
fascinated I was. "What a perfect fit", for the Doors I thought to myself. Apparently, so did Ray
and Robbie.
If AC/DC could replace Bon Scott, why couldn't The Doors replace Jim Morrison? Everyone knows these
are big shoes to fill. If the original band members are comfortable, why can't everbody else be?
We walked in and got right to the front of the stage. We were about ten feet from behind the bench where
Ray would be sitting. Another ten feet past Ray's keyboard was the mike where the lead singer of The
Doors would be. It was a small venue, and the band was arranged in close order. You could tell by the
way their equipment was arranged. Ray, Ian, and Robbie were across the front and Stewart and Angelo
close behind.
Everyone's conversation that I listened too was about "who is singing?", "where is he from?". The room
was filled with very nervous Doors fans. I introduced myself to several people and explained that I
was a Doors fan and a Cult fan, and that I had no doubt that the right man was hired for the job. No
one cared that John Densmore was not there. I assured everyone Ian would do a fantastic job.
The tension level was high and the show was supposed to start at 8:00pm. Finally at about quarter after
eight, Stewart and Angelo came out. Everybody started cheering and yelling. Then Ray, Robbie and Ian
came out. I thought the place was going to explode. The tore into Road House Blues. "I woke
up this morning and got myself a beer," was chanted right along with Ian by the entire crowd. Everybody
around me was digging it! It was definitely a Doors concert at that point.
The crowd kept singing through the next song as well, Break On Through. Everbody caught their
breath during, When The Music's Over. Somewhere along this point, somebody yelled something about
Jim. Ian stared whoever down and said into the mike, "Shut the fuck up!". Ian was never one to take crap
from anybody, even in his Cult shows. Ian wore black or dark brown jeans, a black or dark brown leather
jacket, brown boots, and a pair of black wrap around sunglasses. I heard several people mention that Ian
looked like Jim Morrison. The way his hair was cut shoulder length and wavy, he did look like Jim. But
I have seen Ian wear brown leather pants and jacket in Cult shows as well. I have also seen him wear a
skirt and paint his eyelids red. you never know what to get with Ian. He has reminded me of Jim
Morrison at times, and he was definitely leaning that way this night.
Through the next three songs, When The Music's Over, Love Me Two Times, and Alabama
Song, the PA speaker behind me started making cracking and popping noises. The band did not notice.
However we were able to get the attention of some of the roadies. They just disconnected the speaker.
It was a bit disappointing, but there was plenty of power in the rest of the system.
Through the next songs, Five To One, Strange Days, Moonlight Drive, and Wild
child, I don't think anyone was missing Jim. Ian was jumping, arching his back, and kicking backwards
in typical Ian fashion. It was great. Sometimes he would walk to the mike stand to put it back, and it
would not stay. The mike fell to the floor and the crowd would go wild.
During Ghost Song, several Native Americans came out in full ceremonial head dresses and outfits.
It had a very nice claming affect on the crowd. Ian spoke through The Hill Dwellers sounding very
much like Jim Morrison. A lot of poeople were surprised to hear his heavy English accent when he would
speak to the crowd in betwen songs.
Next came the familiar bars of Light My Fire. The place roared again. As soon as that was over they
walked off stage. Someone came out and asked if we wanted more. The crowd gave a resounding "Hell yes!".
Then they broke into Riders On The Storm, and a little known song, Maggie M'Gill. They then
walked off agina. We were then treated to one more song, Soul Kitchen. Ray was jamming so hard,
he started playing the keyboard with his right foot. Then they took a group bow, and it was all over.
Everyone was talking and buzzing abou the show afterwards. I don't think anybody was disappointed. We had
just seen a Doors show. I was thinking about saying Ian is my Jim Morrison, but I don't think so. He was the
right man for the job. He is my Ian Astbury!
Billy White
Setlist
Roadhouse Blues
Break On Through
When The Music's Over
Love Me Two Times
Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar)
Back Door Man
Five To One
Strange Days
Moonlight Drive/Horse Latitudes
Wild Child
Ghost Song/The Hill Dwellers
Light My Fire
Encore 1
Riders On The Storm
Maggie M'Gill
Encore 2
Soul Kitchen