Foreigner
London Royal Albert Hall The veteran band play the hits in a fan-friendly show, but might it be one of the last from this line-up?
Their latest release is symphonically enhanced but Foreigner’s first time at the Albert Hall is presented au naturel. It’s a great show with lasers, dry ice and no less than a dozen US Top 30 hits. What it doesn’t have for the first 35 minutes is Mick Jones, who arrives six songs in. At the age of 73, Foreigner’s leader rarely completes concerts any more and, sadly, one can only wonder how many tours he has left in him. Bringing the band back out for an encore, Jones blinks away tears.
Though every song is a crowd-pleaser, including a version of I Want To Know What Love Is that’s embellished by the Notting Hill Preparatory School Choir, Foreigner’s current set-list has become rigidly predictable. Meanwhile, those lengthy keyboard and drum solos and a tortuously drawn-out Juke Box Hero are clearly designed to allow
Jones precious breathing space.
Will Foreigner continue without their talisman? Well, there’s little doubting that they could. Current lead singer Kelly Hansen is pipecleaner-thin, preening and cocksure, with an arena-friendly voice to match the moves. After 15 years, some fans still won’t forgive him for not being Lou Gramm, but that’s their loss. Gramm could no longer pull off a show like this, that’s for damned sure.
Should these extended 40th-anniversary celebrations mark Foreigner’s farewell, Mick Jones can be proud that he went out in style.