Ian Anderson:
Unequivocally, Jethro Tull are one of my favourite bands – and this 2007 show at the John Labatt Centre in London, Ontario was the first time I had an opportunity to photograph them.
I first saw them at Maple Leaf Gardens on the “Stormwatch” tour – ironically they did the dress reversals for that tour (the last with “classic” line up) at the London Treasure Island Gardens, but didn’t to do a gig there. This JLC show also turned out to be the best one I have seen them do! Tull are a unique and often highly complex mix of Folk, Classical, and Heavy Rock.
I recall an Guitar player magazine interview with guitar legend Richie Blackmore, also a huge, Tull tan, who summed up singer/flautist/acoustic guitarist’s approach to songwriting: “he gets so involved he write symphonies”. I don’t often point to YouTube from this blog, but one song might be illustrative to the initiated – a 1976 live version of Minstrel in The Gallery. Getting beyond the odd ’70′s attire and hair, this song from Elizabethan-influenced folk to something that arguably is a heavy as some of the Thrash Metal that would follow a decade later (at about 2:20). Also have to point out the simply amazing tone lead guitarist Martin Barre get from his vintage Les Paul – that is the Burst tone!!
Here are Ian and Martin onstage at the JLC – the clothes are different and the hair is pretty much gone – but the music is still reigning supreme! This was shot on an older point-and-shoot and the lighting in the JLC made it very challenging to capture images properly. I still was able to capture some that reelect the passion and power of this extraordinary performance!
A passionate flute solo:
The other band members are all highly skilled (click for larger image – back to return to post):
I A great show!!
