What: Chicago

Where: Hammersmith Apollo

When: 6th July 2011

Chicago brought their “Greatest Hits” tour to London’s Hammersmith Apollo on Wednesday night. An amazing 40+ years have passed since the original Chicago Transit Authority formed back in their namesake Illinois city. Their origins are jazz rock and it was good to see them remaining true to this with their brass section pushed to the fore for most of the gig.

It was a little disconcerting when the first vocal lines were delivered as there were no mic stands to be seen along the front line, least not that weren’t set up at crotch level (for the brass, people;stay focused!). This was all down to the vocals being delivered mostly with the aide of head mics which people may be familiar with from Kate Bush or theatre productions. If there had been one lead singer in the band this feeling would of soon be overcome, however with lead vocals coming from no less than five of the nine piece band at different times it made the vocals and the band seem a little distant, almost ghost like.

Other than the thirteen minute opener, Ballet for a girl in Buchannon and tracks such as wake up sunshine and the weirdly named Mongonucleous most of the tracks tonight had been hits for Chicago over the preceding 40 years. Well truth be told, they had been hits on Planet USA, so to quote Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story “we aren’t on my planet!”. As a result for the casual listener this was not really a greatest hits tour it was more a gig with a few hits thrown in the mix.

Unfortunately, most of Chicago’s UK hits were soft AOR ballads from the late 70s and mid 80s. It was almost half way through the set before Robert Lamm (one of the four surviving original members playing tonight) introduced their chart topping hit If you leave me now. It was perhaps ironic that he introduced it by saying, we used to be a jazz rock band but this song ruined it. I’ve always found the song insipid and tonight was no exception. Luckily this mid section of ballads was saved by the more than enjoyable, Hard habit to break and top crowd pleas-er, Baby what a big surprise.

Lead vocals on these ballads were taken by relative new-comer to the band (with a mere 25 years service) Jason Scheff. He carried most of the lead vocal duties and did it well. His singing style is similar to past member Peter Cetera and who most UK listeners would be familiar hearing. Hard habit was also the song that was the hardest to watch and listen as the vocals were split between Scheff and new keyboard player Lou Pardini. This just emphasised the effect of the head mics I had described earlier.

Although it wasn’t a direct chronological set-list of Chicago’s hits, most of the songs were played in an approximate order that they were originally released. They were also drawn fairly evenly over their albums. Well that is to say those that had hits on them (obvious really). Trumpet player Lee Loughnane said they’d be playing songs from the beginning to “where we are now, in the present”. Strangely then, none of the tracks played dated past the mid 80s!

Although Chicago’s music may not be to all tastes, you can’t knock their musicianship. In particular, the wonderful horns/woodwind section who gave their all and were obviously enjoying it. The stand-out in that section was trumpet player Loughnane who played some exquisite phrases and a particularly good solo. Re-joining the band on this tour is Trombone player and arranger James Pankow. Again some great playing, however his “dad dancing” and smarmy smile left me feeling a little uncomfortable.

It was the brass section that made the lead-up to the close of the concert so good. After the mid-section ballads they were a breath of fresh air and drive. The other thing that helped pick up the pace was the drum/percussion solo during I’m a man. This had the Foo Fighters’ percussionist and now also Chicago regular Drew Hester sparring with drummer Tris Imboden.

By the time the two hour gig ended with the rousing encore of 25 or 6 to 4 the audience were all on their feet and lapping it up. Despite it only being just before ten they seemed happy to not push for a second encore. They weren’t disappointed though, they all seemed to leave happy and be happy to leave. Not very rock n roll, more jazz and ballads perhaps?

The ones not rushing to the exit at the end included a couple of musical, best kept secrets, in the shape of Queen keyboard player Spike Edney and former Journey singer Jeff Scott Soto. I caught the pair of them in the foyer chatting together after the gig. Unfortunately I managed to grab them for a photo but not a chat to see what they may be working on or on together nowadays. With luck it will be another appearance of JSS with Spike’s All Stars.

You can see the photos from Chicago at Hammersmith Apollo.