Kip Winger - The Borderline: 29 September 2018
This year there was
no opening act and Kip took to the stage earlier, at 7.45 pm. Armed with his
trusty guitar and accompanied by his stellar percussionist and genuinely nice
guy Ben Hans, he was a man on a mission, going back to basics to fit more songs
into his two-hour set before the dreaded 10.30 curfew.
Anyone who's ever
been to one of these shows knows exactly what to expect: an evening packed with
excellent musicianship; a sing-along of classic songs from the Winger catalogue
and Kip's solo albums; good humour; banter and fun in spades. Kip Winger always
delivers!
The full set list is
detailed below, but here is a summary of tonight's highlights:
Foiled by the venue's
remarkably poor mobile phone reception, Kip was unable to make his customary
telephone call tonight (he first tried former Winger band-mate Paul Taylor and
then Reb Beach). By way of consolation he handed the microphone to Winger
super-fan Samir to deliver his trademark battle cry: "Now it's time to
surr-en-derrrrr!!!" In keeping with tradition, Samir worked his socks off
throughout the evening to keep us all entertained!
A main purpose of
these gigs is to involve the fans as much as possible. Tonight's guest vocalist
from the audience, invited onstage to duet with Kip on "Miles Away",
was Tessa, a nurse from Berkshire, who gave a fantastic performance. She told
me later that she had been very nervous taking the stage with Kip, but her
nerves certainly didn't show and she did a cracking job to a thunderous ovation
from everyone in the room.
During some further
good natured banter, the fans then acknowledged - by way of a "golf
clap" - eminent rock journalist Dave Ling who was present before we were
treated to the instrumental number "Free" that Kip and Ben unleashed
with real purpose and plenty of eastern promise!
New introductions to
the set included the tracks "Ever Wondered?" and "So Long
China" from the last Winger album "Better Days Coming". Kip also
took to the keyboards to showcase "Pages and Pages" and "Where
Will We Go?", numbers from his solo albums that he said had been
repeatedly requested by fans during the warm-down at previous years' shows.
Perhaps the main
highlight of this year's set was a song entitled "A Requiem for
Nothing" from Act 2 of the musical theatre show "Get Jack" that
Kip has penned over the past three years. He delivered this quite remarkable
performance in true music hall style, taking the role of a character named The
Player, with full orchestral backing via his mobile phone. This part of the
show was something particularly special and Kip indicated that he might include
a version of the song on a future solo album. Keep your eyes and ears peeled
for this one because it was brilliant!
At the end of another
triumphant night at The Borderline, Kip was happy to mix with the fans to chat,
take photos and to sign anything and everything that was put in front of him -
for me this year, my ticket and my insert from the "Down Incognito"
CD.
I think it's fair to
say that while the love of Winger's music primarily drives us to return here
year after year, it is the people we meet when we come to these shows who
really make the event. There's always a great vibe in the room and I'm sure we
have all made new friends as a result of coming to see Kip Winger at The
Borderline. Every year I'm lucky enough to make more new friends as well as
enjoying the opportunity to catch up with the friends I've made at previous
years' gigs. I would like to close this review by mentioning a few people - new
and current friends and others who were there tonight - who will always make
the trip to The Borderline worthwhile for me:
Craig Dowler (the
hardworking curator of several Winger Facebook groups); Kirsty (the 2015 show's
guest vocalist!), Belinda, Samir Winger, Elisabeth; Beccy; San Dra; Carol; Brenda; tonight's guest vocalist
Tessa; Stan; Martin; Terry; John and anybody I might have chatted to briefly
and shaken hands with, whose names I didn't catch. Also, Ben and Dawn Hans...
and, of course, the man himself, Kip Winger.
The last Winger album
was entitled "Better Days Coming" It's nights like this where you
realise that they're already here!
Steve Lewis
Set list:
·
Cross
·
Easy Come
Easy Go
·
Who's the
One
·
Can't Get
Enuff
·
Hungry
·
Ever
Wonder?
·
Rainbow in
the Rose
·
Miles Away
(duet with Tessa)
·
Under One
Condition
·
Spell I'm
Under
·
Free
(instrumental with Ben Hans)
·
Pages and
Pages
·
Where Will You Go?
·
A Requiem
for Nothing (from Act 2 of Get Jack)
·
Headed for
a Heartbreak
·
So Long
China
·
Blind
Revolution Mad
·
Down
Incognito
·
Madalaine
·
Seventeen
·
Encore: How
Far Will We Go?
Concert photos
provided courtesy of Kirsty and San Dra.
Has it really been
two years since we, the faithful, last gathered at The Borderline to celebrate
an evening with Kip Winger? Just where did that time go? Since my last visit,
on 17 September 2016, the venue has been refurbished and slightly reconfigured:
accordingly, to give proceedings a fresher feel, tonight's show delivered some
surprises as well as the traditional elements that we have by now come to know
and love.
This year there was
no opening act and Kip took to the stage earlier, at 7.45 pm. Armed with his
trusty guitar and accompanied by his stellar percussionist and genuinely nice
guy Ben Hans, he was a man on a mission, going back to basics to fit more songs
into his two-hour set before the dreaded 10.30 curfew.
Anyone who's ever
been to one of these shows knows exactly what to expect: an evening packed with
excellent musicianship; a sing-along of classic songs from the Winger catalogue
and Kip's solo albums; good humour; banter and fun in spades. Kip Winger always
delivers!
The full set list is
detailed below, but here is a summary of tonight's highlights:
Foiled by the venue's
remarkably poor mobile phone reception, Kip was unable to make his customary
telephone call tonight (he first tried former Winger band-mate Paul Taylor and
then Reb Beach). By way of consolation he handed the microphone to Winger
super-fan Samir to deliver his trademark battle cry: "Now it's time to
surr-en-derrrrr!!!" In keeping with tradition, Samir worked his socks off
throughout the evening to keep us all entertained!
A main purpose of
these gigs is to involve the fans as much as possible. Tonight's guest vocalist
from the audience, invited onstage to duet with Kip on "Miles Away",
was Tessa, a nurse from Berkshire, who gave a fantastic performance. She told
me later that she had been very nervous taking the stage with Kip, but her
nerves certainly didn't show and she did a cracking job to a thunderous ovation
from everyone in the room.
During some further
good natured banter, the fans then acknowledged - by way of a "golf
clap" - eminent rock journalist Dave Ling who was present before we were
treated to the instrumental number "Free" that Kip and Ben unleashed
with real purpose and plenty of eastern promise!
New introductions to
the set included the tracks "Ever Wondered?" and "So Long
China" from the last Winger album "Better Days Coming". Kip also
took to the keyboards to showcase "Pages and Pages" and "Where
Will We Go?", numbers from his solo albums that he said had been
repeatedly requested by fans during the warm-down at previous years' shows.
Perhaps the main
highlight of this year's set was a song entitled "A Requiem for
Nothing" from Act 2 of the musical theatre show "Get Jack" that
Kip has penned over the past three years. He delivered this quite remarkable
performance in true music hall style, taking the role of a character named The
Player, with full orchestral backing via his mobile phone. This part of the
show was something particularly special and Kip indicated that he might include
a version of the song on a future solo album. Keep your eyes and ears peeled
for this one because it was brilliant!
At the end of another
triumphant night at The Borderline, Kip was happy to mix with the fans to chat,
take photos and to sign anything and everything that was put in front of him -
for me this year, my ticket and my insert from the "Down Incognito"
CD.
I think it's fair to
say that while the love of Winger's music primarily drives us to return here
year after year, it is the people we meet when we come to these shows who
really make the event. There's always a great vibe in the room and I'm sure we
have all made new friends as a result of coming to see Kip Winger at The
Borderline. Every year I'm lucky enough to make more new friends as well as
enjoying the opportunity to catch up with the friends I've made at previous
years' gigs. I would like to close this review by mentioning a few people - new
and current friends and others who were there tonight - who will always make
the trip to The Borderline worthwhile for me:
Craig Dowler (the
hardworking curator of several Winger Facebook groups); Kirsty (the 2015 show's
guest vocalist!), Belinda, Samir Winger, Elisabeth; Beccy; San Dra; Carol; Brenda; tonight's guest vocalist
Tessa; Stan; Martin; Terry; John and anybody I might have chatted to briefly
and shaken hands with, whose names I didn't catch. Also, Ben and Dawn Hans...
and, of course, the man himself, Kip Winger.
The last Winger album
was entitled "Better Days Coming" It's nights like this where you
realise that they're already here!
Steve Lewis
Set list:
·
Cross
·
Easy Come
Easy Go
·
Who's the
One
·
Can't Get
Enuff
·
Hungry
·
Ever
Wondered?
·
Rainbow in
the Rose
·
Miles Away
(duet with Tessa)
·
Under One
Condition
·
Spell I'm
Under
·
Free
(instrumental with Ben Hans)
·
Pages and
Pages
·
Where Will
We Go?
·
A Requiem
for Nothing (from Act 2 of Get Jack)
·
Headed for
a Heartbreak
·
So Long
China
·
Blind
Revolution Mad
·
Down
Incognito
·
Madalaine
·
Seventeen
·
Encore: How
Far Will We Go?
Concert photos
provided courtesy of Kirsty and San Dra.
