Oct 2, 2024
Jethro Tull at Auditorio y Centro de Congresos Víctor Villegas, Murcia, Spain
Tour: The Seven Decades Tour
The Band
Jethro Tull is a British rock band formed in 1967 and known for a mix of blues, jazz, and classic rock with folk music, developing a rich progressive rock sound.
Just like their song says “You’re never too old to rock and roll (If you’re too young to die)”, Ian and the band continue touring the world and keeping their music alive.
Band Members
- Ian Anderson – vocals, flute
- Jack Clark – guitars
- David Goodier – bass
- John O’Hara – keyboards
- Scott Hammond – drums
This was the third time I saw these guys. The two previous shows were in Santiago, Chile. One was only Ian Anderson playing with the Metropolitan Symphonic Orchestra, and I went with my mom and my grandmother. My grandmother wasn’t a fan, but she used to play the piano as a teacher, so she liked the performance very much. And then I saw the whole band playing a show. Both shows were great.
This was the first time that my dad got to see them. He is a long-time fan of the band, so he was very excited and loved every minute of it.
The show started at 20.35 and previously it was announced that we could not take pictures or record during the show, because it would be distracting for the musicians. However, we were going to be given time for that at the encore. So we did that, and in a way, it was refreshing to abstain from the impulse of taking my cell phone and just enjoying the music and the moment.
The opening song was My Sunday Feeling. Then came We Used to Know, in which Ian Anderson said that the second guitar solo was very similar to the one from Hotel California by The Eagles, and he was right. But he added that he wrote it first.
Another classic with Songs From The Wood, followed by Mr. Weathercock and Roots to Branches.
The Donkey and the Drum, an instrumental, and Ian explained that it was about a pub in Bristol in which sailors went to have some drinks and the band also were regulars there (in their youth, of course).
The story of a Nordic mythology wolf named Fenrir is in Wolf Unchained, a very bad dog, according to Ian. A heartfelt religious track for Mine Is The Mountain, about the God to whom we all pray.
The first part of the show ended with another classic, the cover of Johann Sebastian Bach, Bourrée in E minor. This was proceeded with David Goodier’s marvelous bass solo.
Then, the band took some time to rest, as well as us the audience and when they came back it was time for the title of this review, Too Old to Rock ‘n’ Roll, Too Young to Die. They continued with Farm on the Freeway and The Navigators (this was the one that I liked the most of their recent songs. It has more of a rocker feel, heavier).
Another instrumental: Pavane in F-Sharp Minor, a cover of Gabriel Fauré, that was accompanied by beautiful videos of dancers.
Now, it came the “political part” that I wasn’t expecting in Jethro Tull’s show with The Zealot Gene, which he dedicated to people that polarize (since we are approaching soon the USA Presidential election), and Dark Ages, about climate change, aggression, and current social problems.
Later came, Aquadiddley (a very long and stretched variation of Aqualung), just to lead to the actual song, Aqualung, all with the support of images of homeless people, making an homage to them, just as the song is.
The show ended at 22.45, after they played Locomotive Breath, in which we could at last take some pictures.
For my final thoughts. I can say it was a great show. I liked it very much. Very energetic, and I can verify also that Ian Anderson still does his signature move of playing the flute while raising his foot in the air.
Setlist
Set 1:
My Sunday Feeling
We Used to Know
Songs From the Wood
Weathercock
Roots to Branches
The Donkey and the Drum
Wolf Unchained
Mine Is the Mountain
Bourrée in E minor (Johann Sebastian Bach cover)
Set 2:
Too Old to Rock ‘n’ Roll, Too Young to Die
Farm on the Freeway
The Navigators
Pavane in F-Sharp Minor (Gabriel Fauré cover)
The Zealot Gene
Dark Ages
Aquadiddley
Aqualung
Encore:
Locomotive Breath