Bobby Kimball Band live Valand, Gothenburg

 

December 13th 2011

 

One of the most influential bands you can find are TOTO and this evening their original singer Bobby Kimball is on stage with an all Swedish band.

A unique event for the not too big but excited audience this rainy Tuesday night.

 

That Bobby isn't singing in TOTO anymore is too bad because it's a very charismatic gentleman with a lovely sense of humor that enters the stage.

His mustache reminds me of the arty farty rockers SPARKS and their odd albums in the 70's. With corky jokes like asking Tommy Denander to play "the wrong song in the right key" and throwing things at drummer Pontus Engborg he quickly has the audience in his hands.

Not that he really needs to do this because with classic hits like Hold The Line, Africa and Rosanna the music speaks loud by itself.

And with these hand picked musicians that no one can feel disappointed over the 64 year old Texas son offers a long set of really no weak points.

Bobby seems completely free of a bad ego and unlike many other big stars has no problem letting the members in the band perform their own songs as well so we are treated to both Crimes Of Passion from Tommy Denander's RADIOACTIVE and Here And Now from keyboard player P-O Nilsson's solo album.

 

And guitar player Tommy Denander is worth an extra mention since he is something of a hidden treasure of biblical proportions!

A studio veteran with more than 2000 albums on his credit list with artists like Paul Stanley, Alice Cooper, Jimmy Page and Yngwie Malmsteen. And that's just a couple of names that fits the readers of Critical Mass.

Michael Jackson is another name on his list that shows what level Tommy is on!!!

 

By Peter Jandreus