John Fogerty live in London: US rock icon returns to the UK for powerful celebration
A powerful and crowd-uniting performance from the Creedence man.
He may have turned 78 a mere day before hitting the stage in London, but last night’s show saw John Fogerty proving that age is just a number – delivering the same energy and sheer power that Creedence Clearwater Revival displayed over 50 years.
The tour, aptly called Celebration, saw the Creedence leader in jubilant mood as he raised a toast to successfully regaining ownership of his classic song catalogue after half a decade of wrangling with records execs – or “sons of bitches” as he generously put it.
And what a catalogue of songs it is. An opening blast of ‘Up Around The Bend’ set the mood perfectly, before ‘Green River’ and ‘Born On The Bayou’ saw Fogerty reminding the crowd of how Creedence’s southern-tinged sound took over the world in the 1960s.
Elsewhere, a crowd-pleasing rendition of ‘Who Will Stop The Rain’ came prefaced with a story about being reunited with his beloved Rickenbacker guitar, with Fogerty’s genial banter becoming one of the night’s high points.
It proved a touching family affair too. His sons Shane and Tyler were part of Fogerty’s band, while the show also featured a tribute to his wife of over 30 years, Julie, who watched on from the wings.
The true high, however, came in a late rendition of ‘Fortunate Son’ – with Fogerty’s still commendable voice and powering guitar licks proving that the song’s powerful pacifist sentiment has lost none of its relevance.
Similarly, a closing rendition of ‘Proud Mary’ saw Fogerty dedicate it to Tina Turner – the late great Queen of Rock and Roll. A deserved title, no doubt, but Fogerty, with his remarkable songbook – ‘Have You Ever Seen The Rain’ boasts over a million streams on Spotify – surely isn’t far behind in those musical stakes. A true legend of rock and roll at his very best.