The very name Creedence Clearwater Revisited conjures up an image of a Creedence covers band. Let me tell you this band is the real deal.
Stu Cook (bass) and Doug Clifford (drums) were original members of Creedence Clearwater Revival and built that CCR sound with the Fogerty brothers. No-one questions Chicago on the road, same deal here with CCR. Creedence Clearwater Revisited is Creedence Clearwater Revival and the fans at last nights show at Hisense Arena in Melbourne agreed.
John Tristao on vocals can sing like Fogerty, so much so that this band sometimes sounded closer to the Creedence records than John did on his last few solo tours. So it should. Cosmo’s drumming was the impeccable timing for the old band. Stu Cook’s bass lines, even though I cannot get him to admit it, make up a crucial element of what you hear on every CCR song on every CCR record.
Last night Creedence had a trump card in former guitarist for The Cars, Elliott Easton, now playing lead guitar in the band. The Cars never toured Australia so for Easton this is his maiden journey.
In fact Creedence Clearwater Revival only ever toured Australia once and that was in 1972. Fogerty has played a similar setlist here twice in the last five years so the audience had been preconditioned to how good the songs sound live, thanks to John.
However, the CCR setlist was not weighed down with solo tracks and “another one from my new album”. It was 100% vintage CCR. The only covers in the set were the songs CCR recorded as covers for their original albums.
From the very opening note of ‘Born On The Bayou’ through to the encore moment ‘Up Around The Bend’ you knew every song. From ‘Bayou’ the near capacity audience were on their feet. The crowd loved it. So did I.
The setlist for Creedence Clearwater Revisited from Hisense Arena, Melbourne October 17, 2010 was:
Born On The Bayou (from Bayou Country, 1969)
Green River (from Green River, 1969)
Lodi (from Green River, 1969)
Commotion (from Green River, 1969)
Who’ll Stop The Rain (from Cosmo’s Factory, 1970)
Suzie Q (from Creedence Clearwater Revival, 1968)
Hey Tonight (from Pendulum, 1970)
Long As I Can See The Light (from Cosmo’s Factory, 1970)
Down On The Corner (from Willy and the Poor Boys, 1969)
Lookin’ Out My Back Door (from Cosmo’s Factory, 1970)
I Heard It Through The Grapevine (from Cosmo’s Factory, 1970)
The Midnight Special (from Willy and the Poor Boys, 1969)
Bad Moon Rising (from Green River, 1969)
Fortunate Son (from Willy and the Poor Boys, 1969)
Have You Ever Seen The Rain (from Pendulum, 1970)
Travelin’ Band (from Cosmo’s Factory, 1970)
Good Golly Miss Molly (from Bayou Country, 1969)
Up Around The Bend (from Cosmo’s Factory, 1970)
