Sunday
Feb022014
Winger Still Sounds Killer Live
Sunday, February 2, 2014 at 12:01AM Winger played a club in Milwaukee Friday night. Even after all these years, I'm still blown away by "Headed For A Heartbreak." The most amazing part of it all is that the band still sounds so tight. I wish some of our other favorite bands would take note: Winger know how to bring it live. Watch.
Reader Comments (15)
I'm still not a fan (always change the station from hair nation when their songs come on), but live, no one can tough them. It's just the recorded songs are very boring to me.
I like a lot of their songs (Easy Come, Easy Go and Seventeen are still fantastic). Headed for a Heartbreak was just ok. Some of their other songs were just so-so but they have a lot of good ones. They deserve more credit than they got.
Kip Wingjob's posing was annoying and it's interesting that the band is made up of the only 5 guys who have been in the band, including one that replaced another.
That IS cool.
And Rita, you are SO right, particularly "Easy Come, Easy Go".
I'm with Brian C. I saw 'em at M3 that year, too, and they tore it up. I have the opportunity to see 'em on The Monsters of Rock Cruise but will probably skip it and stick with the M3 memory.
Just can't stomach the songs, unfortunately, no matter how great they are performed and believe me, they do more than nail it. So don't take my bellyachin' too much to heart and go see 'em if ya haven't recently.
As far as the 'posing' stuff with Kip...it was unavoidable and expected of him to be that way. He could carry it off, and sad to say the band probably got most of its success off his good looks. And being a young single lady at the time, well... ;) (I still think he's handsome, even as I get ready to celebrate my 19th wedding anniversary in a couple of weeks...)
And, yes, it looks like this show was a good one. I've seen shows where it was hot as hell, and Kip was sick with the flu and yet it still went on; I didn't even know he was ill until we went backstage and he seemed to be a bit distant and tired--at first I thought it was because it was towards the end of the tour, and of course it was in Virginia in July where the humidity is enough to drown in. Reb told us that they'd been passing the flu around the tour bus--he'd had it the week before--and now it was poor Kip's turn...and yet he still went on an outdoor stage and gave it all he had. I've also seen shows where Paul's keyboard stand collapsed and Kip's Mac PC crashed...and yet those guys still manage to sound great.
I've heard the Ritchie Sambora story before too. But the version I heard had Ritchie complain that Jon Bon Jovi didn't want him to play long solos... ;)
One more thing. In watching this video, I saw something I don't see with many bands. When Reb goes to the super long solo at the end, Kip and John step back. Way back, almost behind Paul and Rod. Most other bands I've seen had members that didn't step back--sometimes even getting in front of the soloist. It's probably the thing that has kept the Winger band together in all their setups for 25 years--respect. Watch when Kip goes around and introduces the band--he has yet to introduce himself to the audience, but he will call out the other members.
Just sad they couldn't get the 6th member to permanently be with the band--Cenk Erglou was considered to be a member, but I suppose the issues with his visas (he's from Turkey) prohibited him from staying.
Right now it appears that M3 is going to be the closest Winger will come to Virginia. Dammit, I have another commitment that weekend and can't go. Figures.
>^..^<
I caught them live on the first Rocklahoma show in 2007,and was impressed with their performance - more so than I ever thought I would be. Plus, Kip altered one of the lines at the end of "Seventeen" to "she's only...35". Hilarious! Glad that Winger ignored the bullshit and continue to tour today. Hoping to catch them at M3 this year.