| Orchestra or Band | Free (Simon Kirke - dums, Andy Fraser - bass guitar, keyboards, Paul Kossof - guitar, Paul Rodgers - vocal, guitar)
Sutherland Brothers [support] (Gavin Sutherland - bass guiat, vocal, Iain Sutherland - vocal, guitar, keyboards) |
| Set List | Sutherland Brothers
INTERVAL
Free:
'Ride on a Pony',
'Lady',
'Be My Friend',
'Fire and Water',
'Songs of Yesterday',
'The Highway Song',
'Hold On',
'My Brother Jake',
'Heavy Load',
'Mr. Big',
'Soldier Boy',
'All Right Now',
'The Hunter', A King,
'Catch a Train',
'Cross Road Blues', R Johnson,
'Travellin' Man' |
| Performance Notes | "The audience went mad from the moment Free were introduced on Thursday at the Albert Hall. Nearly every number was greeted warmly with hoops and hollers, clappin' and stompin'. The atmosphere was so mesmeric that Free couldn't have made a wrong move if they'd wanted to.
They pulled the crowd through 'Travellin' Man', 'Riding On A Pony', 'Lady', 'Be My Friend' and 'Fire and Water', Paul Rodgers and Andy Fraser keeping themselves busy with exaggerated movements. Rodgers, with his skin tight studded jeans and stubbly face, would throw back his left leg about three feet behind him and soulfully belt out the song.
Baby-faced Fraser, one of the best white bassists around, slapped his bass and turned a 360 and lands with his knees nearly touching the ground. Simon Kirke sat completely up-right and stiff as he pumped through his routine, his hair becoming increasingly damp as the set progressed. Meanwhile, Mr. Morose, Paul Kossoff, stood mainly in the background by his amp looking intently at his guitar as he worked.
After 'Fire and Water', Fraser moved over to electric piano for 'Highway' and Kirke's 'Hold On' before returning to bass for a rousing version of 'My Brother Jake' followed by 'Soldier Boy' and 'Alright Now'. By this time, I thought the place was going to cave in. The audience rose from their seats as many rushed to the front of the stage. Others chose to stand up and boogie or idiot dance near their seats.
They left the stage but the crowd wouldn't let them go and proceeded to raise hell til they came back with Albert King's 'The Hunter'. At the end of the song, Rodgers pushed his mike stand in the direction of Kossoff's face, missing him by inches, and they left for what seemed like the last time.
The house lights went up but the audience demanded more. It seemed like several minutes had passed before Kirke came out from the dressing room tunnel and ran to his drums. Alone on the stage he started kicking a beat.
Another minute or so went by before he was joined by the rest of his team in what sounded like an unrehearsed jam. This went on for about five minutes and then Rodgers and Fraser reached out to shake a few hands. Their fans won't let go at first, but then do. They leave again.
Like spoiled babies, they cried out for more and more and more, but it takes a good five minutes before they returned. They've already gone through all their prepared material, so they repeat 'Travellin' Man', the opening song. Free freaks come out in all their glory and get what they paid for." (Danny Holloway, 1972, New Musical Express)
£34.02 of damages were caused to the Hall. |
| Related Archival Material | Event Booking Records (RAHE/4/6/15) |