Zoetermeer, Netherlands – Manfred Mann and Mick Rogers return with their British rock band Manfred Mann’s Earth Band to tour their Greatest Hits Show. Tonight at Boerderij, Zoetermeer in the Netherlands we got to be the first night of the European tour!
Whoever thinks of the single “Blinded By The Light” thinks either of Bruce Springsteen or the cover of Manfred Mann’s Earth Band. Growing up with Manfred Mann’s version I have to admit that it wasn’t until years later that I found out that the original was not Manfred Mann’s but Bruce’s. And that’s how it went with quite a few of their songs for me… However, I have always thought that it doesn’t detract from the quality of the songs. The covers are often set to Manfred Mann’s sound so that they could be different songs with coincidentally the same lyrics.
The set started with “Captain Bobby Stout” from their debut album, followed by “Don’t Kill It Carol” from Angel Station. It was clear that even after more than 50 years the band had not lost the pleasure of being in front of an audience. And although the last album with new music stems from 1996, the songs are still just as enthusiastically received by the public. Singer Robert Hart knows how to play the crowd well and interacts with the audience. The band sounded fantastic giving each member enough space to show their musical skills. You could hear that everyone was well-attuned to each other. After “You Angel You”, co-founder of the band guitarist Mick Rogers gave a solo in tribute to guitar virtuoso Jeff Beck, who passed away this year.
The other founder of the band, keyboardist Manfred Mann was almost completely hidden behind his multiple synthesizers for most of the show, occasionally giving a thumbs-up to the crowd whenever a song is finished. It seems that he doesn’t have the need to be the center of attention, after a few tracks he comes out from behind his instrument to have a chat with the audience and even tells a joke.
Before the band left the stage, their biggest hits like “Blinded By The Light”, “For You” and “Davy’s On The Road Again” had to be played. For the encore, drummer John Lingwood and Mick Rogers return to play one of the earliest successes of the band “Do Wah Diddy Diddy” followed by “Mighty Quin”. The catchy chorus was sung along loudly and even after the band had finished and bowed, the crowd would not stop singing. An excellent start to a tour I would say!
The band will continue their tour through Europe in the following months, for more information and tickets go HERE.
Manfred Mann’s Earth Band: Website | Facebook
Setlist:
Captain Bobby Stout
Don’t Kill It Carol
Martha’s Madman
Stronger Than Me
You Angel You
Father Of Day, Father Of Night
For You
Blinded By The Light
Davy’s On The Road Again
Do Wah Diddy Diddy
Mighty Quin
Show Date: February 3, 2023
