Obviously, the band returned to stage for an encore and they started it with the opener from their latest CD, Stay Mine. This was the song Alex had been waiting for, so he was happy happy happy. And he was warm, because that's what it still was. Very warm.

The last song of the performance was their usual closer, Still A Friend Of Mine. During this, something nice happened: out of the audience a girl, or young lady if you will, climbed on stage and she turned out te be Bluey's daughter.
This is truly a wonderful gesture and it shows that family and harmony mean a lot to Bluey. And so it should. He also comes across as being sincere when he says his thanks, because you can feel he is speaking from the heart. And afterwards you really have the idea that the world did become a better place after the concert. Truly one nation under the groove.

And groove it did. I think the difference is made by the singers. With Maysa on lead vocals the emphasis will lie on midtempo songs and ballads, because that's where her strength is. With Kelli Sae and Xavier Barnett on lead vocals the balance can be shifted towards more uptempo songs and this was the case now. It swinged like it never swung before and the audience swang accordingly.
It doesn't really matter for the musicians what and how they should play. They are all very good and they have mastered their instruments into the tiniest details, so whether they need to groove or whether they need to slow it down, they get the job done. Bluey can and will be proud of his partners in crime.
The only criticism I have has to do with the sound quality: too loud. Because of the loudness there was no room for the nuances in the music, which is a pity, because that is one of the strengths of this band. I don't think that Incognito had anything to do with this, but that it was somebody from Paradiso manning the PA who messed up; loud isn't always better!

After the concert DJ Cassie 6 took to the wheels of steel again and some solid sounds blasted from the speakers, which completed this wonderful evening. And even though a lot of people left the building right away, it didn't get much cooler.
How hot it really was I noticed from the CD booklet I carried in the pocket of my Dockers to have it signed by Bluey, which didn't work out by the way, which in way was a good thing, because it was drenched in sweat; all pages stuck together and it took me quite the effort and patience to get it back in somewhat the original shape.
All in all this was a very successfull evening and everybody from our group found it to her/his liking. Now we're waiting for the next time Incognito will perform in Holland, because I for one will be there again. I hope that it won't be as warm as this night ... but it made the flight back in my airconditioned car all the more pleasant ;-)

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© René Wirtz 2001