Todd Rundgren Shows Love For The Common Man Live @ Hammersmith Apollo, London

by | Apr 8, 2019

Todd Rundgren made a welcome return to London, his first for five years, on the second leg of his Individualist tour in support of his new autobiography of the same name.

Todd Rundgren, Individualist Tour (Simon Jay Price)

The Individualist (Simon Jay Price)

The idea of this tour is to play songs that trace his musical history in tandem with small excerpts from the Individualist book, alternating the dates (in cities), for a book signing and live concert experience across Europe and the United States.

Todd Rundgren, Individualist Tour (Simon Jay Price)

I Think You Know

The show itself is divided into two halves, the first a 90-minute tour through Rundgren’s history starting with the Nazz tune Open My Eyes, and taking in such landmark songs as Hello It’s Me and I Saw The Light.

Throughout, he mixes sound and vision with interjections and explanations about why he wrote songs about women and love and how he allowed himself to self-indulge and produce masterworks like the album A Wizard A True Star, from which he highlighted an amazing live version of Black Maria.

Todd Rundgren, Individualist Tour (Simon Jay Price)

Couldn’t I Just Tell You

The second part was an hour or so of some of Todd’s more experimental works, or perhaps those songs less played live, including stupendous performances of Black & White and Buffalo Grass.

His band, who were excellent throughout, included members of The CarsThe Tubes, and Utopia. Jesse Gress (guitar), Prairie Prince (drums), Kasim Sulton (bass), Greg Hawkes (keys), and Bobby Strickland (sax, oboe, clarinet) showed first-class musicianship and effortless brilliance, which was bought to the fore on the showstopper Eastern Intrigue.

Todd Rundgren, Individualist Tour (Simon Jay Price)

Keep Your Head And Everything Will Be Cool

Although there were also supposed to be some interactive questions from the audience shown on the big screen, the tiny demons really put a spanner in the works, but TR laughed off the gremlins with comic timing.

Todd Rundgren, Individualist Tour (Simon Jay Price)

Todd R Air Guitar

Throughout the show Todd managed to give us a brilliant vocal performance, some absorbing stories, and insight into his natural quick wit. His green guitar, affectionally named “Foamy”, actually had a malfunction during the opening numbers and whilst the roadie was sorting it out he joked “it was the first time that I had to play air guitar to my own song”.

Todd Rundgren, Individualist Tour (Simon Jay Price)

Black & White

Most of the set was taken from the Bearsville label albums that appeared in the 1970s and, although he has produced some great work since then, there are not many individual artists apart from Bowie and Prince who have produced such a diverse and solid set of records in one decade.

Todd Rundgren, Individualist Tour (Simon Jay Price)

Will The Real Todd Stand Up

Personally, I loved that he dipped into works from Faithful, Hermit Of Mink Hollow, and Initiation (which, at the time, was the longest ever recorded rock vinyl album with nearly 70 minutes of playing time and came with a warning to make sure that you had a new stylus so as not to damage the record as the grooves were so close together). This is just one of the many “musical firsts” that Todd Rundgren has had over the years.

Todd Rundgren, Individualist Tour (Simon Jay Price)

Todd Rundgren, Hello It’s Me (Simon Jay Price)

As Todd has a massive catalogue of work I am sure the set list will change nightly, and the band will cope by taking those changes in their stride, but I for one was blown away to hear Love Of The Common ManToo Far GoneFade Away, and Fair Warning played live on the same night along with out and out rockers The Death Of Rock & Roll and Determination.

Todd Rundgren, Individualist Tour (Simon Jay Price)

Just One Victory

The encore was the feel-good singalong hand-clapper Just One Victory, which gave the audience the chance to run to the front of the theatre and overrun the two security guards at the front. Todd actually told them to let the crowd come, and if he could have shook hands with everyone in the hall I think he would have done so.

Individualist, inspirer, initiator, come back soon Todd Harry Rundgren. The people did not want to let you go!

Todd Rundgren, Individualist Tour (Simon Jay Price)

Todd Guitar

Live Review & Photography by Simon Jay Price of Todd Rundgren at Hammersmith Apollo on Saturday 6th April 2019.

 

Todd Rundgren, Individualist Tour (Simon Jay Price)

Open My Eyes

Ash @ Scala (Kalpesh Patel)

Ash Share Video for ‘Ad Astra’ Featuring Graham Coxon

Northern Irish alt-rock stalwarts Ash have shared the video for their latest single Ad Astra, featuring Blur’s Graham Coxon, taken from their brand-new album of the same name — out now on Fierce Panda Records.

Karin Ann (Press)

Karin Ann Teams Up With Suki Waterhouse For Heart-Stirring New Single ‘i was never yours’

Slovak singer-songwriter Karin Ann has unveiled her stunning new single, i was never yours, marking an evolution in sound and storytelling for the rapidly rising artist. The track — co-written with Suki Waterhouse and Harrison Whitford (Phoebe Bridgers) and produced by Benjamin Lazar Davis (Maya Hawke) — finds Karin blending folk, country, and indie rock into a sound that feels both intimate and cinematic.

Amy Macdonald (Olivia Rose)

Amy Macdonald Shares Empowering New Single ‘I’m Done (Games That You Play)’

Amy Macdonald continues her remarkable run as one of the UK’s most enduring singer-songwriters with the release of her...
Blair Davie (Press)

Blair Davie Unveil Deeply Personal New EP ‘First And Last’

Scottish singer-songwriter Blair Davie has released their highly anticipated new EP, First And Last, via Giant Music —...
Joyce Manor (Dan Monick)

Joyce Manor Announce New Album ‘I Used To Go To This Bar’ Alongside Lead Single ‘Well, Whatever It Was’

California punk favourites Joyce Manor have announced details of their upcoming album I Used To Go To This Bar, due for release on 30th January 2026 via Epitaph Records. The band have also shared the lead single Well, Whatever It Was, accompanied by a chaotic and comedic Lance Bangs–directed music video that riffs on The Great British Bake Off, featuring cameos from comedians and musicians playing UK rock icons.

Third Eye Blind @ Islington Assembly Hall (Kalpesh Patel)

Third Eye Blind Bring Chaos, Charm And Catharsis To London’s Islington Assembly Hall

An ominous, synth-driven hum filled the room at Islington Assembly Hall, a restless Thursday night crowd buzzing beneath it. Then — silence. A heartbeat later, the guitars of Thanks A Lot burst to life as Stephen Jenkins strode onto the stage in crisp white trousers and a beanie, his guitar hung low, his every movement theatrical. The room erupted. Without a word, Third Eye Blind were off and running — all muscle, melody and memory.

Darius Rucker @ Utilita Arena Birmingham (Henry Finnegan / @finneganfoto)

Country Spirit Soars As Darius Rucker Brings Nashville Energy To Birmingham

It was a night of country music highs at the Utilita Arena Birmingham as Darius Rucker brought his unmistakable voice and charisma to the city. The South Carolina-born star has long been a bridge between country traditions and mainstream appeal, and his stop in Birmingham underlined why he remains one of the genre’s most enduring figures. Before the headline act took the stage, the crowd was treated to a journey through some of country’s brightest stars, each setting the mood in their own way.

Fickle Friends (Daniel Alexander Harris)

Fickle Friends Bottle The Chaos Of New Love On Single ‘Joe’ Ahead Of Self-Titled Album

Brighton indie-pop favourites Fickle Friends have unveiled their latest single Joe, a bold and chaotic anthem that...

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

Share Thing