Peter Frampton
London Hammersmith Apollo
13th November, 2011

Celebrating 35 years of one of the greatest live albums of all time (eight-times platinum in the US), Frampton re-created the original set and more. Here, in his home city, he got an enthusiastic welcome, the evening opening with the LP’s intro, and the band rendering the classic Something’s Happening. What was instantly noticeable was how good the sound mix was, and that Frampton’s voice had hardly changed since 1976. From the sound of the dropped mic to the firework explosion in the crowd, the atmosphere was re-created perfectly, with Frampton’s voice and guitar both working wonders. From the funky Doobie Wah through Lines On My Face and the hit, Show Me The Way, this was a wonderful re-creation. The sound mixed hard rock and plenty of AOR, and hints of jazz, prog and even shred in places. Also notable was Frampton’s energy, humour and willingness to talk to the crowd; “Now we’re onto Side 2 of the record” raised a cheer. The extended finale of Do You Feel Like We Do, accompanied by the talk box and a backdrop of Frampton’s appearance on The Simpsons, brought the crowd to a standing ovation. The second set featured several tracks from the instrumental Fingerprints set, including the Floyd-sounding Float, and the more recent Thank You Mr Churchill; Restraint had a political statement and harsh King Crimson touch, and Road To The Sun saw Frampton’s son Julian take to the stage. The bluesy Four Day Creep and a rousing rendition of While My Guitar Gently Weeps finished a rocking evening.