Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

For the audience who made their way to one of the final nights of rock to be heard in the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall before its anticipated make over, for the band on stage who entertained them solidly for over two hours, there is at times nothing like Living In The Past; especially when it comes to witnessing the legendary Ian Anderson on stage.

Ian Anderson might have dropped the Jethro Tull adage that has accompanied him like a red rag forever hanging from the nose of much loved local tramp on his musical journey over the last 40 plus years but the sheer majesty is still there for all too see, witness and revel in. The sound of the flute still resonating hauntingly down through the years like the healthy strain of clockwork inside a Grandfather clock handed down through several generations, the wonderful mad expression of a highly rated musician echoing across the decades and surrounded by fellow musicians who get where the story is going at all times. Jethro Tull may be no more but he still kicks and thumps at the box that Ian Anderson has carefully laid him to.

Having released what is huge contender for album of the year, Home Erraticus, within the last few weeks, Ian Anderson, John O’ Hara, David Goodier, Florian Opahle, Scott Hammond and the intensity of Ryan O’ Donnell took the audience through the history of the British Isles, the footprints of a people and gave what cannot be described as a gig but more in keeping with the finest of West End musicals replete with songs that at times you could only ever dream of understanding the complexity of the combination of the well-placed music. Not a gig but perhaps the finest three ringed stage show you could hope to see performed.

With the first part of the show dedicated to the aforementioned album, tracks such as Doggerland, Enter The Uninvited, The superb The Turnpike Inn, The Pax Britannca, After These Wars and Cold Dead Reckoning served notice to a generation of budding musicians that a story can be told, the energy and depth of feeling will resonate with that complete narrative tale.

The second half, Jethro Tull breathed heavily and perhaps smiled serenely in his box as Ian Anderson and the band gave a short whistle stop, clock driven account of the accomplishments of former glories and where better to start than with the beauty of Living In The Past. It wouldn’t be a surprise to find that the respectful tone heaped upon the first part of the evening slid slightly into the realms of gratified comfortable British delirium in the second half as tracks such as Sweet Dream, Critique Oblique, Too Old Too Rock and Roll, Too Young To Die, the exceptional Songs From The Wood and the mystery of Aqualung all being their time in the sun to warm themselves against the cold fog of yesteryear. Aqualung itself was greeted at both end of its time stage as world peace had been declared, the unsteady giddy feeling of nostalgic  outpouring giving way to enigmatic understanding, a masterpiece of the vinyl era.

Living in the past? Does it matter if from time to time an audience respectfully asks to be taken down that route, either way, Ian Anderson by way of the three ringed musical circus, the film, great music and the imagination afforded a master story-teller; gave Jethro Tull two things; notice that Jethro Tull is no more but also that Jethro Tull for as long Ian Anderson can stand on one leg and play flute with such passion will always breathe in the background. The future still belongs to Ian Anderson.

Ian D. Hall