Premonition Tour 1998

Premonition Tour 1998

Wrap-up Report of the Tour

John Fogerty’s “Premonition” Tour 1998 kicked off in Indianapolis on 13 June. There was something of a false start in April when he performed at the New Orleans Jazz Festival. The concert tour included no less than 50 dates in the U.S., Europe and Australia, and in such prestigious venues as Radio City Hall in New York. One of the concerts, Atlanta GA, was broadcast live via the Internet on July 19th.

A couple of changes in personnel were made for the tour. Drummer Kenny Aronoff wasn't able to tour with Fogerty due to his commitments with Smashin' Pumpkins, and he was replaced by Steve Ferrone (Average White Band, Tom Petty) at the “New Orleans Jazz Fest.” and Michael Cartellone (Lynyrd Skynyrd) in the summer. Other posts of the band remained the same: Michael Ganipe (rhythm guitar), Johnny Lee Schell (rhythm guitar), and Bob Glaub (bass).

Fogerty slightly changed the set list of the tour from the “Blue Moon Swamp Tour” 1997. Added were "Premonition", the title song of his 1998 live album, "Rambunctious Boys", "Blue Moon Nights", "Jambalaya (On The Bayou)", "Up Around The Bend", "Wrote A Song For Everyone" and the much awaited "Have You Ever Seen The Rain". The removed numbers included eg. "110 In The Shade" and "Before You Accuse Me".

There also seemed to be more variation in the set list, compared to the 1997 tour. Songs were added and removed. Despite more rotation he was criticized for keeping much of the set list and even the talks to the crowd between the songs identical from concert to concert. The concerts always featured almost 30 songs and lasted approximately two hours 15 minutes. The set lists featured numbers from his Creedence catalogue and all solo albums except "Eye of the Zombie".

Here is what the crowd heard:

Born On The Bayou

Green River

Lodi

Lookin' Out My Backdoor

Suzie Q

I Put A Spell On You

Breathtaking 30 minutes with six Creedence classics in a row. "Green River" might sound a little forced, as his 90's rendition, but the extended guitar solo and the convincing version of "Suzie Q" highlighted the opening steps of the show.

Premonition

Bring It Down To Jellyroll

Who'll Stop The Rain

Rambunctious Boy

The drumming of Cartellone turned this previously unperformed song from a country-rocker into a full tilt boogie. Fogerty raced across the stage like an unfettered teenager.

Up Around the Bend

Last time Fogerty did the B side opener of "Cosmo's Factory" live was the Vietnam Vets’ concert in July 1987. As a minor shortcoming, some people missed the too-too-toos at the end on the 1998 tour.

Workin' On A Building

Joy Of My Life

Blue Moon Nights

At this point, Fogerty and the band moved into a more intimate setting, with John, Johnny Lee Schell, and Michael Knipe sitting, and the drummer moved down off his platform to a smaller kit near the others, as Kenny A. had in fact done on the “Blue Moon Swamp Tour”. John played dobro on these three songs. "Blue Moon Nights" was performed in the place of "Big Train (From Memphis)" that was featured on the 1997 tour.

Centerfield

Down On The Corner

Jambalaya (On The Bayou)

The premiere of the live version of this "Blue Ridge Rangers" cut took place at “New Orleans Jazz Fest” 4/24/98. He changed the second solo from the album version.

Wrote A Song For Everyone

One of the previously unperformed songs in Fogerty's set. The arrangement was altered. Fogerty began alone on acoustic guitar. After the first verse the others joined in.

Have You Ever Seen The Rain

One of the highlights of the 1998 setlists. Fans wondered already in 1997 why this essential Creedence classic was missing in the song line-up of his "Blue Moon Swamp Tour". Not unlike on "Wrote A Song For Everyone", he started alone on acoustic guitar and strapped on the mouth-mike and just walked around with it.

Swamp River Days

Hot Rod Heart

Cotton Fields

On the “Blue Moon Swamp Tour” in 1997, he premiered this country standard in Oslo, Norway, where the crowd suddenly started to sing the song spontaneously. In 1998, the piece was a regular number in the concerts. As in Oslo, Fogerty didn't sing at all but accompanied the crowd with his guitar.

The Midnight Special

The Old Man Down The Road

One of the highlights of the programme featured amazing heavy metal guitar solos.

Rockin' All Over The World

This classic appeared first time in Fogerty's set list in a couple of concerts in Sweden in November 1997. Reportedly, the 1998 tour version rocked harder than on "Premonition".

I Heard It Through The Grapevine

Fogerty has often altered the guitar solo of this Motown standard. On the 1998 circuit, the solo was one of the highlights of the concerts. At the conclusion Cartellone launched into a 30 second or so drum solo that had the crowd roaring.

Bad Moon Rising

Fortunate Son

Proud Mary

Travelin' Band

As said, there was more variation in the set lists than on 1997 tour. One of the surprises was "Tombstone Shadow" that he did live for the first time since 1970 on the opening leg of the “Premonition Tour” in Indianapolis 13 June. It has a different key, a country beat and extended guitar solo. Unfortunately, he shelved "Tombstone Shadow" in latter dates of the tour.

Another highlight of the "Premonition" album, "Almost Saturday Night", was played in Indianapolis (6/13) and Milwaukee (6/15), plus in the "Today" TV show 7/3. A real surprise was a Gene Vincent classic "Be Bop A Lula" that he did in Virginia Beach on 9 July.

There were few complaints concerning the sound quality of the concerts. Some critics pointed out that the rhythm guitars were mixed amazingly low, as in 1997, and were hard to pick out.

Generally, comments on the concerts of the 1998 tour were positive and enthusiastic. Doubtless, his live concerts seemed to provide fatter grooves than the slightly sterile "Premonition" album. The shows were powerful and highlight-packed. He reclaimed his old songs and showed that he's only aged for the better. Said Bob from Indianapolis who first saw CCR back in 1971 (report) and Fogerty for the first time in 1998: "Looking and performing with the energy of a man half his age, Fogerty destroyed any conception anybody might have had that he is an "oldies" act. He presented torrid versions of old and new songs in his repertoire that in every case equaled or surpassed any previous recorded version. If you missed this show, you missed the most exciting musical event in this town in a long, long, time."

Another member of the international John Fogerty mailing list on the Internet summarized his and his buddies' experience by saying: "On the trip home (55 miles), our van resonated to everyone still singing his songs at the top of our voices."

NOTE: If you attended any of these shows, send your review here.

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