Brian Wilson, Digbeth Arena - review and pictures
Over the past few months we have seen some legends of music grace the West Midlands, including David Byrne, Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters and the Rolling Stones.
And last night another graced the stage at the Digbeth Arena, one of Birmingham’s newest venues.
Brian Wilson, from the legendary Beach Boys, was helped on stage using a Zimmer frame, looking extremely frail.
After sitting down he thanked the crowd for coming out and the band went straight into California Girls, signing about sunny California on a chilly night in Birmingham.
They went on to play classics including Dance Dance Dance, I Get Around and Surfer Girl, before ending a truncated first section of the show. Brian's team would likely have been worried about his health on such a cold night.
Wilson was backed by some excellent musicians, including fellow original Beach Boy Al Jardine and one-time Beach Boy Blondie Chaplin, while amazing multi-instrumentalist Paul Von Mertens kept everything on track.
In the second half half of the show the band played seminal 1966 album Pet Sounds, which was voted best ever album by Uncut Magazine in 2016.
It was wonderful to see and hear it played, with exquisite harmonies from the10-piece band.
Wilson’s voice was very frail but the rendition of God Only Knows was perfect and emotional in every way.
After Pet Sounds there was a final set of iconic songs, starting with Good Vibrations and going into Help Me Rhonda, Barbara Ann, Surfin USA, Fun Fun Fun and Love & Mercy.
Despite early reservations it turned out to be a really enjoyable evening in a great new city-centre venue and I really think Brian enjoyed his evening too.
By Andy Shaw
