The 12/31/99 Millennium Performance at Universal Studios
& Some Words on the 12/18/99 Performance at The Crossroads

The Millennium Show……

First, I must apologize for the lateness of this "issue". My professional life has been getting the best of me so far in 2000. (I like it much better when Berlin does!) I hope that there are still some fans out there who will enjoy reading this.

At any rate, this was an outstanding way to start the new millennium! After Missing Persons opened, Terri started the first set with Masquerade, which fit very well with the theme for this portion of Universal Studios’ Millennium Dance Party. She was definitely in the spirit of things, as seen in this next photo shot when Terri took the stage:

One of my favorite portions of Masquerade is the ending where Terri just wails, as captured in this next shot of Rock’s:

The show was broadcast on America Online (at least the audio portion…I heard rumors of trouble with the video feed). There was a large clock at the back of the stage, which was counting down the remaining time in 1999, as shown in Rock’s next shot that was taken during Touch:

As was posted in the "Comments Section" of the "Berlin Page" around the first few days of the year, Mike ("from CMH") joined us in the VIP area for the show. He walked right up behind us and said, "Paul and Ron?"

I turned around and said, "Mike??"

I wondered if Mike might find us during the show from his Comments posting, and I was really glad that he did. We didn’t see any other fans we had met at previous shows. From that point on, we had a great time discussing Berlin, past events, and even what a zoo Universal Studios was (apparently, they weren’t expecting so many people).

Since this issue is somewhat long, I’ll try to hit the highlights of the performances. There is more detail on much of the playlist in "back issues".

No More Words was next, as shown on the playlist for Set 1. The audience participation portion was aimed at the girls in the first set and the guys in the second set this time. Prior to its performance in the first set, Terri said, "We’ve got a few minutes left to party likes it’s still 1999, so let’s do it!"

As Mike had commented to us, the performance of Steps, which followed, was very affecting. There is tremendous energy and emotion exuded during this driving, industrial song. One of the things that struck me during this particular performance in addition to Terri’s potent delivery was that Dallan’s solos seemed more "edgy" than usual (maybe it was just me), contributing substantially to the overall impact. That’s not taking anything away from the rest of the band. As I have commented a number of times, I believe the whole the band is very talented and extremely tight as a unit.
 
 

You Don’t Know is always a treat and is a great example of why, for me, Terri is the only REAL Diva! This next shot was taken during its performance with less than 4 minutes left in 1999.

Another outstanding talent this band has is the way that they perform covers. When they were performing Need You Tonight a few shows back, I felt it was better than the INXS version (and I have "Kick"). Their contribution to an upcoming Blondie tribute disc is Shayla. I am just nuts about the Berlin version and in this show it was played about 2 and ½ times, so I was in ecstasy!

Like I mentioned in the comments post, Terri stopped for the millennium countdown the first time into it. In preparation for the countdown, Terri said that she wanted to blow out the speakers in Bangkok with the countdown! The "spirited" countdown followed and the fireworks were simply incredible. I don’t think I have ever seen or heard so many shells explode at nearly the same time, for so long. There were also confetti cannons, etc., firing in the immediate area.

After the fireworks were over, The Metro was performed as the first live Berlin song of 2000. The Metro is always a driving, high-energy performance, like Steps. Terri covers a lot of the stage at a rapid pace, typically in a circular pattern, and just looks so very cute as she really gets pumped up!

Terri then restarted Shayla after The Metro. As I was writing in the 12/4 Coach House (Live Recording) issue, Terri’s vocals are even more ethereal than Debbie Harry’s, to me anyway. I think this next photo of Rock’s tells it all. Terri even looks like Debbie Harry!

The live arrangement of Shayla is just great with the whole band playing incredibly tightly! The rap portion done by Meeks (lower left in the above photo), Terri’s favorite rapper, adds a certain modern flair. As I recall, Terri called him "the Rapper from God". The short breaks in the song are reminiscent of a track from Don Randi and Quest’s, "If It’s All Night, It’s Alright" that I used to hear, live, in the late 80’s at "The Baked Potato". (Any fusion fans out there?). Like the Crossroads show earlier in December, Dallan’s broken-chord, heavy tremolo guitar got to me so much, I yelled, "Great guitar, Dallan!" after the song, and I think half the pit area heard me! The rest of the band was excellent as well, with Scott’s bass line rounding out a very warm, involving sound.

This next shot was also taken during Shayla:

Take My Breath Away was performed next. There is usually a dedication associated with this song. If memory serves correctly, this night it was dedicated to the fans who came out [in what turned out to be droves] and made the evening. Terri made a pass through the audience on her Paul’s shoulders, as shown in Rock’s next 2 shots.

I think this next shot typifies Terri’s relationship with her fans…"no more words" are necessary here, this picture says it all!

The last song of the first set was Sex… The next shot shows Dallan soloing on that customized Iceman guitar Mike mentioned in his Comments post while Terri is giving him a little extra motivation.

There was about a half-hour break between the two sets. During this break, we had managed to get right next to the stage at the foot of Terri’s mike stand, and Universal Studios personnel passed out masks, beads, etc., for the start of the next set. Rock wanted to capture the moment in this next shot after we had put on masks in preparation for Masquerade. >From left to right in this next shot we have "yours truly" and Mike "from CMH" ready for the next set! (Rock later nicknamed this shot "The Dynamic Duo".)

By the time the second set kicked off with Masquerade, we were wearing beads too. (Believe it or not, it is a little unusual for me to be wearing a mask and beads! It would have been nice to have had all this when Terri came out with her mask in the first set, but I think she still got a charge out of it…Universal probably had a hard time "finding good help" on the Millennial New Year’s Eve!!!)

It was still rainy and wet, as can be seen from the condition of the set list for the second set, and No More Words was next.

Terri had made a change of costume for the second set, which was quite evident when she took her coat off. Without getting into too many details, it had some of the finest accoutrements that I’ve ever seen! I posted to the Comments section right after the show, and I’ll just repeat the portion about this rather stimulating outfit here: Rock took this next shot during No More Words, when Terri sat down on the edge of a stage monitor. (I had to be a little careful in shot selection for this second set…like I told Paul S. later, "they ought to pay admission to get that special a show!")

Another emotion-packed rendition of Steps was next which was followed by You Don’t Know. Rock took this next shot near its solo ending in which Terri was singing to Scott.

X-Girl is a terrific new song that Terri wrote with Charlotte Caffey of the GoGos. I like it more and more each time I hear it. Prior to the start of X-Girl, Terri commented that she really liked seeing her breath…"it’s really kind of sexy, it’s like Rod Serling’s gonna show up and the Twilight Zone is gonna happen…." Although he didn’t get a good shot of this during the performance, Rock did take this next shot of the Universal Globe near the entrance to Universal Studios, whose fountain was creating a similar fog. The pavement was even steaming most of the night! Very unusual for Southern California!

Another round of killer performances of The Metro and Shayla followed. Not to beat a dead horse, but I remember being struck by Dallan’s guitar work, again, during the third performance of Shayla. He was clearly "into it", especially when playing the heavy tremolo, long-sustain, broken-chord portions that are so easy for me to get totally absorbed in, even more so when you add Terri’s vocals and the rest of the band! Then the whole thing is punctuated by Meeks’ rap and Rodger’s drumming in multiple places…an absolutely killer cover!!
 

Tell Me Why, always a rocker, was next. The whole band was still going strong at this point, and Rodger was just cranking on the drums.

Sex… followed and Rock’s next shot captured some of Dallan’s "orgasmic solo work", as Mike termed it in his 1/3/00 Comments post.

Also during Sex…, Rock got this close-up of the treatment Dallan typically has to "endure". (Such tough duty!!!)

After the Show…

After the show we had an enjoyable discussion with Paul S., welcoming each other to the very rare New Year, talking about the sets, Terri’s outfits, etc. We also had a chance to introduce Mike, who had made the trek all the way from Columbus! We then moved over to the merchandise area and caught up with Diane, Tania, and (Diane’s husband) Terry. (Sorry you lost the bet, Terry…you are a kick!). We were able to chat for a while before getting herded out by Universal Studios personnel as they were trying to close up. I also received my first kiss of the New Year, which was so sweet that I picked up its initiator and did a 360 with her, and then almost fell over as I found myself wrapped to my knees in the remains of the confetti streamers!

A Few Words about the12/18 Crossroads Show……

Before ending this issue, I wanted to get in a few words and some of Rock’s photo’s, like this "dreamy" close-up, on the 12/18 performance at "The Crossroads".

The set list is shown below, including a few tweaks…

Part of the highlights for me were some of the best live mixes and sound quality (at least from where I was standing) of Shayla and X-Girl that I have ever heard. I was in between Terri’s and Scott’s monitors, and also in line of sight of Dallan’s guitar amp. First, that little note on the playlist regarding the gain on the bass helped Scott add a deep, warm bottom end that was moving the whole venue! I was impressed with the quality of The Crossroads’ reinforcement gear to handle it so cleanly at the high sound pressure levels. Second, I have already commented at length about Dallan’s guitar work on Shayla, and this was another live version, like the Millennium show, in which he opened the song with a little solo guitar work to set the mood before Terri starts the vocal. Simply put, the guitar work was just sweet!!! Third, Terri’s smooth, powerful vocal was really up in the mix, as well, with no feedback problems whatsoever. Just the way I like it…she can never be too loud for me as long as the venue’s sound system can handle it relatively cleanly! Amidst all this, Rodger’s drumming was unbelievable, and I was close enough to feel the snare! The whole thing combined for a mix at my ears that was very smooth, very loud (especially on the low end), and extremely warm. It was nothing short of nirvana! The place could have been on fire and I wouldn’t have noticed! I had my eyes almost closed for a good part of the song while I was being mesmerized by "the only REAL Diva", and when I happened to open them and look over at Dallan, he was really smiling at me, probably at how much I was enjoying it. By the way, Dallan was a blast on the rap portion, as he filled in for Meeks this time.

Rock got this next shot in the middle of it all (with Terri’s shadow on the wall to add a little extra je ne sais quoi). The look on Dallan’s face (like "yeeaaaahhh"), as well as Terri’s, gives some idea of how much they get into it, as well!
 

Rock also got a pretty good shot of Scott this time. (He was unable to get any good shots of Rodger and Julie due to the lighting and our position.)

Another highlight was dual back-up singers on Tell Me Why. Charlotte happened to be in the audience for this show and came up on stage during this song with Julie after Terri cruised out into the audience. Charlotte just tore it up! Rock got this photo commemorating the event.

In the 12/4/99 Coach House Sacred and Profane Recording Issue, I promised a few shots of the wild antics that go on at times during Sex, I’m a… Well, Rock got these next two during its performance at The Crossroads. Note how skillfully he placed the mike stand when he was composing this shot so I could use it without worrying too much about "overexposure"!

Whatever commentary I might make on this next shot would be woefully inadequate, so I will just let the picture speak for itself! On the other hand, I guess I could comment on Rock’s composition, again, by noting the relative position of Dallan’s Iceman guitar ablaze with color…Nah, better not.

For this performance of Take My Breath Away, Terri dedicated the song to her Paul, noting how supportive he has been towards her career, etc. He is usually the one who gets to work his way through the audience with Terri on his shoulders when she makes passes through it. (He has also been the ultimate embodiment of "cool" when it comes to interacting with Terri’s fans.) I think Rock got a great shot of the handsome devil, himself, in that rather enviable position!

On the People Side….

Fan-wise, it was nice to see a few of the "old regulars" like Tina L. and Ken L., as well as Tazz, Geri, Scott, and Jeff again. It was also a blast to spend some time with various members of Berlin, Paul S., and Diane and her staff.

Catching Up on Some Old "Comments" Posts…

I was catching up on some of the older comments and, wow, the Page has been quite lively again! From a pianoless Terri to the revival of the Great Bass Debate, I guess I’ve missed quite a bit. I should say that Rock is a great guy and I thoroughly appreciate his generosity with the Millennium Dance Party, but he’s not quite my dream girl!! (I’ll have to start working on how to return the favor this year when it’s his turn!!) And about that wardrobe…well, I’ve heard it said by some experts with very long beards that hail from the great state of Texas that "every girl’s crazy ‘bout a sharp-dressed man!" Also, Geddy Lee rules (YYZ comes to mind), but I have absolutely no complaints with Berlin’s bass. The very low frequency content in Sex, I’m a…, You Don’t Know, etc., is most appealing to me, especially when the venue’s reinforcement system can handle it cleanly!!

Peace to all awaiting Sacred and Profane,
The Unofficial Knights of the Berlin Roundtable

(As usual, write-up/integration by Paul K., <paulk@ieee.org>,
scans and digital photos by "Rock" B., <rwburch@home.com>)