Tempest 15th Anniversary Show Veterans Memorial Theatre Davis, CA January 24, 2004 by Anil Prasad It was as close to time travel as you could get during a concert. Tempest's 15th anniversary gig saw members spanning its entire history celebrating with a raucous, packed house at Veterans Memorial Theatre in Davis, CA. Nearly 400 fans traveled from around the country to witness America's leading Celtic folk-rockers resurrect nuggets from its back catalog played by the original line-ups that created them. The first half of the evening began with the first line-up, featuring lead vocalist, electric mandolinist and founder Lief Sorbye; the group's first and only drummer Adolfo Lazo; guitarist Rob Wullenjohn; and bassist Ian Butler. They rocked through spirited versions of "Milligan's Fancy" and "Queen of Argyll" from the deleted and much sought-after 1989 debut cassette Celtic Rock. For more recent Tempest fans, the opportunity to see the band in a fiddle-free incarnation was a real ear-opener, with guitar and mandolin playing more upfront roles. They also got to enjoy Butler hamming it up in his inimitable Ace Ventura meets Wayne's World style. The quartet also revived some of its "New Celts on the Block" unison choreography routines thought lost to history, much to the delight of the audience. Next, fiddler Michael Mullen hit the stage to help unearth "Raggle Taggle Gypsy" and "Heather on the Moor" from 1991's Bootleg and 1992's Serrated Edge, respectively. Mullen was the group's original fiddler and recently rejoined. The crowd rewarded the return of his high-energy presence with a generous helping of jumping and pumping. Mullen's fiddle successor Jon Berger then joined the band to perform three tracks from 1994's Surfing to Mecca, including the title cut, "Take You to the Well" and "Spring Carol." Though Berger went on to become a lawyer after departing Tempest in 1996, he was in impressive form, gliding through the tunes with ease and enthusiasm. Equally exciting was seeing Sorbye play the flute during "Surfing to Mecca" for the first time in five years. Mullen then returned to engage in a rare Tempest performance as a six piece. He and Berger traded fiddle licks, and Berger also played accordion during renditions of "Captain Morgan" from Bootleg, as well as "Whiskey in the Jar" and "The Ballydesmond Set," both from Serrated Edge. A couple of ebullient Morris dancers added to the allure of the joyous "Ballydesmond," spawning several amusing audience attempts to mimic their moves. The second set saw the premiere of Tempest's latest line-up featuring Sorbye, Lazo, Mullen, guitarist Ronan Carroll and new recruit bassist Ariane Cap. The well-rehearsed group charged out of the gate with a fiery tune medley featuring "Nine Points of Roguery," "For the Three of Us" and "Wind That Shakes the Barley." Next, they launched into "One for the Fiddler" from 1997's Gravel Walk, providing Mullen with a showcase to strut his stuff. Four pieces from 2003's Shapeshifter followed, including "Tamosher," "Catalina Island," "Cruel Brother" and the radical rearrangement of "Byker Hill." The material sounded richer than ever, infused with new four-part vocal harmonies. The set finished up with "The Karfluki Set," featuring a manic Mullen bounding offstage into the crowd while Sorbye leaped about and successfully got everyone off their feet. A standing ovation and ear-splitting cheering greeted the band as they returned for the first encore. All eight musicians performed "Hal-an-Tow," "Green Grow The Rashes" from The Gravel Walk and "Jenny Nettles" from Celtic Rock. The eight-piece Tempest worked remarkably well, with Butler switching to baritone guitar and Berger performing on accordion. The entire band was having a great time, with old and new members dashing around the stage, gleefully interacting like kids in a playground. The second encore came as a hilarious shock to everyone. The new line-up reemerged, decked out in black hoods and capes and launched into the spooky, unmistakable intro of Spinal Tap's "Stonehenge." Everything you know and love was there, from the descending mini-monument, to the medieval dancers, to Ronan Carroll doing his best Nigel Tufnel impression. It was a brilliant moment in an already excellent show. After huge applause from the stunned crowd, the other reunion members returned and all involved performed the buoyant instrumental "The Sleeping Highlander" from Surfing to Mecca. Judging by the hundreds of beaming smiles after the show, the show was a grand success for the audience and musicians alike. "It was a fantastic experience," said Sorbye after the gig. "Each musician put their heart and soul into it. Everyone came into it with a really good spirit. It was an impulsive and unpredictable show. We had people onstage who had never played together before and it really worked. The common thread is that the musicians don't take themselves too seriously, but they take the music seriously. It's a very playful group that is terrific at communicating with audiences in a natural and open way." "Stonehenge" appeared to be a natural for the band too. An impromptu decision resulted in its inclusion. "Doing 'Stonehenge' was the fans' idea," explained Sorbye. "We worked on it during rehearsals and it clicked. So, at the last second we got a smoke machine, the capes, and built the monument, which was still drying the night before. It was priceless to see the reactions of people standing in the front. They were going crazy. Some people had their mouths gaping open. They couldn't believe what they were seeing. That was a lot of fun." After 15 years with Tempest, Sorbye remains fiercely enthusiastic about the group and its future prospects. "Our 15th anniversary has made me realize that Tempest has just scratched the surface of what we can do," he said. "The musical policy of the group has never become stale. When you dabble in traditional music, there's an endless source of inspiration and source material. We've made a home in folk-rock and I'm just as excited about it today as I've ever been." The gig was filmed and will be released this summer as a DVD with some special bonus material, including behind-the-scenes footage. Also, look for a three-CD boxed set featuring rare live, radio and studio cuts from Tempest in the same timeframe.