Review: Eagles at the NIA Birmingham

Jul 8 2009 By Andy Coleman

Tim Schmit and Don Henley (behind) performing at the NIA.

Glenn Frey performing at the NIA.

L-R: Tim Schmit, Don Henley, Glenn Frey and Joe Walsh performing at the NIA.

Joe Walsh performing at the NIA.

Joe Walsh performing at the NIA.

Joe Walsh plays slide guitar.

L-R: Tim Schmit, Don Henley and Glenn Frey performing at the NIA.

Joe Walsh plays slide guitar.

Tim Schmit and Don Henley (behind) performing at the NIA.

Tim Schmit (left) and Don Henley performing at the NIA.

WITH ticket for this show priced between £50 and £100, fans shelling out their hard-earned cash had a right to expect something special - and that’s exactly what they got.

For more than two and a half hours the band served up new songs and old classics, never once allowing pace to drop.

The four main members - Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Joe Walsh and Timothy B Schmit - were dressed alike, in dark suits, white shirts and black ties, mirroring the slick and sophisticated performance on offer.

But with eight additional musicians on stage, including guitarist Steuart [CORRECT] Smith, who could be considered the fifth Eagle, they were able to replicate the smooth sound achieved in the recording studio.

They’ve been on the road supporting their 2007 album, Long Road Out Of Eden, for some time now so everything goes like clockwork - even Frey’s between song banter is more or less the same every show.

Opening with three songs from their new album could be considered risky but the quality of How Long, I Don’t Want To Hear Any More and Guilty Of The Crime meant they went down well with the near capacity crowd.