George Harrison Tribute Concert
Royal Albert Hall
London, England
11-29-2002

Disc 1
01 Indian Music Introduction
02 Eric Clapton
03-05 Ape - Ravi & Anoushka Shankar
06 Sit On My Face - Monty Python Cast
07 Lumberjack Song - Michael Palin
08 I Want To Tell You - Jeff Lynne
09 If I Needed Someone - Eric Clapton/Jeff Lynne
10 Old Brown Shoe - Gary Brooker/Eric Clapton
11 Give Me Love - Jeff Lynne
12 Beware of Darkness - Eric Clapton
13 Here Comes The Sun - Joe Brown
14 Thats the Way it Goes - Joe Brown

Disc 2
01 Horse to the Water - Sam Brown vocals/Jools Holland piano
02 Taxman - Petty & Heartbreakers
03 I Need You - Petty
04 Handle With Care - Tom Petty/Jeff Lynne
05 Isnt It A Pity - Eric Clapton/Billy Preston
06 Photograph - Ringo
07 Honey Don't - Ringo
08 For You Blue - Paul McCartney
09 Something - Paul
10 All Things Must Pass - Paul/Jeff Lynne
11 While My Guitar Gently Weeps - Clapton
12 My Sweet Lord - Billy Preston
13 Wah Wah - Jeff Lynne/EricClapton
14 Thank Yous & Talking
15 See You in My Dreams (Joe Brown singing & on uke) 

As 5,000 fans settle into their expensive seats, George Harrison's
old Rickenbacker guitar sits alone onstage beneath a picture of the
former 'quiet' Beatle, who went on to seek enlightenment and happiness
away from the spotlight. 

The first half of the show - 12 months since his death - features the
Indian music George loved so much, courtesy of Ravi Shankar's daughter
Anoushka, who plays tonight's specially written piece, 'Ape' (pronounced
Arpa, meaning to give), and is simply breathtaking. Monty Python's Eric 
Idle, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones and Neil Innes then change the mood
somewhat with 'Sit On My Face', before leaving bare arsed beneath their
waiters' aprons as Michael Palin begins a comedy tribute that breaks off
for the legendary 'Lumberjack Song'. 

Still reeling from that surreal spectacle, Jeff Lynne joins Eric and the
house band for a stomping, spell-binding 'I Want To Tell You' from 'Revolver'
and then, while we're still trying to decide if George's son Dhani could
possibly look anymore like his dad up there playing guitar, they spin out the
sparkling opening salvo of 'If I Needed Someone'. Magnificent. 'Give Me Love
(Give Me Peace On Earth)' - featuring more bottlenecks than the M6 - and then
Joe Brown, George's Best Man, joins us for a sweet version of the 'Abbey Road'
classic, 'Here Comes The Sun'. 

 
 
Next up, Tom Petty counts in the intro to 'Revolver''s famous 'Taxman'. It's a
measure of George's skill and originality as a guitarist that Heartbreaker Mike
Campbell comes nowhere near the controlled chaos of the original solo. Tom
delves back in time to the 'Help!' set for 'I Need You' and then it's full on
Travelling Wilburys for the single 'Handle With Care'.

Billy Preston takes over on organ for Clapton's 'Isn't It A Pity', but, by now,
we're getting restless for some more ex-Beatles, so Eric introduces "a man who
loved George very much" and on comes Ringo to a standing ovation, all little legs
and red velvet jacket. He thanks us for coming, stays clear of the drums and treats
us to a version of the poignant 1973 Starr/Harrison hit 'Photograph' - "now all I
have is a photograph to remind me..." - before reprising the Carl Perkins' classic
'Honey Don't' which he sang on 'Beatles For Sale' thirty eight years ago.

As if it couldn't get anymore awe-inspiring, Ringo then announces: "I'd like to
introduce you to someone else who George loved very much... Mr Paul McCartney."
We're all on our feet now as a sombrely dressed Paul acknowledges the cheers and
leads the band (Ringo now on drums) in 'For You Blue' from 'Let It Be' - a thrilling
moment for any Beatles fan. But Paul knows how to lighten the mood. He picks up a
ukulele and tells us, "Sometimes we'd go round to George's for dinner and after, the
ukes would come out. The last time I was there I said 'I've got one for you George'
and it goes like this." Macca strums away in true George Formby style before singing
the opening verse of 'Something' and the crowd cracks up. The band joins in quietly
with this weird, comedy version of a true classic, but then we hit the guitar break
and it's full on, original arrangement, as our hearts stop and that famous slide guitar
soars up into the Gods. A spine-tingling moment.

 
 
'All Things Must Pass' is a perfect summation of tonight's celebration and a thirty
two year old declaration of George's philosophy, played by his mates and his doppleganger
son. Lump in the throat time for sure. And where do you go from here? Well, what about
Macca at the piano and Ringo on drums for a towering 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps',
complete with a Clapton solo that must rank among his finest onstage moments - ever.
So emotionally drained by now is the crowd that we need a release - to stand, stomp and
sing along - so here comes 'My Sweet Lord' - possibly the only time 5,000 well-heeled music
fans will ever be heard singing "Hare Krishna, Hare Hare" on the chorus. Then, after a
short 'thank you' from Dhani, Joe Brown closes the night with one of George's favourite
songs, the sweet and touching 'I'll See You In My Dreams', as a shower of petals falls
gently from the ceiling. 

Put this one down as one of those events that you really do feel privileged to have
attended. George Harrison's music, his beliefs, his life, made him a one-off and that's
exactly what this gig was. 

Andy Strickland