BARRIE -- Jim
Morrison left The Doors ajar when he shuffled off this mortal coil --
or off somewhere -- three decades ago.
But while the surviving bandmembers continued to play on over the
ensuing years, the touring version of the band that rolled into Molson
Park as part of Harley-Davidson's Open Road roadshow last night has
sparked enough fuss you'd almost think old Jimbo was still at it.
What "The Doors" didn't spark was much in the way of a crowd on the
chilly evening, with attendance for their closing set at roughly
3,000. (That's our estimate -- the folks at Harley weren't releasing
ticket counts until after press time.)
Perhaps the debate among both fans and detractors as to the veracity
of "The Doors" -- co-founding keyboardist Ray Manzarek and guitarist
Robby Krieger with big-name support from The Cult's lead singer, Ian
Astbury, and ex-Police drummer Stewart Copeland -- is a moot point
here.
Either way, this workable incarnation of the group offered a faithful
rendering of their oeuvre, with Astbury and, in particular, Copeland
chipping in enough of their own respective touches to keep it from
being a totally shameful Morrison mock-up.
The supply of tunes was a no-brainer: Roadhouse Blues, Break On
Through, When The Music's Over, Love Me Two Times, Whiskey Bar, Back
Door Man, the spoken-word Ghost Song -- complete with native dancers
-- Spanish Caravan, L.A. Woman, Light My Fire, Riders On The Storm,
etc.
Manzarek and Krieger, their sound rounded out by a bassist (they
didn't have one in the early days), noodled in familiar style, the
funhouse organ intermingling with blues-edged guitar to generate a
modicum of enthusiasm.
It was weird then, that the show's strongest feature, apart from the
hits, was the substitutes themselves. Copeland -- sitting in for
original Door John Densmore, who's out of action with hearing problems
-- was totally at ease, almost running away with the show with his
feather-touch/powerhouse balance. Something of a busman's holiday,
maybe.
Poetry attack aside, the well-suited Astbury's Morrisonisms were no
more blatant than usual, with the tunes coming across in his Cult-era
yowl.
Then again, while Astbury may have had more to gain commercially from
the gig, it was just a relief seeing him up there instead of Creed's
Scott Stapp, who's sat in with "The Doors" in recent years.
It's too bad "Two Original Doors With Two Surprisingly Good
Replacements" wouldn't fit on the bill.
The Harley-Davidson Open Road Tour is scheduled to run into next
summer to mark the company's 100th anniversary.
This past weekend's festival also featured performances by Journey,
April Wine and Kim Mitchell Saturday, and David Usher and Bif Naked
yesterday. Attractions include an excellent indoor exhibition of
vintage motorcycles -- which would have fit nicely in a more permanent
venue or at an auto show.
Proceeds from the event when to the Muscular Dystrophy Association Of
Canada. (More on
The Doors)
