The Final Gig: Wembley Arena - London, UK 9/28/12

[Alan Smith]

You know, I was going to write a big fancy review, but now I can't be arsed!

Perhaps not big, but still quite fancy - just like the reviews above, thanks all.  Glad you Brits had a huge time, keep the reviews rollin' 

[EgoHanger1966]

Part 11
http://youtu.be/e_sMw4_R8YE

Part 12
http://youtu.be/8Xhp_FhwpCc

Part 13
http://youtu.be/Vt2RpiuuBpo

Have to say my heart got pretty heavy watching In My Room. Perfect camera work, perfect rendition. Breathtaking.
I would be so happy if they just released the straight feed for one of these shows to DVD (in dvd quality, of course). No frills, fancy shots, any of that - it isn't needed. What I've seen from these videos is an accurate, down to earth, uplifting experience of what the Beach Boys are all about and what they should be forever remembered to be.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

The Boys were looking stylish this tour.

Part 14
http://youtu.be/XFo5lKtoUz0
Part 15
http://youtu.be/H2FY1qZWL40

[Justin]

Brian is singing every damn note in this show.  He's not missing anything.

I think the secret to get Brian totally "on" for a show is to catch him on the final night of a tour 

[seltaeb1012002]

California Saga. All of the major players there sounding like the record. So good.

[Shady]

A few notes:

I was really impressed with the tour program, beautifully done..

A man was going around with the back of his head shaved with the words "beach boys 50", the words were dyed a bunch of different colors

A lot of people cried during "surfer girl", two young couples were in front of me, one with the boy crying the other with the girl

Al botched the opening line to "Then I kissed her" but handled it like a pro, he did just that line over again when the song ended

It was very cool to see "this whole world" and "You're so good.." get a huge reception

"It's ok" and "Rock n Roll music" really slow the show down, I would say "kokomo" too but people seem to like it

The Beach Boys might have the most adoring fans in the world

A lot of cougars were on the prowl during the show. This 22 year old guy had a great time  

[ontor pertawst]

I would be so happy if they just released the straight feed for one of these shows to DVD (in dvd quality, of course). No frills, fancy shots, any of that - it isn't needed.

Wouldn't that be ideal? It's the best in house video crew treatment I've seen on any of these videos. Unfortunately, I'm sure Wembley owns it, and where would that leave the folks 50 Big Ones paid a bunch of money to document the shows? They want to throw in the gib arms, swoopy things, and stupid shots of inept audience dancing.

[doc smiley]

boy was Brian ever on!
If you listen to "All This is That" you'll notice that Brian is singing a large part of Carl's sections...
amazing! 

[SamMcK]

Anyone else notice the audience didn't respond that well to Kokomo? At least where I was standing!

[the professor]

what a show--watching the youtube videos--the best ever. They play as if it were for the last time. . . . . .who  is weeping as I am?

A certain intensity, as in California Dreamin', is unprecedented; I just don't get it.  This is the ultimate in heart, beauty , and harmony.

the BB: wow.

[EgoHanger1966]

One of the great things about this gig is that the new teleprompter has Brian looking up, whereas previously he used to have to look to the side or slightly down. If he continues to tour (with or without the Beach Boys), I hope he continues to use it.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Part 16
http://youtu.be/J3ardnTq1Wk

Part 17 ;(
http://youtu.be/r8fMbcMsr4c

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Holy sh*t...Brian sounds good as hell, looks confident as hell...and did I mention he's singing well? Not just singing well for 70 year old Brian Freakin' Wilson, but singing well period. He's very audible in the harmony stack, and he's nailing pretty much everything he sings. He was even singing parts he normally doesn't do. He knew it was the last show for a while, and put 110% of himself in his performance. This, my friends, was the real Brian Wilson tonight.

[seltaeb1012002]

Whoa.. is that BW taking a stab at his original falsetto part in Forever?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2FY1qZWL40&feature=player_detailpage#t=165s

[EgoHanger1966]

Whoa.. is that BW taking a stab at his original falsetto part in Forever?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2FY1qZWL40&feature=player_detailpage#t=165s

Wow! Yeah, I would say so. Only because he doesn't really reach it - if it was Jeff or a band member, there would be a pronounced falsetto. I love how he intro'd Carl on the screen after that, too.

[seltaeb1012002]

Whoa.. is that BW taking a stab at his original falsetto part in Forever?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2FY1qZWL40&feature=player_detailpage#t=165s

Wow! Yeah, I would say so. Only because he doesn't really reach it - if it was Jeff or a band member, there would be a pronounced falsetto. I love how he intro'd Carl on the screen after that, too.

Man, he still has that tone! I hope he tries to utilize it a little more in the studio on any future recordings. Makes me wonder if that's the first time in the tour that he attempted it, and if he tried any other falsetto parts at random.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

That brought a tear to my eye.

[EgoHanger1966]

Part 16 - try and spot Al get the lyrics to Wouldnt It Be Nice wrong. He's pretty well covered, but nonetheless, pretty funny....some things stay the same. Even after you've sang the song 70 times this past summer. 

[EgoHanger1966]

Whoa.. is that BW taking a stab at his original falsetto part in Forever?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2FY1qZWL40&feature=player_detailpage#t=165s

Wow! Yeah, I would say so. Only because he doesn't really reach it - if it was Jeff or a band member, there would be a pronounced falsetto. I love how he intro'd Carl on the screen after that, too.

Man, he still has that tone! I hope he tries to utilize it a little more in the studio on any future recordings. Makes me wonder if that's the first time in the tour that he attempted it, and if he tried any other falsetto parts at random.

He gets pretty high (no pun intended) on parts of Think About The Days and Pacific Coast Highway (I'm better on my owwwn....).

[donb720]

Brian looked so much more 'there' (at Wembley) than when I saw them in July. More relaxed, more present, more connected. We happened to be seated right in front of Brian so I had a good vantage point.  Nice to see a more comfortable, happy person sitting behind that piano. Granted, some of it was a function of having the teleprompter up and slightly facing the audience rather than directly in front of him.  And maybe some was a function of a back operation.

But something has definitely changed in his eyes. It looked like happiness to me. This is a very good thing.

Now is the time to walk away.

[Custom Machine]

Greet stuff, including Dave singing lead on Getcha Back, with Mike's Ba Ba Da Dom backing vocals.  The BB 50 Reunion concerts remind me of the many times when I've come close to thinking I'd trade being able to listen to every song ever recorded except for those done by the Beach Boys for being able to listen only to everything done by the BBs, but then realized I couldn't do it, even though I'd be giving up the most incredibly inspired and enjoyable music ever made.

I've attended many great Brian Wilson shows, and since the addition of Scotty T. and John C., many great Mike & Bruce shows, but none of them will ever come anywhere close to the sheer joy of attending the Beach Boys 50th shows.

[Paulos]

Had a great night, the Boys were great again and getting to see the Dennis and Carl tributes was a highlight as they didn't have the tributes when I saw them in Berlin, was welling up through both tributes and the huge ovation for God Only Knows was especially touching. Not much more to add to what others have already said, was good to meet other Smiley Smilers at the Green Man, only wish I hadn't been riddled with a cold!

[Help_Me_Honda]

Managed to upload a number of videos.  The difference between these and the others is that these were video'd from the second row and include clips from the Soundcheck.  Enjoy:

Soundcheck

Then I Kissed Her (Enjoy watching Al strip): http://www.flickr.com/photos/lothario/8035075513/in/photostream

Summer's Gone: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lothario/8034045238/in/photostream

Concert

Surfer Girl: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lothario/8035024153/in/photostream

Surfing Safari: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lothario/8035054640/in/photostream

I Get Around: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lothario/8036596290/in/photostream

Closing into Intermission: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lothario/8036510365/in/photostream

[MaxL]

Had a fantastic night! Was amazed by Summer's Gone and placing it before Forever and GOK just made the whole thing an emotional powerhouse.  Only read the RAH setlist after the show and was a bit disappointed they didn't include LHRW and a couple others but not fussed really. I'm a little glad SG wasn't the final encore though, the Beach Boys needed to "go out with a bang" IMO. Also I must be the only person that missed WHEEEEEEN and Bruce's ENGLISH GIRLS bit

[runnersdialzero]

Now is the time to walk away.

Disagree.