In the beginning there was darkness. Then there was the siren sound of Paul’s guitar signaling the begining of “Shine” and then there was light, lots of light! The GO tour has officially begun with “Shine”, a personal favorite, and for the first time in my live newsboys experience, the opening song of the set!

If Shine, one of my personal favorites is the opening song, then we are in for a long night of steady rocking hits! I am in the middle of sorting out my personal space in the densely packed crowd, leveraging my height, weight, and age, against the kids of the youth group standing in front of me, when all of a sudden there is an explosion on stage and we are covered in confetti, a million pieces flying everywhere. I decide to move a bit to the right and avoid confrontation and am blessed with a better view then I had pre explosion. The guys are rocking tonight and you can see it on their faces, visible through all the confetti lingering in the air like little flying carpets.

I look around the crowd to see if I can make out the expressions of the crowd and other fans who have been waiting 3 years or more to see a full newboys concert tour. The results are unanimous, more smiles then the Miss America pageant, total excitement! I turn back to the stage to find the guys separated by pillars of smoke, this show is amazing. I can hardly wait to see what is going to be on the massive video walls above and beside the band on stage. Shine leads into “Party”. Some of my favorite newsboys lyrics are “Where ever we go, that’s where the party’s at”, and that is totally true tonight! The crowd is ecstatic and there is an unbelievable energy pulsating through the crowd.

Next out of the cage is “Mission” and then the video monitors come alive. The stage is transformed into what looks like the NASA command center control room in Houston. There are so many screens, all flashing and changing to the thumping beat. Once I have taken in all the movement, I start to decipher the screens. It seems like the video screens that go across the top of the stage, directly over the band, are divided into 4, one screen per newsboy, however that changes and it could be all for one and one for all so to say, lots of movement.

Then there are the two massive screens down on the sides. These seem to focus more on the action of the moment, Peter’s vocals or Paul’s guitar playing, a quick shot of Duncan seated above the band behind his bastion of percussion, or say a close up pan from Jeff’s face down to his fingers on the keyboards. You just never know, and when you think you know, you are still wrong! There are times when I see Peter’s eyes so large on the screens that you wonder if for a moment King Kong is peaking through the backstage curtains (one too many starbucks pre show, sorry about that).

 

My personal favorite song on the new album GO is “Beautiful”. It has been my favorite since the moment Peter played me the rough version last summer over at the recording studio. I can still see his flip-flops, black of course, tapping to the beat on the floor as he shared the new track with me. I wonder when this song will come up in the set list and as I am pondering this great question, I am granted my wish! It takes me a couple seconds to realize that they are playing my favorite song! For some reason I am lifted and carried by the flow of the crowd over to the catwalk that has been set up in the middle of the stage, extending out into the crowd. I realize that I have just been positioned perfectly by the movement of the crowd to see Paul walking down the catwalk and over my head to play his guitar solo. I look directly up at him and notice that he has a band-aid over his right eye. I have been overwhelmed by all the excitement of the show beginning that I had forgotten that just prior to the newsboys taking the stage, Paul had walked out on the stage to talk about Global Tribe, the mission’s wing of the newsboys. As he began walking through the darkness of the stage lit by one spotlight, Paul accidentally walked off the end of the stage and fell face first down between the front of the stage and massive metal barricades which keep the crowd from the stage. As he fell, he hit his head on one of the metal barricades, mic still in hand. you could hear the impact through the mic. I thought for sure that he would be in a coma, but true to Aussie style, here he is playing his solo on “Beautiful” out at the end of the catwalk in front of thousands of screaming fans. 

The solo is absolutely beautiful, but what about his head, does he even know that he is playing guitar let alone what city or country he is in, never mind that, will he remember me, Habibi, Superfan? A selfish question that was, we all have them don’t we. . .  

Paul walks back off the catwalk and joins the band as they slide into “Wonder”. The lights on the stage have all changed now from red and white, to a series of pastels and the whole mood changes. There is a lot going on on stage with the music being served loud and live, the video walls flashing and changing to the beat and all the color of the amazing light show by “Illuminati Genioso” Steve Campbell. Peter holds the attention of the huge crowd with his charisma and stage presence. There is a mutual excitement shared between the band and the crowd, both excited to see each other and enjoy the message of the music.

Just as I am needing to take a breather and digest all that has just happened, Peter and Jeff walk out to the end of the catwalk. There, at the end, is a keyboard for Jeff and a mic and fresh guitar waiting for Peter. I wonder what is going to happen out here. I turn and follow as the guys pass me walking down the catwalk and am now facing away from the stage. I am looking at Peter and Jeff lit with just a single spotlight but I am seeing massive multi colored light patterns everywhere, obviously burnt into my retina just chords ago.

Jeff is speaking through the vocorder on his keyboard and literally sounds like a thousand angels. He asks Peter what he would like to hear and Peter responds, “Old School”. Immediately Jeff begins singing “Entertaining Angels” and the crowd erupts into a huge explosion of cheering, Jeff smiles at Peter and Peter smiles back! Peter and Jeff stay out here running through personal favorites and newsboys classics in sort of acoustic chill versions yet pumped up at the same time. It is hard to describe, you will understand once you have experienced! Jeff heads back to the main stage down the catwalk and leaves Peter alone with his guitar and the crowd. It is now in this quiet setting that Peter begins to share about his childhood, prayer meetings, and hairy nostrils. There are moments of laughter and moments of reflection as Peter talks. I would love to tell you everything that the Lord has laid on Peter’s heart to share with us, but that would be like telling you the end of the movie.

I swear, Peter can read minds! Just as I learn to differentiate between the bass line rumbling my stomach and hunger pains rumbling my stomach, Peter asks the crowd if anyone is hungry! I agree and so does everyone around me and we shout back, YYYYYES! only to realize the band has started playing “Breakfast”! Nice work guys, perfect timing! Once the crowd realizes that they are rocking again, the arena explodes with excitement and the video screens come alive with images of each of the guys rocking. The screens continue their cycles of wide shots, close-ups, inverted colors, and before you know it we have rocked right across the border into “He Reigns”. We are flying out in the audience, there is so much energy being exchanged. All of a sudden the band brings the show to an end, like a skidding car spinning to the edge of the cliff, through the barrier and dangling half on the cliff and half in the air. The crowd doesn’t really quite know what has just hit them and so they scream even louder! The lads say good night and walk off the stage, the video walls flicker out to total black and an energized crowd wonders if they want more.

The answer is yes; we do want more, there are still so many favorite classics as well as new songs we have not heard. We will not be denied and so we scream, louder and louder, until one of the video walls comes alive. The picture is of Peter, Duncan, Jeff and Paul walking around somewhere backstage looking for something. We watch and notice that Peter has a sticker in his hand, a sticker of the flag of the state we are in tonight. We watch the band as they wonder through the belly of the stage until they pop out in a room with one of their huge BMW motorcycles, the ones they have been riding all across the states on tour. There is a travel box on the back of Peter’s bike and he is placing the sticker next to dozens of other state stickers. Peter looks up at the camera and through the video wall and into the eyes of the entire audience and gives us that mischievious smile and asks, “You guys want more music?”

The sound system explodes with the beginning notes of “Your Love”, one of the fastest if not the fastest newsboys song ever. I love this song because you really hear Peter’s accent come through on the lyrics. He sort of dances around like Gulliver awakening and finding that he has been bound by ropes. I think this is so cool because his body movement mirrors the questions of confusion asked in the song. Brilliant Peter, I must mention this to you backstage, hopefully over some delicious Indian butter chicken, veal vindalu, and vegetable korma… obviously I am still thinking about breakfast . . .

I have been day dreaming about being backstage and have just realized that we are half way through “I am Free”, another of my favorites, the song I have watched develop and mature since the first night I heard it in Morocco. The lads have come up with an amazing live version that just rocks. The guys are running across the stage and all of a sudden Peter takes off and runs down the catwalk. Is he going to talk again? No! This time there is a small drum kit at the end of the catwalk, like a burning bush in the desert summoning him to play. Peter picks up two drumsticks and turns back behind the kit to face Duncan on the main stage. Paul, bandage over eye, and Jeff, diet coke in hand run for cover… this looks like the beginning of a drum solo war!

 

Just like the Hezbollah shelling Israel and then the retaliations that followed, Peter launches an all out rhythmatic air strike, Duncan retaliates launching an all out tempo driven sortie against Peter, random beats hitting the crowd like friendly fire. There are bits of drumstick flying through the air as the sticks begin to splinter from the fierce bombardment. Duncan’s kit comes alive and starts to rise up into the air, now he has the tactful advantage of being on higher ground. Wot’s this mate? Peters kit starts to go up into the air higher and higher. The warring tribes are eye to eye now.

Mothers start to gather children and youth group leaders count heads. All eyes are in the air, and then it happens. An all out drum war, Duncan’s kit tilts forward then down and starts spinning. Peter’s head is tilted down as he retaliates faster and harder, even Steve Irwin would know that this kind of Ausie body language means no surrender! (NB HR Show 20,21,22) With sticks flying and the smell of burning drum heads filling the stadium, Paul and Jeff run back to their stations, fire up strings and keys, and throw the show back into the ending of “I am free”.

 

The harder they rock the more the war settles into a simmer and then a truce, then peaceful negotiations, followed by a grand rock and roll finale worthy of world wide recognition. The lads run out to center stage, amps hissing, drum skins smoldering, and take a final bow, a wave to the massive screaming crowd, and then they are gone. There is ringing in my ears and my heart is palpating, two last gifts from the newsboys to the crowd to take home.

I work my way through the crowd, like a salmon swimming upstream to get to the stage door. I flash my All Access Superfan Pass and am granted access to the back stage area. I run through the corridors of time and find myself in the middle of a seating area, the guys are recovering from an amazing show and Paul is bleeding again. Peter asks me if I can go with Paul to the hospital. We need to get this taken care of immediately. Paul is mumbling something under his breath; I am assuming that it is his blood type or something of medical nature and escort him to the waiting car covered in snow. We get in and we are off faster then a broken guitar string. The mumbling continues and I start to recognize that Paul is running through the set list over and over again. What a trooper!

We pull up to the hospital and I help Paul into the emergency room. The nurse looks at Paul and wonders if he has just walked through a chandelier. We spend time filling out medical papers, release forms, passwords, and private phone numbers to the wife and kids who are back home praying for their father. Paul is calm and cool, I on the other hand feel like we are in the middle of a red-hot military firefight and want my comrade taken care of immediately.

The good doctor agrees to see us and I surrender Paul, newsboys’ guitarist, Aussie legend, faithful husband, amazing father, and one who fears needles (as do I) to his control. There is silence in the room, like when you are in a submarine and they are listening for screws, yup that quiet! I wonder if I should apologize for the ringing in my ears and then realize I am the only one who can hear it. 

The good doctor removes the old crusty rock and roll bandage of what could be duct tape and guitar picks, and begins the cleaning, healing process. Out come the needles. I sit back in my chair, fasten the seat belt, and start singing “Jesus Loves Me” over and over again. Paul, as cool as a Kangaroo at the Ice Capades, lays motionless and undisturbed.  

Finally, the good doctor looks up, sweat from his brow collecting in pools on the lenses of his glasses, and says, “You are good to go”. I want to ask the good doctor if there will ever be a chance that Paul will play his Les Paul, special edition, again. Will he ever rock the house like he did tonight?

The good doctor can sense these questions in my eyes. “Get your friend here on his tour bus and let him get some rest. He will be fine in the morning, he’s Australian, the best there is. He will be on stage, on time, in tune and ready to rock by the time the lights come up and the confetti comes down.” “Thanks Doc”, and we stumble to the car, Paul dialing the home number on his cell phone . . .