After waiting 4 long years, the Aqua-flute intro was the signal - patient Turkish fans immediately and enthusiastically greeted Jethro Tull at the Harbiye Cemil Topuzlu Acikhava Tiyatrosu on Sunday evening 30 May 2004. The spotlight hit Jonathan Noyce a few seconds too early as he was poised to initiate the bass lines of Living in the Past. Martin Barre on guitar, Andrew Giddings on keyboards, and Doane Perry on drums quickly joined him. The loudest initial cheers, however, greeted the doo-rag wearing founding member, Ian Anderson, as he joined last from stage right.
The current version of Living in the Past is usually full of enjoyable interplay between Ian and Martin, but Ian was unfortunately spending time in conversation with the crew, an all too common occurrence this evening. One obvious irritant, the locals manning the spotlights continually had difficulty choosing who should be the center of attention and who should not. At one point during the opening song, Ian needed to use a hand gesture across his throat while mouthing “cut” - as he instructed the crew to focus the spotlight on Andy Giddings. This version of Living in the Past focuses on the instruments and not the words - a good thing, as Ian’s vocal limitations were apparent in the first song of the set.
With minimal pause, Tull moved into Nothing is Easy, a song that typifies the raw energy that distinguished early Tull performances. Tonight was to be no exception, as Ian did his wave while other band members took a moment to shine individually along the way. The false ending brought the usual persistent cheers until the ending was true.
Although the vocals again were not strong, Beggar’s Farm, a song Ian reminded us was from a time when Tull was a “little blues band,” proved to be a welcomed addition to the set list. Martin’s playing made it a gem.
With You There to Help Me followed. Ian spoke of the piano-based nature of the song, offering a variety of adjectives to describe Andy’s keyboard talents. Andy finally chimed in, saying that it would be “fumbling piano.” Andy was wrong. His playing was wonderful throughout. It made one wish he would continue at the end with By Kind Permission Of, as John Evans did in years gone by.
During his introduction of Eurology, the crowd warmly received Ian’s comment about Turkey as a member of the European community. The 7/8 time signature proved a fun listen - a song from Rupi’s Dance that gets better and better from performance to performance. The “German instrument from hell,” Andy’s piano accordion, made its first appearance of the night - an instrument that lends a definite European feel to that piece of music.
Martin was given time to shine during Farm on the Freeway, reason alone to look forward to hearing the song performed. Martin did not disappoint. Ian’s vocals were up to the challenge. A nice reminder of why Metallica walked away the losers that year, even if the Grammy category was a bit odd for the likes of Tull.
Many songs from the Jethro Tull Christmas album were included in the set, the first being Pavane. Ian’s repeated references to the Christmas season and Christmas album fell flat all evening. The tune itself is beautiful, flamenco style arrangement and all.
Weathercock was next, highlighted by Martin’s work on mandolin early in the song. Ian’s vocals were weak at some points, and Martin’s guitar was slightly hidden in the mix at the end, both of which diminished the power of the song.
One of the biggest disappointments of the night was the inclusion of Bouree. Although a fan favorite since the early days, other sets during the tour substituted A Week of Moments. The crowd seemed pleased, but I am sure there were many who would have rather heard something new than yet another version of Bouree. Even the comic bit of Andy wiping Jonathan’s brow with a towel before his bass solo seemed tired. Big cheers were heard at the end, but one wonders how those in attendance would have felt to hear the less familiar song from Rupi’s Dance.
A tune from Aqualung proved to be a mid-set highlight, and, no, it was not the title track. Mother Goose had it all - witty lyrics, playful energy, good cheer - and good fun. Andy’s nasal prowess on the recorder, and the subsequent “snot running down” provided comic relief in the midst of great instrumental passages - with Martin also on recorder and Doane on bongos.
Martin dipped into a past solo effort for the “MB instrumental.” Morris Minus doesn’t have the power of Misere or Pibroch, nor does it have the elegance of many of the songs on Stage Left, but it features Martin. That is enough. As stated above, Martin never disappoints. Morris Minus was a treat.
From Morris Minus to the “title track medley.” Ian used “Smoke on the Water” instead of the alternate “Stairway to Heaven” as the purported title track of Heavy Horses. Songs from the Woods suffered from Ian’s weak vocals and piped in enhancements from Andy’s keyboard. Too Old to Rock ‘n’ Roll and Heavy Horses are better suited to Ian’s current vocal range, which is limited. Heavy Horses was the high point of the medley until the rather lame and “obviously fake” background vocals of Andy and Doane came into play. That gag that didn’t quite make it, but Heavy Horses clearly was the best segment of the medley.
Another reference to the Christmas season - another reference that fell flat. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen again provided Ian an opportunity to essentially say, “You’re going to hate it,” with “it” being the arrangement. Ian also stated much the same before Pavane and Bouree. The tune seemed a bit out of place during May in Turkey, but two-thirds of the way through, Andy set the tone with a powerful organ crescendo that invited the others to join. A passage only a few seconds long, it proved to be enough to make it memorable.
Budapest, clearly a crowd favorite, marked the beginning of the end of the set. As the years go by, one can understand why Ian feels this song captures the range of what makes Jethro Tull. The interplay between guitar and flute, the acoustic guitar alternating with powerful electric guitar, the superbly clean playing provided by Martin, the storytelling of the lyrics - this song is replete with Tull attributes. It is a powerful song, especially played live under the stars on a wonderful evening in Istanbul.
From Budapest forward, the energy level of the band and the crowd intensified. The passionate musical ending of Budapest brought some of the crowd to its feet. The cheering was now louder and the clapping more persistent as Doane’s drums announced Holly Herald. Though not as infectious a tune as the New Jig played at this point over the last couple years, the song provided an excellent bridge to the signature Tull song the crowd had come to hear. Holly Herald ended and Martin was ready, aggressively playing the opening notes of Aqualung. The crowd was immediately on their feet, with Ian helped by a few thousand fans as he sang the lyrics. One of the most notable guitar solos in rock history was reproduced flawlessly by Martin while Ian fumbled with a throw away camera that was not working properly. Martin didn’t miss a note as he actually leaned toward Ian and posed for the camera, an unusual occurrence compared to his more typical concentration on his guitar and the solo.
As Aqualung came to a close, Ian “conducted” the group to the end. No longer leaping high, Ian performed a pseudo-jump to mark the climax. A quick “thank you” and Ian introduced each band member before they briefly exited the stage.
Nineteen seventy-one’s Aqualung album dominated the encore, as Andy played an intro that lead to Ian strumming his guitar while singing the opening lines of Wind Up. Again, thousands in attendance sang along with Ian - with a few including the anticipated demonstration of disdain regarding being “groomed for success,” though Ian did not. The intensity level increased markedly as Martin kicked in after the initial refrain. The song was shortened, with all going quiet as Andy became the center of attention once again. A loud cheer as Andy played the first few notes of Locomotive Breath. He actually was quite playful, lengthening this intro section more than usual - which gave time for Martin to make his way from stage left, behind the drums, to a pedestal at the front, stage right. The spotlight found him, though, like Jonathan at the beginning, a bit early. He played his quiet and tasty guitar response to Andy’s intro, jumped down on the stage very ready to leap into the rest of the song. Andy tortured him, waiting and waiting before moving forward. As he did, Martin did, and Ian returned playing the flute with vengeance as he circled the stage. Again, the crowd went wild.
The band clearly was enjoying this final encore before the end of this tour leg. As Locomotive Breath came to a close the crowd would not be disappointed as a crew member entered stage left carrying a balloon while the band played Protect and Survive. Ian, as usual, balanced the ball, moved forward and thrust the balloon into the crowd, successfully repeating the same as Protect and Survive ended. A balloon burst early, the crowd moaned a bit, but the other made its way through the crowd as the band “raised a cup” and Ian sang Cheerio. While the band slowly departed the stage, Istanbul’s Tull fans showed their appreciation - cheering, waving, and sending thanks for the band’s visit to this beautiful city.
As they heard Louis Armstrong singing What a Wonderful World, the members of the crowd leisurely made their way out. One Tull Turk fan, a new-found international friend, summed it up well. “I am sad.” Brief pause. “The show must go on.” Hopefully in less than four years. Hopefully.
Griff

( Griff & Bora )

( Aptullika's TULL Drawings )

JETHRO TULL 30 MAYIS İSTANBUL KONSERİ BASIN TOPLANTISI
Grubun konuk edildiği Hilton Oteli’nin ‘Jupiter’isimli toplantı salonunda saat 18 civarında hazır ve de nazır bulunmaktayız. Kapıdan içeri girdiğimizde birçok tanıdıkla karşılaşıyoruz. İlk anda gözümüze çarpan Orhan Kahyaoğlu oluyor. Sıcak bir merhaba ile sarılıyoruz. Öyle ya gençliğe ilk adım attığım 70’li yıllarda belli belirsiz tanıştığım Jethro Tull ile ilk ciddi buluşmamı sağlayan yazı ona aitti. Studyo İmge’de yayınlanan o yazıyı yıllarca nasıl evire çevire okumuştum. Açıkcası her elime geçen Jethro albümünde ya da bende olanları pikabıma koyduğumda o 4, 5 sayfalık yazıyı yanıma alır, bir yandan dinler bir yandan da okurdum. Bana yıllarca klavuz olan o yazıdan bu yana hiç yoksa 20 yıl geçmiştir. Şimdilerde Kahyaoğlu, o yazıdan sonra araştırmalarını daha da arttırarak kalın bir kitaba dönüştürdü. Jethro Tull’ın ülkemize ilk geliş yılı olan 1991’de ilk olarak çıkan kitap, Ekim 2000’de daha da genişlemiş olarak yeniden yayınlandı. ‘çiviyazıları isimli yayınevinden çıkan bu kitap, Türkiye’de yapılmış en iyi ve tek Jethro Tull araştırması diyebilirim. Özellikle 2000 tarihinde çıkan baskıda nitelik daha da artmış. Bunda Kahyaoğlu’na arşivini ve yardımlarını esirgemeyen Bora Çetin’in de payı büyük tabi ki.
Bora Çetin İyi ki Var Bu yı ki Jethro Tull konseri tanıtım faaliyetleri için de en önemli pay sahibi hiç kuşku yok ki Bora Çetin’di. Aylar öncesinden hazırladığı internet siteleriyle Jethro Tull, Uriah Heep, Yes konserlerini bize duyuran kişiydi, Bora Çetin. Hazırladığı bu siteler dünya çapında bir çalışmaydı. Jethro Tull’ın eski dinleyicilerinden ve J.T Fan Club’ın Türkiye kurucusu olan Bora’nın 1991’deki konser öncesi grubu karşılamak için hazırladığı bez pankartta Jupiter Salonu’nun duvarında asılı olarak dururken, beni de alıp 15 yıl öncesine götürüyordu. Sanki o duvardaki bez bir kumaş değil de adeta canlı biriymiş gibi sıcaklığını duyuyorum. Nerdeyse kalkıp o duvardaki pankarta sarılıp öpmek geliyor içimden. O 15 yıl önceki coşkuyu, rockçıları bulacağım duygusuyla aklımdan geçiyor bunlar. Sonra gittiğim bütün Jethro konserleri aklıma geliyor. İlk gelişteki bütün İstanbul Açık Hava Tiyatrosu konserlerine gitmiştim. Öyle ki bu günkü gibi davetiyeyle değil ha, her konsere bilet alarak. O konserleri izlerken kapı önünde öyle gaza gelmiştim ki kapı önünde millete bira ısmarlamakla kalmayıp, birkaç kişinin biletini de çekmek gibi delilikler de yapmıştım. Ve 4 konser sonunda Jethro Tull grubu ülkemizden ayrıldığı zaman ayın 17’siydi,cepte bi kuruş bile kalmamıştı. İşte Bora Çetin’in pankartı beni alıp o güzel günlere götürdü. Bir anlamda o güzel günler yaşadığımı kanıtlayan bir belgeydi, o pankart.
Basın toplantısına fotoğraf sanatcısı, televizyon yönetmeni, sponsörsüz belgesel filmcisi dostum Ertuğrul Bulut’la birlikte kendimize bir yer bulup oturduk. Bizim arkamızdaki koltukta oturan Diş hekimi Agop Çekmen vardı. Kendisi Jethro Tull’ın çok eski tutkunlarından biriydi. Elinde plakları Ian Anderson’a imzalatacaktı. Ha öyle aklınıza yeni yetme bir fan gelmesin Agop Çekmen, ta 70’li yıllardan bir rock tutkunu. Onunla da konuşmamız eski “Hey” dergileri ve benim daha kısa pantolonlu olduğum için gidemediğim 70’lerdeki Erkin Koray konserleri anılarını dinliyorum. Agop’un gözlerine bakıyorum o pırıltı ağırlaşan saçlarımıza rağmen unutulmuş bir gençliğin çoşkusunu taşıyor. Bana imzalatacağı “Stand Up” Long Play’ini gösteriyor. İmreniyorum, çünkü ben deki plak kapaksızdı. Ama bir yandan da CD’ye geçiş döneminde plaklarımı elden çıkarmadığım için de seviniyorum.Ah keşke bir de paylaşma, insanlara bir şeyler önerme hastalığım olmasaydı diyorum... Ve geri gelmeyen plaklarım aklıma geliyor.
Saatler yavaş yavaş basın toplantısının başlama saati olan 18.30’a yaklaşırken kapıdan Bora Çetin göründü. Birdenbire “Aptülika” diyen sesi salonda inledi. Sanki “Jethro Tull tutkunluğunun paylaşımını duyurur gibiydi. Basın toplantısı ve konserde fotograf ve çekim alacak basın mensuplarına bilgiler verdikten sonra Ian Anderson’u almak için dışarı çıktı.

( Aptullika's TULL Drawings )

TANRI BURADAYDI ......
ve son oyununu biz ölümlülere, ikibini dört geçe, 30 mayıs’ta, istanbul’da, harbiye açıkhava tiyatrosu’nda oynadı.
kaçık bir faniye benziyordu sahneye çıktığında. hep yaptığı gibi yaylanarak dizlerinin üstünde, sol ayağının ucunu sağ dizine değdirip durdu. eğildi, büküldü, zıpladı, yürüdü, koştu, hoparlörlerin üstüne oturdu, konuştu. bunları yaparken, hepimize benziyordu. biliyorduk ama o’nun başka bir yere ait olduğunu.
siyah deri yeleği, beyaz uzun tişörtü, siyah pantolonu ve renkli şapkasıyla ışığın altındaydı. parlayan flütü ile bir yılan oynatıcısına benziyor, hiç görünmeyen bir yılanla dans ediyordu sanki.
tanrı’nın besteleriydi onlar. hayat gibi şaşırtıcı, beklenmedik geçişleri olan. ve o’nun ıslığıydı, ölümlülerin ensesinde hissettiği.
hayranlığın ötesinde bir şey bu. bir tür teslim oluş belki.
martin, doanne, andrew, jonathan… bunlar sadece dünyevi isimleri. onlar tanrı ian’ın peygamberleri. çeşitli dönemlerde peygamberler değiştiler ama tanrı hep oradaydı.
duvarlarında çerçeveli jethro tull 45’likleri duran beyaz saçlı delikanlılar, 60’ların 70’lerin hızlı çocukları, uzun gri saçları örülmüş her dem güzel kadınlar, sonraki birkaç kuşaktan olanlar, sayıca az da olsa yeni yetmeler…
biz ölümlüler, ayine gelmiştik.
ay tepedeydi. yıldızlar bile bulutları kovmuştu, efendilerinin bu son yeryüzü törenini izlemek için. martılar, sanki meleklere dönüşmüşlerdi ay ışığında.
ayin gecesinde, sigaralarla birlikte tütsüler de olmalıydı parmaklar arasında. o’nun ruhuna erişebilmek için hoş kokulu dumanlar gerekti aslında biz ölümlülere.
bir gün biz, başka bir yerde olacağız. sonraki faniler ise teslim olmaya devam edecekler tanrı ile peygamberlerine.
ismini duyduğumda bile yüreğimi yerinden oynatan, beni bulutlara yükselten, tahrip eden, mutlu eden, nefesimi tutup dinlediğim jethro tull buradaydı.
en iyisiydi. bildiklerimin, gördüklerimin, duyduklarımın yaşadıklarımın, hissettiklerimin en iyisiydi bu ayin.
çünkü tanrı yeryüzüne inmişti.
buradaydı.
ve bana çok yakındı.
perihan özcan tüzüner