No lull for Tull as it readies for Las Vegas

Spencer Patterson

Friday, Aug. 1, 2003 | 8:42 a.m.

You can't bungle in the jungle in Las Vegas, so Jethro Tull will land on the sand instead.

Led as always by indefatigable singer and flutist Ian Anderson, the veteran British classic rock outfit returns to town for a 9 p.m. Saturday performance at the Mandalay Bay Beach.

The show is the second stop on the band's latest U.S. tour, which kicks off tonight at the Pacific Amphitheater in Costa Mesa, Calif.

Founded by Anderson in 1967, Jethro Tull has been a fixture on the concert scene ever since, retaining a hardcore fanbase despite an ever-changing lineup and somewhat lackluster album sales in recent years.

Tull's latest lineup includes Anderson and longtime guitarist Martin Barre, a member since the band's second album, "Stand Up," was released in 1968. Also on board are three relative newcomers: keyboardist Andrew Giddings, bassist Jonathan Noyce and drummer Doane Perry.

The band's next CD, "The Jethro Tull Christmas Album," is in the works, and tentatively scheduled to hit stores this fall. Tull's first holiday affair will reportedly included traditional Christmas music, along with original compositions and reworkings of some of Anderson's older pieces.

"I'm not really a practising (sic) paid-up Christian, but I ... still feel great warmth for the nostalgia, festive occasion and family togetherness. It's really all the Winter Solstice and the rebirth of nature overlaid with the common sense and righteous teachings of Mr. C," Anderson wrote on his band's official website, j-tull.com.

Barre's latest solo album, "Stage Left," will be released Aug. 12, followed by Anderson's new solo effort, "Rupi's Dance," on Aug. 19.

Jethro Tull also continues to reissue its catalog on EMI Records. Nine albums have been released over the past three years, all with improved sound and bonus tracks, with another batch of three discs rumored to be on the way soon.

Who: Jethro Tull.

Where: Mandalay Bay Beach.

When: 9 p.m. Saturday.

Tickets: $35.

Call: 632-7580.

Personnel: Ian Anderson (vocals, flute, guitar), Martin Barre (guitar), Andrew Giddings (keyboard), Jonathan Noyce (bass), Doane Perry (drums).

Latest release: "Living With the Past" (Fuel 2000, 2002).

Album feedback: "What makes this particular live performance noteworthy is that they bring back several original members ... for guest appearances in something that will surely delight longtime followers of the band, which is really who this disc is aimed at." (All Music Guide, 3 stars).

Essential releases: "Stand Up" (1969), "Benefit" (1970), "Aqualung" (1971), "Thick as a Brick" (1972), "Minstrel in the Gallery" (1975), "Songs From the Wood" (1977).

What to expect: Hard to predict, since the band rotates dozens of songs through its shows. Based on recent set lists, fans can safely expect to hear plenty of early favorites, a few of Tull's bigger hits and a sprinkling of more esoteric material only the true diehards will recognize.

Recent set list: Moni Lazariston Theater, Salonica, Greece, July 15: "Living in the Past," "Nothing is Easy," "Some Day with Sun Won't Shine For You," "With You There to Help Me," "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," "Bouree," "Beside Myself," "Fat Man," "Count the Chickens," "Songs From the Wood"/"Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die"/"Heavy Horses," "My God," "Budapest," "Mayhem Jig," "Wind Up," "Locomotive Breath"/"Protect and Survive"/"Cheerio." (from fansite ministry-of-information.co.uk).

Previous Las Vegas appearances: May 9, 1970 (Ice Palace); June 17, 1972 (Convention Center); April 10, 1977 (Aladdin); Nov. 10, 1978 (Aladdin); Nov. 12, 1979 (Aladdin); Sept. 19, 1996 (Aladdin); Nov. 7, 1997 (The Joint); Oct. 9, 1999 (House of Blues); Aug. 27, 2000 (House of Blues); June 1, 2002 (Junefest).

Says Anderson: "Jethro Tull's like the Grateful Dead; we have our faithful. They're great people, although a little bit crazy. They're the kind of Tull fans who will buy anything. It's always great to have those kinds of people; they're the kind of folks who make it all go 'round." (Las Vegas Sun interview, May 2002).