Journey 2 Toto – The River Rooms, Stourbridge (From Dudley News)

Journey 2 Toto – The River Rooms, Stourbridge

12:05pm Thursday 1st December 2011 in Music By Paul Jenkins

This five-piece band with new keyboard player Glenn Williams pay homage to two of the biggest selling bands of the 80s who are both fine exponents of the power ballad and AOR.

And impressively, Journey 2 Toto managed to just about get in all of the hits, plus some album tracks into the 90-minute set.

Journey are far more than just a vehicle for the recent revival of the song Don’t Stop Believing, as this band know, with lead singer Rick Hampton ‘Faithfully’ re-creating the vocals of the much missed vocalist Steve Perry.

And it was no problem for him to switch from Perry’s crooning to that of Joseph Williams, Steve Lukather and David Paich, all three of whom have been on duty as the front man of Toto at one time or another.

What a pity there wasn’t more people at the venue to see a slick, professional outfit who put paid to the theory that tribute bands are vastly inferior to the acts they try to recreate.

But on the strength of this performance, surely Journey 2 Toto will make a return visit on a more favourable night to a venue which proved once again it is the home to quality live rock and cover bands.

For more details of what’s on at the River Rooms go to www.theriverrooms.com