The Power Of Music

We all know it – we smell a certain scent and it brings us memories that we have put away a long time ago. Like the smell of freshly cut grass, that reminds me, personally, always of the summers as a teen, when I used to play badminton with the two neighbor boys on the lawn next to our house.

And the same thing happens with music.

Last night, out of the blue, I started an 80’s playlist on Spotify. Don’t ask me why – maybe I can blame the Corona Crisis and the resulting lockdown that has kept me from being able to have my weekly coffee intake in my favourite coffee shop in over two weeks (seriously, though – do one, COVID-19, I need my hipster coffee!). Anyway, the moment the songs started shuffling, it was like I was thrown back into 2013; a crazy time, but also – the best time of my life. I earned about 400€ less than what I earn nowadays, and yet, from July on, I travelled every single month to London for a (long) weekend to spent time with people I met there at a musical who’s music was – surprise, surprise – all 80’s music.

Take “You Give Love A Bad Name” by Bon Jovi, for example. When I hear it, I remember the very first time I ever stepped foot into the Shaftesbury Theatre, where that song was played before the show, making you feel the buzz of anticipation.

Or “Livin’ On A Prayer”, also by Bon Jovi. All I think is about a show’s Cast Members walking through London, being generally weird as fuck in their Stage Costumes (Mullets rock!).

Or “Pour Some Sugar On Me” by Def Leppard. Hearing it, in my mind, I am standing next to a then not-yet-friend who was seated next to me on September 22nd in her “Franzy says No!” T-Shirt and who was infectious with her anticipation and giddy mood – which was the start of a wild ride of meetups and Stage Door antics.

Or “Thriller” by Michael Jackson – here I am, waiting in line at Madame Tussaud’s with the same friend, who not only knew, but also danced along to all the lyrics.

Or “Can’t Fight This Feeling” by REO Speedwagon – I know it’s a sad song, but whenever I hear it, I can’t stop smiling thinking of two men up on stage, one blowing fog with a Fogmaster 5000 and both basically having a makeout session in public.

“Radio GaGa” by Queen at the beginning of the very first West End Show I visited on my very first trip to London (which was actually at the end of 2012, but you know, it started it all and there were many more visits to that show in 2013), which, up to this day, never fails to give me goosebumps. Although, to be fair – all Queen songs do that, so…yeah.

Or, of course – the never not appropriate “Don’t Stop Believin'” by Journey (actually, it has just come up on Shuffle and now I’m sat here crying) which in the past 7 years has become MY hymn for the year 2013. If anything throws me right back into that crazy, hysterical year, it’s that one. It makes me think back to Standing Ovations, Lunge-ing hopes at every visit, mornings waiting at the Box Office to get the best seats for the day, evenings in the freezing cold (which gave me my first very serious Peri-Bronchitis, thank you very much, London!) waiting for people coming out of the theatre who had become some kind of family for our group of giddy girls, just the general feeling of belonging to something where you’re not judged, where you don’t judge, where each and everyone was one and the same. And a few friendships from back then are still going strong, and I think due to what 2013 and that 80’s music brought us, and despite us all growing up more with the years, moving on, getting married, having families, it will always keep us together one way or another.

In fact, I think the 80’s were one of the best era’s of music the world has ever and will ever have, right along with the 90’s (I’ll always be a 90’s kid, can I get a “Yayaya Coco Jambo”?). The lyrics back then, they made sense, they were uplifting, they spoke of heartache, of loss, of true love, of desperation, of hope. Nowadays, all that is on the radio is various abominations of David Guetta’s style (seriously – how can almost every song these days sound the same? That damn autotune…) or songs by idiots calling themselves RIN, Capital Bra, Apache or Bausa who degrade women in almost all their songs and call that “rap music”.

So…music. Lifting you up when you need it, taking you back to wonderful times (seriously, though…how did I pay for all those trips then? How did I not have to worry a dime about my IBS or my weight gain? How could I sleep for days in Hostel rooms with at least 3 other strangers? Was I possessed? We’ll probably never know), letting you dance and sing along to songs long forgotten that nevertheless still pull on your heartstrings. It can be a song that reminds you of a dream coming true (like Two Steps From Hell’s “Heart Of Courage”, which reminds me of witnessing the triumph of our soccer national team, becoming World Champions in 2014 after 16 years of being a fan and waiting for that day), or songs that make you so giddy you turn back into a 14-year old fangirl (helloooo, Backstreet Boys!). Music is timeless, and it’s more powerful than anything else in the world.

So thank you, music of the 80’s and really, any kind of music. Like a great poet once said:

“Now I’ve had the time of my life.
No, I never felt like this before.
Yes, I swear, it’s the truth.
And I owe it all to you.”

(Spoiler: it was not a great poet, it was a cheesy 80’s movie that I still have never seen and never plan on seeing up to this day. But you got to admit, that tune’s damn catchy.)

The West End Life

A week ago, my 17th trip to London since 2012 was finally happening – 10 months after booking three tickets to three different, new shows on the West End. And it may have easily been one of the best trips I ever made down there, with each show outdoing the one before, and to me, personally, maybe the three best Casts that are currently working in theatre on the West End.

But let’s take things one at a time.

1. “Come From Away” – Phoenix Theatre 11.12.2019

Thankfully for me, I didn’t read anything about the storyline beforehand – the shock/surprise was bigger that way, which I love about theatre. Originally, I was under the impression that this show was about refugees stuck on an island after escaping some terror or something; but after about 15mins in, I realized it was actually a story about the day when 38 planes on their way into U.S. territory were diverted to the town of Gander, Newfoundland, on 11th of September 2001 – the day two terrorists flew two planes into the World Trade Center.
It’s hard to find words to describe this show – despite the obvious difficult subject, Christopher Ashley has managed to turn it into something equally heartwarming, touching and entertaining. The Cast is amazing, considering each of them has to play at least 2 or 3 different characters during the one and a half hours on stage (without any interval), the songs are chosen perfectly for all scenes (especially “Screech In” got me smiling from ear to ear and bobbing my foot up and down), and which was the most wonderful thing to me is that you can see throughout the entire show that every member of the Ensemble deeply enjoys this show, that they’re in it with all their heart, and that they have nothing but fun bringing this great piece of theatre and music to the audience. The Standing Ovations going on for several minutes, even as only the band was on stage after the actors left it are practically speaking for itself. So do its 4 Olivier Award wins, by the way.

2. “& Juliet” – Shaftesbury Theatre 12.12.2019

Now this show I was something I had been going completely blind into – if you ignore the fact I knew all the songs beforehand, as it’s a Jukebox Musical where existing songs are brought to the stage in new ways, enwrought into the storyline. I anticipated seeing the best (for me, personally) male voice on the West End again, Oliver Tompsett (William Shakespeare), after knowing there were Backstreet Boys songs in it, where also dancing was required. Sadly, a cold bug had taken hold of him and also the female lead, Miriam Teak-Lee (Juliet), so I got to see Ivan de Freitas and Grace Mouat instead – WHAT A TREAT!
How to describe this show…well, basically, if you’re looking for the best and most entertaining night out on the West End – THIS IS DEFINITELY IT. The story is simple – what if Juliet never killed herself together with Romeo, but instead, decided to live and take her life and future into her own hands? And all this with the unmistakable soundtrack of the 90’s and 00’s  and also some recent radio tracks added to the mix (Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, Katy Perry & Demi Lovato, to only name some of them).
What comes out of that is a show that has the audience in fits of laughter, in bouts of tears, and mostly, dancing in their seats (and on their feet at the last track, “Can’t Stop The Feeling”!). The stage set is also one of the best and most beautiful I personally have seen anywhere recently, with a lot of love for detail, and the message – or rather, messageS – of the story are powerful and some of the best any theatre show could have come up with, picking up current issues in our society. And the Cast, you ask? They’re phenomenal in every regard – singing, acting AND dancing. Seeing them on stage, simply doing their everyday job, you can’t help smiling when they smile, feel sad when their situation seems hopeless, and feel relieved when everything is sorted out for everybody in the end.
This show DEFINITELY deserves to stay on the West End for a long, long time.

3. “Dear Evan Hansen – Noel Coward Theatre 13.12.2019

This show…it was the one thing I had been looking forward to for about one and a half years, ever since I first listened to its Broadway Cast Recording and read the news that it would actually come to the West End. Along with “Hamilton”, that show is the one on the Broadway that it is near impossible to get tickets to – at least not the affordable kind of tickets. The anticipation for me therefor was HUGE in every regard…and boy, did that one not disappoint.
Where to begin…the story, maybe. It’s about a teenager with social anxiety who, with the help of a family friend, makes up a story of being friends with a schoolmate who commits suicide and in doing that, helps the grieving parents coping with their loss and changes things at his school and out in the Social Media world for the better, even if only for a short time.
There are not many words one could use to describe how PHENOMENAL every aspect of the show is, starting with the simple stage set, the small Cast (only 8 actors/roles) or the powerful message behind it. So I’m just going to talk about one single Cast member here, representative of maybe the BEST Cast the West End has to offer these days.

Sam Tutty.

This young man playing Evan Hansen is pure GOLD. The role of the anxiety-ridden teenager is so challenging, as it just has to be convincing even in the very last rows of the theatre, but Sam just does it as easily as he may eat his muesli in the morning. Never in my life have I witnessed something more convincing on a stage; you watch him do his thing, and you just can’t help BELIEVING it. Believing that off stage, Sam suffers the exact same anxieties that Evan does, even though that isn’t the case, of course. Every mimic and gesture, however small or big, is on point with him, and especially the movements of his hands is just out of this world. And his voice? Indescribably perfect. And funny enough, he sounds almost exactly like Ben Platt, who originated the role of Evan on Broadway.
The music that I’ve constantly listened to for over a year, was also giving me all the emotions that I had hoped and prayed for. I laughed, I cried, I had goosebumps, I was singing along silently to every line. What the band (that is positioned in the top left corner of the stage, so you can see them all throughout the show) did with their instruments and the tunes given to them is such a wonderful piece of music that it’s no surprise they got a ton of applause at the end, too. This entire show and its phenomenal Cast are just breathtaking, and like I said – maybe the BEST Cast that’s currently employed on the West End.

Three days, three shows – and every single one of them surpassed my expectations and proved once again why the West End and musical theatre in general have become such a huge part of my life in the past 7 years, and I am beyond grateful I had the opportunity to witness such a perfection and beautiful entertainment on 3 stages last week.

Until next time, London!

Hamilton – Victoria Palace Theatre – 30.12.2017

348 days.

That’s how long I had to wait to see this piece of Musical Theatre after actually managing to get tickets on January, 16th, 2017 during a priority booking period.

Although, to be honest, when I first heard of it and listened to some snippets of the songs, I wasn’t convinced at all. A Musical sung in rap? Why would someone do that? I also didn’t get all the fuzz of its “creator”, Lin-Manuel Miranda. But then, thanks to one of my best friends, Sarah from Chesterfield, who sent me the entire Broadway Cast Recording, I gave it another shot (pun intended! 😀 ) – and after about an hour, I was hooked. I listened to the songs on my MP3-Player every day from my way to work and back home, and quickly, it became one of my favourite albums of all time. And when a West End blogger on twitter announced one day that it would transfer to London from Broadway, my mind was quickly made up: I just HAD to see it for myself on stage.

348 days later, there I was, in my seat, excited, but still not actually realizing what I was about to witness in the refurbished Victoria Palace Theatre. And when the lights went off at exactly 7:30pm on Saturday, 30th of January, 2017, the atmosphere changed and captured me instantly. People already started clapping, before the usual announcement of switching phones of and not taking pictures was made by King George, saying it was “strictly prohibited in HIS show”. Then the show finally started and my view on theatre changed forever.

I have never witnessed such a mesmerized and electric audience as I did that night. The moment that Jamael Westman, who plays the eponymous hero, “Alexander Hamilton”, first opened his mouth with his first line, which is just his name, the entire audience erupted into a massive cheering and applause for the first of many, many times, and I instantly knew this would be an evening I’d never forget. After every number, and even in the middle of it (e.g. when Lafayette and Hamilton go “Immigrants, we get the job done!”), everybody in that theatre erupted into a loud cheer and applause that lasted for as long as when the next number had already started. Normally, I would be greatly annoyed by that, but in this case, it made the night even more magical.

The stage itself was made up simple, but beautifully, with a setting that fits it perfectly, and the fact that the people behind the curtains and made-up walls are capable to do so many different things with it is fascinating. I especially loved the circular plate inside the middle of the stage that turns around a couple of time, making whatever scene is played even more effectively and with more meaning than it already does anyway (e.g. the beginning scene of “Satisfied”). There are not many special effects like in other shows, but the few ones that are there are perfectly well-placed, like spotlights lighting up in bright red to indicate gunshots. All in all, it all harmonizes even better than you’d expect it at the beginning of a show’s run somewhere.

And of course – the CAST. Although there are not really any words that’ll do any of them justice, there are a few things about some of them that have to be said:

Jamael Westman – “Alexander Hamilton”
It might have been the role I was most scared about, because, having basically not listened to anything else for months, the voice of Lin-Manuel Miranda has been branded inside my ear and brain so much, it was really hard to think that it wouldn’t be him on that stage now, and that caused me some concern as to whether I’d like it. So basically, it was do or die from the first moment he opens his mouth.
And boy, did he deliver! The thing about Jamael is, he doesn’t play Hamilton the way I imagine (and have seen in some videos) Lin playing it – he plays him less confident at the beginning, like some sort of shy schoolboy, which is, if I’m honest, the only RIGHT way to play him. Hamilton comes to the USA all alone, father gone, mother dead, and has no idea what life has in store for him in this New World. He dips his toes in at first, but then when it comes to “My Shot”, his first bigger part, where his rapping skills are important, he completely steps right into Lin-Manuel Miranda’s shoes and makes this role his own. Jamael does not try to be Lin, instead, he gives it his all, even makes some slight changes in intonation to prove to the audience that he is the rightful Hamilton. And though, of course, at this early stage of the West End show, he’s not perfect yet, he still is damn near perfect. Even his costume and all-over looks basically scream that he has earned this role, and that he deserves it. And from what I have seen that first time, the future has great things in store for Jamael, he’s going to be a star.

Sifiso Mazibuko – “Aaron Burr”
Fun fact: when he stepped on stage as soon as the show began with the song “Alexander Hamilton”, I noticed instantly that he wasn’t the main Burr, but the Standby, but just given his facial expressions, the way he carries himself, for me, he is perfect for that role. He has an amazing presence on stage, and he delivers his lines, all of his scenes, with such an air of authority that you’d expect for someone like Burr, a politician with a lot of influence. And on the other hand, when it comes to him singing “Dear Theodosia” or his famous but fatal duel against Hamilton, the audience gets to see another Burr, another Sifiso – a quieter one, a serious one, who also manages to hit the silent notes with such force as he does with the loud ones. The song “Non-Stop” has been my favourite one of the Broadway Cast Recording, because of the sound of Leslie Odom Jr.’s voice (the US Burr), the way he hits his notes in perfection, and Sifiso Mazibuko did a damn good job and making me love that last scene of Act 1 as much as I love the original song. And aside from the stage, he’s such a gentle, shy and humble man.

Cleve September – “John Laurens”/”Philip Hamilton”
Probably the guy I was most excited about, after being in touch with him on twitter for the past couple of months; and he definitely did fulfill my expectations and exceeded them even more.
First of all – that guy plays TWO main roles, one in Act 1, the other in Act 2, and he does it with so much passion and love for that role, which you see in every moment he does something on stage, even if it is just smiling in the background. He also looks so cute and shy, but when he comes out on stage, he belts his note as if his life depended on it, and boy, does he have a voice inside this tiny body! I also don’t know whether I should be more impressed or scared as to how versatile it is, as both of his roles are completely different from each other – one a man in war, the other a boy, wanting to be like his father. Needless to say, the rap music going on in this show was made for him, he’s in his element, and he draws the audience in the moment he sets foot on stage – and together with Tarinn Callender (“Hercules Mulligan”/James Madison”), they are the perfect match. They are dorky, they are bossy, they are MEN in their prime, and you can’t help but ride along on their wave of “easy-going-ness”. Oh, and off stage? Cutest and loveliest guy ever. He knows where he comes from, and he never takes for granted what he has achieved so far, but works hard to keep doing what he loves. A real inspiration.

Rachelle Ann Go – “Eliza Hamilton”
I knew Rachelle from a supporting role in “Miss Saigon” two years earlier, so I was excited to see her in the lead this time. Although she was the only one who did not draw me in a 100%, she sure as hell has an amazing voice that sounds near perfect, and I am sure that if “Hamilton” was an opera, she could also pull her part off as easily. Through the entire show, she has some sort of cold air around her, but whenever she was on stage with Jamael Westman, she turned into that small girl that is head over heels for this man and can’t believe she’s lucky enough to have him. Until, that is, her heart is being broken, and she turns into a betrayed wife, bitter with disappointment and loss. Despite its silent music, the way she delivers “Burn” in Act 2 is powerful, and Rachelle makes one feel as if it was you who’s in her situation. And over all of this, she still wears Eliza Hamilton as if she’s above everything; that no matter what is being thrown at her, she accepts it with pride and dignity.

Rachel John – “Angelica Schuyler”
That woman…WOW. I’ve now known her for over 5 years, or rather, her talent, and she still outdoes everything I’ve seen from her. Her Angelica Schuyler is so much different from her “Meat” in “We Will Rock You” a couple of years ago, but in a damn good way. The moment during “Schuyler Sisters” she first opened her mouth, I knew this was going to be good, and then “Satisfied” happened. It is one of my favourite songs on the album, but Rachel exceeded any expectations I had when I heard she would be playing that role, and I might even go so far as to say she is the one I like better than Renée Elise Goldsberry, who originated the role on Broadway, because she has so much more power and strength in her voice, and she also has such a confidence within her that is astounding. And her rap-part during “Satisfied” – I bow down. Rapping isn’t easy at the best of times, but in that tempo and style, Rachel is mindblowing. And right now, I don’t even know if there is anything that woman can’t do?

Michael Jibson – “King George”
Maybe the biggest shoes to fill in from Jonathan Groff, who originally played that role on Broadway, and maybe the one that the audience I sat in that evening loved the most. The moment his first tune, “You’ll Be Back”, came on, the audience erupted into applause and cheering, and rightly so. It’s fun to see how Michael “evolves” in his role during his three Solos, from a tight-up King who barely moves on stage, just screams at the audience and threatens them (all part of the role, obviously), into someone who, at the end of “I Know Him”, sits there, tapping his feet, grinning like a schoolboy on Christmas. Michael definitely had everybody in the room in the palm of his hands, and although, because he’s not American, he maybe can’t play a british King with VERY exaggerated mockery, the way Groff did on Broadway, Michael still manages to have the audience in tears of laughter with just his facial expressions or gestures. And maybe because of that exact reason, he understands better which way of mocking works best with a british audience, and his timing was flawless in every aspect. You know, when you hate and love a role at the same time, that the person playing it is a damn good actor, so hat’s off, Mr. Jibson.

Jason Pennycooke – “Marquis de Lafayette”/”Thomas Jefferson”
Next to Cleve September and Tarinn Callender, the 3rd person with 2 main roles in both Acts, and he might be my highlight of the show.
First of all, his Lafayette – what a hilarious and perfectly mocking french accent! I don’t like neither the french language nor french people (I experienced them to be arrogant at the most of times), so it was delightful to watch Jason on stage being in that role. He not only has the acting skills for it, but also an entire repertoire of facial expressions to prove it. More than once, the audience almost screamed with laughter, especially during his solo, “What’d I Miss” at the beginning of Act 2, where he’s playing Jefferson – definitely one of my favourite scenes of the entire show, where he not only proves he can sing, but also dance like a young God! What is also impressing is that although most scenes in Act 2 are difficult and serious, Jason always manages to lighten up the mood in the audience, with tiny gestures or facial expressions, without making fun of the importance of a scene. You know he’s not Hamilton’s best friend at some point, but you can’t help but love him for the person behind the role, who, off stage, is such a lovely person who appreciates each and everyone of the people who come to see him…I mean….look at that face!

Obioma Ugoala – “George Washington”
Maybe the one role I did not actually know what to expect from, and one of which I was most impressed by. When Obioma came on stage, he WAS George Washington, even if I obviously didn’t know the guy personally. He carried with him such an air of sheer force and confidence on the verge of arrogance, just the way you think a leader should behave. And his voice…wow. It has an amazing power in it, and in “Guns And Ships”, it seems like he sings as if his life depends on it, which is fitting for the situation his character is in during that song. It sure isn’t easy to step in the shoes of Christopher Jackson, the Broadway Washington, but, just like Jamael Westman did with Hamilton, Obioma Ugoala made this role HIS role. He basically sets foot on stage, shouting “Here I am! I am the only President Washington that will now matter to you!” and you’re captured by his presence from beginning to end. “One Last Time” had a special place in my heart for a very long time now, and when the song finally came on, I couldn’t wait to hear the end of it, where Washington sings high and long notes…and I can only say my expectations were truly more than fulfilled, I might’ve even had some tears in the corners of my eyes. Obioma did that certain song more than justice.

So, all in all, what was “Hamilton” to me? Did it fulfill my expectations? Was it worth the wait? Was it worth its money?

Hell yes, it was, and so much more. I sat there, silently sang through every single song, with every single word, which, mostly, I know by heart now. I have never felt so electrified during a theatre performance since “Carrie” at the Southwark Playhouse in May 2015. I have never felt like I wanted to talk about what it was like with someone, but not finding any words to say. And this time, it was not even the songs, which are a huge part of a Musical, no. This time, it was the entire Cast who outdid themselves, and the atmosphere inside the audience that carried one along with it, like it or not. I have never experienced such a breathtaking audience in my life, and boy, did I like it. And I hope I get to go back for a 2nd time this summer.

“Hamilton – An American Musical” has well and truly arrived in the Londoner West End.

Chapeau.

Queen + Adam Lambert Live Open Air – RheinEnergiestadion Köln 27.05.16

My 1st ever concert, and what a show it was.Pelting rain from the moment the supporting act (Larkin Poe) came on stage until the very end…but what is an Open-Air gig without rain? 🙂

There were surely a few songs missing that I would’ve thought of being put on their setlist, too (“Show Must Go On”, “(No-One But You) Only The Good Die Young”, to only name two amazing songs), but overall, the setlist done was perfect. It was all a big party as well as a lovely reminder of Freddy Mercury, who was inserted singing on the big screens during two songs, which made the entire crowd cheer even louder than they already did. The entire band made sure nobody would forget that we all wouldn’t have been there that night if not for Freddy.

Adam Lambert
That damn hot limelight hog! What a man! He did more than great. Although he surely does not hold the notes at the end of “Somebody To Love” as Jeannine Michele Wacker in the Musical “We Will Rock You” does (but maybe that is just the way he decided to do it, to give the song his own special note, which is nevertheless great!) , his voice is absolutely phenomenal and harmonizes so well with the music and the voices of Brian and Roger. His stage presence is worthy of being in Freddy’s place; he catches the audience with just a smile, or a wink, or even just saying “I’m so queer!” when playing with an umbrella in the rain of Cologne (“My feathers!” was his explanation, regarding his black costume, done with loads of  feathers). There were high notes that would almost make your ears bleed, both because they were perfect, as well as belted out. Adam also absolutely knows how to play with the audience, to find the balance between letting the crowd wait and cheer for him, Brian and Roger to come (back) on stage, and making them cheer, scream, whistle and clap even louder as soon as the next song starts. I’ve always dreamed of one day seeing him on a stage, and it was definitely worth the wait.

Roger Taylor
Without this man, Queen wouldn’t have been the same. I can’t believe where he, being his age, gets the power of doing a drumming solo stand-off with the other drummer, Rufus Tiger-Taylor – his son – the way he did – and always smiling while at it! At about the middle of the concert, he sat on his drums, starting slowly, alternating with his drumming partner, each of them trying to exceed the other one’s drumming set. And Roger surpassed any expectation I’d ever had. The rate at which he kept playing for minutes, over and over again, surely made the crowd’s heads spinning, and when, towards the end of his drumming stand-off, he and Rufus fell into a joint rhythm that made the floor rumble, the audience was in his hands. It was all topped when he sang “These Are The Days Of Our Lives”; that song has always made tears well up in my eyes, and hearing it sung by the man himself who’s largely written it, was a spectacular feeling. His voice is so smooth, and at the same time, somewhat “raw” that it’s a shame he only sang that one song and part of “Under Pressure”.

Brian May

Everyone in the audience that night – and probably all over the world, – will agree that this man is a total LEGEND. That man is 68 years old and he plays the guitar like a young God. His guitar riffs…I have never heard anything like it in my entire life. I had once seen him shortly, doing the guitar solo in “Bohemian Rhapsody” on stage of the Dominion Theatre in London, in the musical “We Will Rock You”, so I knew what he was capable of. But what he presented the audience with that night was absolutely out of this world. It’s the longest riff I ever witnessed anywhere (it was about 10 minutes long!), but Brian made it feel like it was just a few seconds, and he ended it by introducing “Tie Your Mother Down”, which had all the crowd on their feet. He also had everybody hung on his lips when, sitting at the end of the stage, with a member of the crew holding an umbrella over him and his guitar, he sang “Love Of My Life”. This was the first time I experienced a full stadium – or a room – singing together with the performer at the top of their lungs. And Brian definitely enjoyed it, given the huge smile plastered on his face afterwards. It gave me goosebumps how suddenly, almost everyone around switched on the flashlights on their phone in the dark stadium, swaying in the rhythm of that heartfelt song. It was short, and over way too soon, but you could see and feel that it was one of the most magical moments ever. It was like Freddy was around, just by belting that ballad out loud and lighting up the sky.

Bottom line: Adam, Brian & Roger were on fire. They were turning the stadium into a big party with their rock anthems, swayed with everyone during the ballads, and throughout the entire gig, the audience was in the palm of their hands with their unique voices and stage presences. And once again, Adam Lambert proved that he is worthy of currently being in the place that Freddy Mercury made so unforgettable for all the fans of Queen all over the world. He may not be among us anymore, but these three men – Brian, Roger & especially Adam, made and make sure that nobody ever forgets the legend that was Freddy Mercury and Queen.

What an incredible and unforgettable night it was. Thank You.

Playing Our Part – The West End Sings For Target Ovarian Cancer – Cadogan Hall 18.05.2014

This was something I hadn’t originally planned to do when I was down in London for the weekend. But then my friend Sigal told me about it, and on very short notice, I decided to accompany her and my other friend, Noor, after all. And yes, I am beyond glad I did.

I have to admit, when I checked the website for this concert in the beautiful Cadogan Hall, I barely knew any of the actors that were supposed to be on that stage; only a few names had I heard before or seen on a stage myself – Simon Bailey, Siubhan Harrison, Geronimo Rauch, Killian Donnelly & Nadim Naaman,- but apart from them, none of the other names (Olivia Brereton, Gillian Budd, Wendy Ferguson, Celia Graham, Christopher Howell, Laura Pitt-Pulford, Jeremy Secomb, Shona White & Chris Holland) rang any bell. It was a good thing, of course, because therefor, I had nothing to expect, and couldn’t be disappointed, if that would’ve happened.

When the concert started, Nadim made a small speech about the reason for the concert, the cause, and it was really bringing me to tears to hear him talking about his own experiences with this horrible illness in his family. He soon let the music speak for itself, and already the first number, “Bridge Over Troubled Water”, sung by Christopher Howell and the other guys, was simply breathtaking. It seemed to me that they had never done anything else than singing with each other, and it was beautiful. There were quite a lot songs that I had never heard of, but there were also a few that at least I had heard by accident without knowing where they were from, or songs I had heard in a theatre myself. My favourite of all songs was probably “(No-One But You) Only The Good Die Young”, sung by the beautiful Siubhan Harrison. I admit, it was far too early for me to hear that song again, as just the night before, I had experienced this song in my last ever “We Will Rock You” show, but it’s safe to say that Siubhan killed the song. It was one of the most wonderful things I have ever heard, and each and every single note she sang was beyond flawless. Since I had last seen her in “From Here To Eternity” back in September 2013, she has definitely improved her voice even more.

Another favourite that night was probably “You Ain’t Never Had A Friend Like Me”, sung by Christopher Howell. I had no idea who he was before the concert, he didn’t look familiar or anything, but boy, I adored him. When the song started, something about it rang a bell inside my head, but it was just at the last few seconds of it that I realized it was the song from “Aladdin”, that the Genie sings! Chris did so unbelievably well, his facial expressions, his movements, his little dances, it was amazing, and I could actually picture him in the role of the Genie, in case “Aladdin” will ever make it to the West End (and safe to say that if he does, I will so go and see him in it!).

Another highlight forme also was the performance of Simon Bailey & Celia Graham singing “All I Ask Of You” from “Phantom Of The Opera” (which he later, at the Stage Door, told us, wasn’t even planned to be happening, but oh my, am I glad it did!). I have never seen the show myself, only the movie (mostly because I am not really sure I’d like it, as it’s not my kind of show, and wouldn’t want to waste my money on it), but of course I knew the song. I always thought it was a beautiful one when I heard it in in the movie, but seeing it on stage, with two actors with absolutely breathtaking voices who had formerly even been on the show in the West End themselves…just wow. They blew me away, and I almost pictured them together on the stage of the Her Majesty’s Theatre. Just wow, and something I will forever cherish in my memory of that night.

The most touching thing for me apart from the forementioned was when Shona White & Gillian Budd sang “For Good” from “Wicked” together. Now, I have booked a ticket to see that show for the first time in July, and originally, I had planned to not listen to any of the songs, just to not expect too much or being disappointed beforehand. Before the song started, I read in the actor’s biography in the programme that Shona had been in “Wicked” once herself, so seeing her being part of this song was extra-special to her. When I heard both of them singing with each other, I was deeply touched. Gillian looked at Shona as if they were on a real musical stage, and from where I was sat, I could see that her eyes were shining – she had tears in them. Just as Shona, who was completely into tears when they had finished the song – she was sitting in her chair, touching her eyes, wiping under them over and over because she couldn’t stop crying, and I was close to throw some handkerchiefs up to her. Their performance was breathtaking, and the vocals both of them had – just WOW. They showed everyone in that room their massive talent, and thanks to them, I am now really excited for my very first “Wicked” show.

Everyone on that stage was so damn talented, I can’t even describe it. Wendy Ferguson, who currently playes Madame Thenardier in “Les Misérables”, has the biggest and best Opera Voice I ever had the pleasure to listen to during “You’ll Never Walk Alone” from “Carousel”, and of course she got an extra applause from the audience, just as Killian Donnelly after singing “”Fix You” by Coldplay (I totally despise Coldplay and any of their songs, especially this one, but he did very very well, much better than Chris Martin).

Final conclusion is that I am really really glad I had decided to join my lovely friends Sigal & Noor that night. Not only because of the beautiful and stunning voices on stage, but also because it was all for a great cause, and knowing that me buying my ticket and the programme helped that cause is the most beautiful thing ever. Plus, the fact that I finally met the gorgeous young man that is Simon Bailey (who apologized to me for missing out on “I Can’t Sing” on my birthday) made it all even more worth it.

Most underrated band…or just an undiscovered jewel?

If I say the name “Daughtry” – does that ring a bell for anyone of you? The only thing that probably comes to mind – at least when you’re a resident of the United States,- is the name of its lead singer, Chris Daughtry. In 2006, Chris was part of the 5th Season of “American Idol” – and dropped out of the contest as 4th place, something that still totally escapes my understanding to this day forward. Even before he took part in the contest, he had a band that mostly kept its original lineup, and currently, the members of “Daughtry” are:

– Chris Daughtry (Lead Vocals, Guitar)
– Josh Steely (Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals)
– Josh Paul (Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals)
– Brian Craddock (Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals)
– Robin Diaz (Drums, Percussion)
– Elvio Fernandes (Keyboard, Acoustic Guitar, Backing Vocals)

Now, I stumbled over this talented bunch by pure accident, while looking up a song on amazon that the Lead Singer of Nickelback, Chad Kroeger, did together with Santana a few years back (“Into The Night”). And bless the lovely people behind amazon. As some of you might know, whenever you’re searching something on there, just at the bottom of the page, they are giving you suggestions of things/books/music/movies/whatever that you might also like based on what you were just looking up. And that day, amazon suggested that I should take a look at Daughtry’s debut album, “Daughtry”. At that time, I was not too much into the rock genre, I have to admit, but the cover looked intriguing to me, so I clicked on the song samples.

And I was hooked from the Get Go.

The vocals that Chris Daughtry displays in every single song are the thing that probably will always give me the biggest goosebumps. The power that he has in his voice is absolutely mindblowing, without ever seeming to loose their strength or get annoying as time moves on (god knows that there are some voices you can really get tired of when you hear them over and over). His talent is absolutely out of this world. Plus, if you listen to the lyrics of every single song, you just have to admire the astonishing writing talent that this man has developed – or always had. Me, personally, I always have at least two or three songs on each album in which I find myself and my personal situation at that moment – and I have to say, no one else than this band has ever achieved that for me.

Which makes me love them the most, and above any other singer or band that I have ever listened to, is the fact that no matter how many albums they release, the quality never fades; just when you think they have set the bar too high to be reached by upcoming stuff, they reach that exact bar with the next album, just like that, and even exceed everything you have heard from them before. Constant high quality lyrics and songs – I don’t really know any band who has achieved that before. I know there are a few out there that people moan about every once in a while, saying that they have “changed their original style”, that they are not the band that “we fell in love with in the first place”. And hands down, you can’t possibly always be positive about the development a singer or band is going through (just going to throw Miley Cyrus in here – best example of how you can easily trash your amazing talent in a heartbeat by making the wrong choices). But this band…let me put it this way: the moment they release a new album and I have listened to every single song a couple of times, I already die for them to release the next album. This is how amazing they are.

And to me, Daughtry is just massively different from all the Mainstream singers and bands. By far.

I can’t even say which one of their songs I love the most; just when I think of a certain one, another one comes to my mind, and then another and another. I have my favourites, of course, but honestly, I do not prefer any of them over any of the others, because they all are beautiful and amazing in their own way. Every single ballad has its own emotions that touch you deep down, being able to bring tears to your eyes; every single “up-tempo”, rocking song makes you want to stand up and do some headbanging, singing with the lyrics at the top of your lungs. For me, the every single song has its own little story, and the way Chris tells these stories is absolutely breathtaking; he seems to have a song for every situation of life – may it be a break-up, the problems of violence in the world, being in helplessly in love with someone, discovering someone close to you has betrayed you, anti-war situations…his lyrics come from everyday’s life, and you can just hear that they are coming from his heart, that he puts all his passion in every single song he writes.

I have never been to any of their concerts, sadly, but I have decided that one day, I will. And I have decided that one day, in 1 year, in 5 years, or in 10 or 20 years, I will also finally meet Chris. It’s one of the few big dreams that I have had since the moment I first heard his voice, especially since I’ve seen him killing it when he sang the US National Anthem at the Super Bowl in 2006. From the first second his voice filled my ear and my heart, this wish has been inside of me, and one day, it will be fulfilled, I know it.

The only thing that kind of saddens me is that I only know three people who have ever heard of the band, two of them who live in Germany, one in the UK. I know everybody has his/her own taste in music, each to their own, I would never want to dictate anybody to like the things I like. I just wish there were more people (that I know of) that see this amazing band for who they are, who discover their breathtaking music and talent and give them even more support than they already have in the United States.

I know I will support them until the day I die. I own every single one of their albums, and I will own every single one of the ones yet to come. Nobody has ever touched me as deeply inside with their music as Chris Daughtry and his boys, with a talent that is absolutely out of this world and songs that have helped me in quite a few situations of my own life, and I will never get tired to listen to what they have to say with their music, because what they do, what they love to do, will never fail to reach something inside of me that no other singer or band has ever reached before.

And for that, I am beyond grateful.

Albums:

1. Daughtry (2006)

2. Leave This Town (2009)

3. Break The Spell (2011)

4. Baptized (2013)