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Archive for September, 2011

Wayne Marshall plays seriously the Adagio Sostenuto from the 2nd Piano Concerto in C minor, Opus 18, of Sergei Rachmaninoff. After a minute he deviates from his scores, and 30 seconds later John Miles start to sing one of the most stunning sing-alongs in the history of music. Around 2:10, everyone wants to hit the drums of Stuart Elliot. The guitar player who joins at 3:00 is a young Laurie Wisefield, since long a fixed value in the Electric Band. From 4:00 on, Wayne switches back to classical to finish the song together with John.
We’re sure that this tune will stay in your head for the rest of the day.

Simple Minds took part to about 1 in 6 of all of the NOTP shows. They were very enthusiastic about their first performance in 1997, so they were willingly to replace Roxette when Marie got ill a few weeks before the start of the 2002 tour.
John Miles just started hitting some keys on the electric piano when, from the left of the stage, Charlie Burchill played the first chords on his guitar; Jim Kerr entered from the right and walked modestly over the stage: Haven’t you forgot about me? Do you want to talk again? Do the math on how well Il Novecento fits into this song; beautiful work of the arrangers! And an added appreciation for the backing vocals Marjolein, Hille and Liv who deserved to be heard AND seen.

The full line-up for the German tour was announced on the press conference of the 13th of September in Hamburg. World star Chic with Nile Rodgers and the German group Stanfour are making the German program complete.
You can read our full preview for the German line-up here.

During the times of Supertramp, Roger Hodgson wrote Fool’s Overture. It’s a long piece, of over 10 minutes, which Roger couldn’t play much or sing as he thought, with a big orchestra. The piece refers to the second world war and the lessons people have to draw from it. After a long intro on the piano, you hear people shouting around 1:45, from 2:25 you can hear parts of the ‘Never surrender’ speech by Churchill from around 1940, guided by bells. Around 3:20 the music goes faster to finally lead to singing of Roger from 5:25: ‘History recalls how great the fall can be’, a song about leadership. At 8:40, Fine Fleur sings the song Venus from Gustav Holt’s The Planets, taken over by Roger into a crescendo to the finale.
Live, this unique piece of Roger Hodgson was impressive.

Link to video – embedding is disabled

Denise, Isabelle, Vittoria and Sofia from DIV4S were present for a successful little concert in the Stadsschouwburg on Saturday the 10th of September 2011, the most beautiful shopping centre in the centre of Antwerp.



The shoppers listened with pleasure to the following songs:

• Habanera (Carmen)
• Woman in love
• Canto Bella Terra
• Self Control
• The Prayer

A perfect start of the publicity campaign for Night of the Proms!

It was a totally atypical press conference in Antwerp, without seats and a nice chat on a stage. Discobar A Moeder is added to the program om the Proms, and ‘de Schele’ and ‘de Rad’ are playing records from all artists (with exception of Div4s) who they briefly presented with their own typical comment. From an hour before the show, they will start bringing the mood into the arena, but they didn’t exclude that it wouldn’t happen after the show, during the break or even during the show…

There are many thoughts going around but still not concrete. To our question who would compose the opening tune, we got the answer: “Opening tune? Why would that have to be written? Maybe it has already been written?” Will Night of the Proms be opened like Roger Daltrey did it in 2005? Some mystireous glances were following…

The next question was an easy one, we thought: “Which classical pieces will be played?” and we got the following answer: “That will be decided next week since we want to bring the classical pieces in a totally different way towards the audience”. Yes, classical music remains classical, but the way it is presented will change. It will be never seen before, they assured. And besides, Patric De Smet it thinking about to get two persons from the audience to test their musical knowledge.

Let’s relax a bit with Geert Vanhout, master of light: “Geert, everything ok with your preparation? Will it be something special?” Answer: “Of course, the stage remains the same but for the rest, the light spectacle will be unseen before”. “Innovate, Geert?” “Indeed!” was the reply.

Briefly, all who tought that Night of the Proms would become corny, or bring the same every year, will be proven wrong. NOTP is renovating and will be innovative!



And then Div4s performed. With Robert Groslot at the piano, they brought their opera medley and also sang the beautiful The Prayer (seen and hear them here at ATV). For us they will be one of the big starts of the fall shows, no doubt about that and we’re looking forward to the release of their CD which will be presented soon. Prepare yourself, dear NOTP fan, for some pleasure for the ears and the eyes!



When we listend around, we heard some other interesting facts.

Angie Stone will, most probably, bring four songs. Amongst them a duet. With John Miles?
Look into the soundtracks she helped to produce!
Two years ago, the brothers Katona brought an ode to Michael Jackson; this year John Miles will bring a song of Amy Whinehouse!

Night of the Proms is changing this year, the artists have beautiful voices and it looks to us that it will be a whirling night.

You want to enjoy already before or after? The fifth DVD will be released soon. You can find the playlist here.

The last new fact, was that NOTP will also be performing in Luxemburg on the 15th of December 2011.

This song is one of the last songs Chrissie Hynde wrote and sung with the Pretenders; it’s still a beautiful song about love and support in difficult times. From her first song, I go to sleep, the audience loved her rock-costume; the whole tour she was very pleased. I’ll stand by you is her third and last song, just before the break; later on the program she also sung I got you babe with UB40.

The last names were announced for the shows in Antwerp and Rotterdam:
Mick Hucknall (the voice of Simply Red) and Angie Stone for Antwerp and Rotterdam, and James Blunt in Rotterdam.

Jan is not very good for the neuropaths. But the fans are welcomed (even with some delay) to some quality and exiting expectations.

Here, you can find our previews for the shows in Antwerp and Rotterdam.

To avoid some wrong expectations with our German Night of the Proms pals, we would like to point out that Mick Hucknall, Angie Stone or James Blunt, as far as we know, won’t be announced on the 13th of September for the German tour.