DIARY 05/02/12
Sunday morning. Woke to find several inches of snow. Frozen ponds. But even that won’t spoil my mood. The response from our website users to the Priority Sale of Birmingham Symphony Hall tickets has been a real charge, giving me and those involved a rush of excitement. I hope most got the seats they fancied, but it’s not a perfect world, so I imagine some had to settle for less. But that is a wonderful hall, with hardly a bad seat in the place. We have a sizeable budget for national advertising, but at this rate we might just save most of it! Think we’ll wait a few weeks – it isn’t even actually officially on sale yet – and see the figures then. Might be able to run a couple of ads with “Sold Out” splashed diagonally across them! All vanity to one side, I really will want the nation to know!
There are no plans for any special guests to be invited. I know there’s a thread discussing the possibility. But this is a big venture. There will be 45+ bodies on stage. That might just be enough for one night. We will add Judy Teen (as it came from bang in the centre of the period, and perhaps Black Or White, which I’ve been listening to lately, and that great cello/strings arrangement will sound good at the end of it all. But plans must stay fairly fluid. I won’t be dismissing any thought, nor confirming any, except to say the two albums will be played in full – almost certainly (but not definitely) in the recorded running order. Start with Hideaway, finish with Tumbling Down, almost two hours later.
The anticipation is quite thrilling in itself: Sweet Dreams, Loretta’s Tale, Sebastian, Chameleon, Death Trip, Ritz and Cavaliers, Bed In The Corner, Tumbling Down, all with the sound of the time and place where I was a 22, 23-year-old lad. And I’ll have my arranger (still searching) add orchestrations of some sort – here some horn stabs, there some strings – on the other tracks, too. A twelve-piece Choir will be our backing singers.
Greta is here and she gave me snow chains for shoes at Christmas. We’ll give them a test run (well, difficult hobble really) in the darn snow shortly. Got to get a spade to the fish pond. The big, wild one can wait. Saw Moorhens sliding on it earlier, playing I guess. They’ll find food in a bush, among the bracken all right. Got the Land Rover, so we won’t be entirely stuck. But the daughter has to get back to west London. We won’t rest properly until she calls once safely through her front door. You don’t, do you?
Difficult times for the kith and kin domiciled in Iberian climes. The 85-year-old finally agreed to the hip replacement. Big job. It had crumbled to dust. He’s not being the most gracious of patients, apparently. Spoke to him this morning, straight through to a phone in his room (lucky, I know, that he could have it dealt with immediately, privately) and he sounds compos mentis. But he’s stubborn and wilful and refuses to move on to a Rehab Clinic. Says he went there to visit someone once and they “all sit about dribbling”. He just hates growing old. I tell him it’s better than the alternative, and he’ll go back to his own sweet home tomorrow. Full-time Carer being sought. It won’t be easy for him or her.
TrackBack URI for this entry
Subscribe to this comment's feed
Show/hide comments
written by Hans Peters , February 05, 2012
I really hope there some money left to broadcast it in 3D to a lot of cinama's in different countries.
So great!! Gonna be the rockconcert of the year!!!
written by humphries , February 05, 2012
Hi,Thanks for the diary.
You`re excited?!!!!! There`s good buzz all over. Its really good.
How about a "new song" at the end to leave us wanting even more?
So glad the hip replacement got sorted. Just keep nagging .Ooooooohhh Id have taken the job a few years ago. Safe travels jo
written by Angela Moore , February 05, 2012
Hi Steve,
it`s` going to be a very exciting few months till Nov! Good luck for a sell out night! Hope your Dad is feeling better soon,
Best wishes to you and yours
Angela & Nigel XX
written by Graeme Blake , February 05, 2012
Hello Steve,great diary piece. I could feel you're joy and excitement and made me realise it's not just me that's bloody excited about it. Now of course I don't want to wish my life away, but roll on 24th November. Any thoughts on guest appearances from the original band...ie Milton perhaps? Anyway, the band, the choir and an orchestra. What a way to celebrate the rebirth of the 1st 2 albums.
written by marianne , February 06, 2012
Got up at 3 a.m. to order tickets and got some! Will be coming from Canada for the concert.
written by Stella Day , February 06, 2012
I like to sit at the front in the middle but settled for 6 rows back and to the side. No matter. It will be great. I'll be sitting on the same row as my first and only ex-boyfriend. We'll wave again, as usual. John and I took our tribe out for a walk in the snow-covered fields around where we live yesterday too. Bracing and beautiful. Hope you find a good carer for your dad. You implied you'd be engaging a woman but don't forget some men make great carers too!
written by David Sims , February 06, 2012
Absolutely cannot wait - it will be Victoria Palace June 1974 all over again except I won't be 17 this time! Oh well time, age and maturity have their compensations I guess. Trying to decide whether to stay overnight in Birmingham now..........any recommendations?
written by Ana-Leigh , February 06, 2012
Got up at 5am for my golden ticket and was not disappointed. Exhausted, but jubilant.
"Start with Hideaway, finish with Tumbling Down, almost two hours later." So you're gonna be providing free tissue packets huh? I forsee a couple people, self included getting a little emotional.
Lastly I'm probably the only person happy the date is so long from now, so much work to be done to make my trip happen! England part 2, here I come!
written by Ian Walker , February 06, 2012
Could you let us know, Steve, if there will be a DVD/CD recording of the show, please ?
It might stop the forest of recording devices being held up everywhere.
Possibly a ban on such things being used in the hall too ?
written by phil Cherry , February 07, 2012
I have my tickets and the hotel room is all booked. I can harly believe, two of my very favourite albums with an orchestre and a choir, unbelievable. and Black or white thrown in too, briliant.
Just wondering....What album are you going to do as an encore.
written by PaulineW , February 14, 2012
So, so excited for the concert. Cute that you're excited too LOL! Prefer not to have special guests to be honest - the more of you and the boys the better. The Hall looks amazing and I'm sure the sound will be fantastic.
Parents never stop worrying no matter how old the kids get - and then of course it all swaps round and the kids worry about the parents ha ha! An 85 year old is allowed to be cantankerous especially with a big op to contend with x bless him x
Show/hide comment form
