dizzojay: (Dean)
[personal profile] dizzojay
Day 20 - concerts you've attended



I've attended several concerts of various descriptions.  Often local ones showcasing local bands or tribute bands, but the ones that really stay wiith me were the brilliant stagings of Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds.  I saw this fantatic production five times over eight years (basically every time it toured), twice at Wembley Arena, and three times at the O2.

Jeff Wayne's Musical Interpretation of War of the Worlds was released in 1978, when I was ten.  My Dad bought it on the day it was released, and played it ad nauseum, so it was one fo the soundtracks of my youth.  I inherited his love of this stunning piece of music, and it was the very first album I bought on CD.

It's been with me ever since and I will never tire of its sheer genius.

When the concert tours were first announced, I was eager, but cautious.  It's an epic piece of music, and it needed an epic staging to justify it.  I needn't have worried - the production was spectacular, complete with twenty feet high Martian fighting machine,  and beautifully emotional, just like the original soundtrack.  'Forever Autumn' (sung in concert by Justin Hayward whose voice has stood the test of time) and 'Thunderchild', moved me to tears as always.

Here are a few shots from the final tour in 2015:


The Martian Fighting Machine

The Artillaryman

Thunderchild, sung by the Voice of Humanity

The Journalist

The Finale


Date: 2017-04-15 10:05 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] loki-dip.livejournal.com
Very nice! Saw this in London last year with Mum (she has a thing for David Essex who was in it again).

Date: 2017-04-16 01:25 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] amberdreams.livejournal.com
Saw it once, I can't say I share your feelings about it. It was a pretty good staging but i wouldn't bother going to see it again. It's great that you enjoyed it so much though, and having been so often it should stay fixed in your memory for a good long time!

Date: 2017-04-16 03:45 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] milly-gal.livejournal.com
You're a little well traveled, huh? lol!

Date: 2017-04-16 07:02 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sasha-dragon.livejournal.com
I love War of The Worlds and I think you're so lucky to have seen it on stage.

Steve has the CD and when we played it, the sound of the Martian war machine freaked poor Sasha. The look on her face as she heard it and then she bolted out of the room, we just make sure when we play it now the volume isn't too high.

Date: 2017-04-17 03:32 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jj1564.livejournal.com
I'm so jealous, I'd have loved to have seen it live! I still have the LP and the sound the Martians make - ooolaaaa - still gives me goosebumps!

And thanks for the reminder that I was doing this meme and forgot to continue after my enforced LJ break!

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