Wow Polly, like winning the lottery, good on you! So amazing, what happens when you are on the front row. I don't know why Russell would be so amazed at the bookmark, which one was it????xxxxxDella
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"Slowly, softly, sweet intoxication;
help me make the Music of the Night."
Does any one have any ideas on uploading large size videos?
i uploaded one on youtube, but my connection went off at around 85%
and then i have to start all over again, i tried to do a smaller video size on You Send It, and it got to 55% and the connection went off
does anyone have anymore ideas? i will try again and hopefully my connection can hold it _________________
Wow Polly, like winning the lottery, good on you! So amazing, what happens when you are on the front row. I don't know why Russell would be so amazed at the bookmark, which one was it????xxxxxDella
Ok everybody deep breaths here it is my 'review'
Typing it up came to 5 and half A4 pages. I think I remembered most of it
I will start work on my photos tomorrow.
Russell Watson – Live in Concert 2008
Sheffield City Hall – 21st/June/2008
The Live in Concert Tour is Russell’s first tour back after his second operation on a brain tumour just over 8months ago. All of Russell’s fans were apprehensive that he was rushing himself, coming back too soon. But from the events of tonight I can clearly state that the only person who knows Russell well enough to decide what is too soon is himself. He put on a stellar performance, which very quickly blew the doubts of the fans away.
For this concert I bought myself and my Dad tickets, in exchange for him having to drive me to Sheffield. Our tickets were for the Front Row AA 24 and 25. Just to the right of centre stage. I would describe the venue as a miniature Albert Hall in size but with fewer balconies. As we enter the venue I look at the merchandise and end up saying one of those, and one of those, and end up with a Mug, Key ring, Programme, Fabric Poster (Tea-towel) and a mini album of Victoria Hart whom is Russell’s guest singer.
Whilst everyone was getting seated there was a voice over saying ‘One minute till the start of the concert.’ It sounded a bit like Russell with the Mancunian twang, but I’m not sure.
The band and backing singers come out to their seats to tune their instruments. Then the started playing Volare, which suddenly burst into the head banging section of Bohemian Rhapsody, and then mellows into Can’t Help Falling In Love with the backing singers joining in blending straight into the chorus of Funiculi Funicula.
Then a (fake) American voice (again could possibly be Russell) announces ‘Ladies and Gentlemen please welcome to the stage Russell Watson.’ With that Russell (wearing a black one buttoned jacket suit and white shirt) bounds onto the stage from the left to a massive applause and standing ovation. He stands behind the microphone stand ready to sing the first sing, but the applause is still so loud. So Russell just stands there smiling that big smile of his, and claps at us, his audience.
After a while we all sit down and let Russell sing and he bursts into O Sole Mio. That is a very powerful opening number. I have been a fan of Russell’s for about 8years now and I still can’t work out how this massive booming voice can come out of him. It’s like magic. Russell IS magic.
After O Sole Mio, Russell is again given a standing ovation and masses of applause. Again Russell claps us. Once it had quietened down Russell gives thanks for the astounding reception and rapturous applause. He said that when he came out on stage he could tell by the look of the audience that tonight will be a fun show to do and he knows now he wasn’t wrong. He also said how amazing it is to see so many people here, with the place rammed to the rafters and it’s quite emotional especially after this past year to see so many people here for him.
He then went on to say the next song is from his second album. The song was Va Pensiero. For this Russell has the soft voice with that slight pop huskiness. Again I say Russell is magic to go from big booming Russell t soft sensual Russell in the click of a finger.
Whilst Russell is singing there is a Press Photographer crouched on the floor of the front row taking photos of Russell. After Va Pensiero Russell says to us ‘Hang on a minute, it’s the press.’ Then starts posing for the photographer, doing loads of fun poses for about a minute and the photographer was having a field day as you could hear the constant click click clicks of the camera. Russell then says to the photographer, ‘Do you wanna come up here mate,’ (points to the stage) ‘so you don’t get my double chin’ and then laughs. With that someone shouts ‘You’re gorgeous Russell.’ Russell shouts back ‘Thanks Mum’ and whilst still posing rolls his eyes and head in the cheeky embarrassed sort of way.
Finally Russell stops posing and sings Caruso. You can see the emotion that Russell puts into this song that at one point I thought he might cry. Russell doesn’t just sing the songs, he acts them. He is not just a singer, but also a performer and with his banter with the audience between songs I can say Russell is a definite entertainer.
After Caruso Russell says, ‘It’s now time to introduce my very special guest, a beautiful cute young lady with a beautiful voice and she’s only 19. Victoria Hart.’
I have been looking forward to Victoria as I bought her album last year and loved it.
Victoria comes out in a short floaty black dress and introduces her song as a song many people have sung before and that this is her own interpretation. The song being Somewhere Over The Rainbow, and for me her interpretation was amazingly beautiful. To me this song has a hit or miss quality. I don’t like it to be sung too slowly. Victoria got the perfect timings. She has a soft sensual voice and was rewarded with a fantastic applause when she had finished the song. And then she walked off stage left and greeted Russell with a kiss and a hug as he came back on.
Russell comes back on to applause and introduces the next song as one from his That’s Life album, The Summer Wind.
After that he stood by the piano chatting to Jeff Leach and then apologises to the audience saying ‘Sorry we’re just having a conflav over what to sing next.’ And automatically someone shouts ‘You Raise Me Up’ and in an instant Russell puts on a dirty old man face and voice and says ‘Ooh you raise me up any day luv’ and starts laughing and goes into a world of his own and says how that’d be a great advert for Mr Kipling. Then points into the audience all serious and says ‘Oi, that’s my idea.’ Then gives us that big cheeky smile.
He than agrees with Jeff that the next song will be You Make Me Feel So Young. With this Russell was bouncing his way across the stage and doing his really husky voice as he sang and acted out his ‘picking up all those forget-me-nots.’ I know Russell says he’s not a dancer but you can tell by his performances that he clearly enjoys it really.
Next up Russell performs a new song to him and us. A song in which he hopes to put on the next album, and then he started counting his fingers and said ‘Number 9’. Wow his next album will be his 9th. The song was Louisiana. This is a new song to me, I’d say it’s a cross between pop and swing and really suited that side to Russell’s voice and from listening to the words it is a very emotional story. Possibly the reason why Russell chose it.
After Louisiana, Russell told us he’d like to finish the first half with his most requested but as yet unrecorded song. With that cheers from the audience erupted, and Russell put’s on his cheeky voice and says, ‘You don’t know what it is yet.’ He soon got told as the audience shouts up to him Music Of The Night. And they were right.
Russell stood still behind the mic as the intro started. This is yet another emotional story and you could see in Russell’s actions and voice how the sadness runs through the song. Music Of The Night is a powerful song in it’s own right, but Russell somehow manages to make it even more so and I’ll admit I almost had a tear in my eye whilst watching this performance.
When the song was finished Russell was presented with a basket of flowers and cards from the audience. And then treated to a well-deserved break for the interval.
For the second half Russell came out in a grey striped suit with matching shirt. He was greeted to a rapturous applause welcoming him back.
First song of the second half was Barcelona. Although this is an old song for Russell being from the first album, to me it felt new, as I’d never heard it live in concert before. Russell got close to the backing singers, really making them part of the performance than just being their in the background.
Next up was Volare – the well-known Russell meets the fans song. Russell sang the first line then left the rest to us, the audience. We did the ‘Volare oh oh, Cantare ooh oh’ and stopped as Russell was pretending to walk off stage waving as he went. He comes back though and says, ‘I thought you knew it.’ And continues to sing it himself. Once the chorus kicks in Russell is off the stage, being hugged, kissed and greeted by many fans old and young alike. The set up of the hall is two aisles down either side of the stage and about 6rows backs a walkway before the next set of rows begin. This was Russell’s planned route but once in that centre walkway a queue seemed to have formed. By now the song was practically over, just the drummer doing that extended drum roll for the last note. The drum roll had already been going for about a minute when Russell, mid hug, speaks into his mic saying, ‘Won’t be a minute.’ After about a further two minutes Russell was finally able to get back on stage. (One of the crew moved a box to just in front of us for Russell to use as a step, but unfortunately Russell didn’t see and climbed up stage right). Once on stage, you could see Russell’s face and shirt were soaking wet, after all he did have at least about 50 hugs out there. He took a sip of water then said, ‘Oh yeah,’ then finished the song with a last powerful ‘Oh Ooooh.’
Nest up was Funiculi Funicula and this is where Russell really starts to interact with the backing singers, with them all acting out their own interpretations of the words. We have ‘cup of char’ where they pretend to drink from a teacup. And ‘sempri car’ when they pretend they’re driving. Russell and the singers were clearly enjoying their little joke as they were all singing with big smiles across their faces. And so was I, laughing and singing (although very quietly) with them.
After Funiculi Funicula, Russell greeted Victoria back to the stage. This time she was wearing purple Grecian style long silky dress. Victoria’s song was a new song to me, Taking A Chance On Love. She really does have a wonderful voice, but I didn’t like this song as much as Over the Rainbow. That is no fault on Victoria’s part though. It was just that I didn’t know the song at all. (I do know as it’s on the mini album I bought and it is a grower).
After that Russell came back out in the original black suit. (I guess the grey one had got too hot and sticky from the walkabout that was Volare), and I noticed that the white shirt was striped and fairly see-through too.
He gave Victoria a peck on the cheek and told us that ‘Victoria had agreed to stay a while longer to sing with me.’ They then both walked to opposite ends of the stage and started to sing The Prayer. Both Russell and Victoria sang it so soft and gently. Victoria’s eyes were wide on Russell’s and I truly believed in the words. She was singing to be looked after. And I personally think that because of the softness, making it so beautiful (more so than usual), that this was possibly the best The Prayer duet with Russell I have ever seen or heard. Afterwards another kiss and hug for Russell, this time from Victoria, and she then waves her goodbye to the audience to a rapturous applause.
Russell’s next song was the only one of the night from his Outside In album, La Califfa. He stood behind the mic stand, and with his acting of the song you could tell, without knowing the translation of the song, that it is a serious song, which Russell sang so powerfully and beautifully.
When he had finished he was given a framed star cross-stitch, which was from a young girl. He asked her if she’d made it and she said ‘Yes.’ Russell looked genuinely pleased with this and aww’d. He asked her how old she was, the reply was ‘12’. He looked at her mum and said ‘Oh oh 13 next’ with raised eyebrows, (as his eldest daughter has not long turned 13). And then went on to ‘Dedicate this next song to my girls who are here tonight.’
The dedicated song being Have I Told You Lately. A perfect choice of song for a father to sing to his children. And from looking at Russell’s face whilst he sung it you could tell he truly meant every word of it.
Russell then went on to introduce us to his band and finally his ‘MD, Pianist’, then gave us a wry smile and said ‘I said Pianist’ (the old misheard word joke), ‘and great mentor in life Jeff Leach. Who then started to play the intro to the next song, Nessun Dorma.
The stance, the voice, the actions all exuded power and Russell was given a standing ovation for such a fabulous version, before he ran off stage to come back for the final Vincero. After Nessun Dorma Russell was given more cards and gifts from the audience and I was lucky enough to get a handshake and a ‘Thank you’ from Russell. With that I said ‘No, Thank YOU!’
Russell disappeared off stage despite a crowd now forming at the side of the stage with their programmes waving ready to be signed. Russell soon came back and pointed a finger up as if to say ‘one more’. He stood centre stage and sang I Can’t Stop Loving You. This is a very motown style song and again Russell was close by and singing with the backing singers.
Staying centre stage Russell then went on to sing a slower number, Torna A Surriento. As with all the classical songs Russell sings, this was yet another beautifully powerful one in which his voice can go from soft and gentle and then boom out the big notes.
Russell then leaves the stage to cries of ‘More, more!’ in which he puts his hand to his ear as if he couldn’t hear and walked off for about 10seconds. He then returns bouncing back on the stage saying, ‘This is one we’ve been playing about with.’ And burst right into Papa Was A Rolling Stone. Another motown song that Russell really got into singing towards his singers again, as they clapped through the chorus and with Russell moving about dancing across the stage. It felt to me that now it was the encores, Russell felt he could really let himself loose and mess about and have a laugh, (which was a great sight, and bonus, for us).
Soon after the song had finished Russell quickly ran off stage. But he wasn’t off long and came back on to sing Try A Little Tenderness. I love this song on the live album and it was great to see it live again, after last year. Russell was clicking his fingers to the beat, swaying a dance and that sexy huskiness to his voice came back for the ‘You got to, you got to….’ It was a very bouncy upbeat final song, or so we thought.
Again Russell left the stage, this is now about the 5th time since Nessun Dorma. This time he was off stage for a bit longer, finally coming back on when the band started to play You Raise Me Up.
Russell like magic switched from fun, dancing pop music to seriousness to sing You Raise Me Up powerfully and as he was singing you could see in his eyes he was pleased with tonight’s performance. And as I fan so was I. And I do NOT understand why the musical snobs have a problem with Russell, he is an all round entertainer whose Tenor voice has the ability to suit any style of music he comes across. This should be embraced and Russell and ALL his many many adoring fans all agree that it works, very well.
As the song ended the lights came up. So that was that, concert over, no more songs. Which means Russell will now sign things. But then the audience start to get worried as he runs off stage again, finally sighing with relief when he comes back with his trusty marker pen.
As I was in the front row I’d already come prepared with the latest two CD covers (Outside In and The Ultimate Collection Special Edition), which Russell signed. I’d handed my Dad the programme as I didn’t want to be greedy getting too many things signed, but dad held it up and managed to get it signed too.
After Russell had finally left the stage for the last time my Dad went into photographer mode and whilst talking with the backing singers made them move together to centre stage for a group shot with out having the music stands in the way.
We decided to chance Russell at the stage door and were surprised to see big barriers and a queue of people. Russell’s car was right next to the door and after about 10 minutes, Rebecca and Hannah came out and straight into the car. Hannah was waving at us through the front window. As they’d got straight into the car we half expected Russell to too. But once he came out and saw the crowds he came towards the barriers.
I’d bought my book along, which was already prepared with a post it requesting it be signed to Lorraine. After about 5 minutes or so it was my turn. Russell still had the trusty marker pen, but whilst he was reading my note I made him change to my ball pint (in case the marker leaked through the page). Russell signed my book ‘To Lorraine Love RW x’ and shook my hand and with a smile and wink said ‘Thank you.’
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