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| It's turning out to be a significant year for Quill |
#1,266: Hello ... Hello ... my old friends ... It's great to see you once again! Since it was announced earlier this year, Yours Truly KJS and
ELO Beatles Forever (ELOBF) have been very much looking forward to
Brum Bands Unite, a concert in support of the
Justice 4 The 21 campaign whilst raising monies for
Acorns Children's Hospice on the evening of St. George's Day
(Sunday 23rd April) within the iconic surrounds of Birmingham Town Hall. The comic interplay of joint comperes
Roger 'Ollie' Spencer and
Tom Ross and heartfelt speeches by
Julie Hambleton and the
Lord Mayor of Birmingham Councillor Carl Rice ensured that the music and the message were rightly balanced as the immensely talented array of Brum artistes delivered a fantastic concert to an appreciative audience.
Right from the outset
The Inspiration Choir - ably conducted by
Bonnie Spencer - made sure proceedings began brilliantly with a lovely rendition of
The Beatles'
"In My Life" followed not long later by local singer/songwriter
Chris Tye, who also impressed upon first hearing particularly with the atmospheric
"I Will Be With You" followed by local reggae and
lovers rock legend
Bitty McLean ensured that the crowd were swaying with
"Dedicated To The One I Love".
There is something infectious and enthusiastic about
Dave Scott-Morgan and his
Morganisation outfit with their six song stint ensuring that they were more than comfortable on the large stage as they dabbled with tracks from
their excellent "Bubbles" album and capped their set with a passionate performance of
"21 Today" before
Steve Gibbons gave a brief solo cameo
(including an enjoyable monologue) with
Dylanesque tunes
"Sweetheart" and
"Bird With No Song". It was almost a case of
The Uglys reformed next as
Morganisation enjoined with
SG for another memorable moment with a duo of songs in tribute to
Buddy Holly and a top class take of
Bob Dylan's
"Like A Rolling Stone".
Quill arrived on stage as the final act of the night with their thunderous and moody take on
"The Bells Of Rhymney" before delivering another sublime set of songs with huge hints of their much anticipated new studio album set alongside an Americana upgrade to their Kite classic
"Say It Ain't So",
Abby Brant's wonderful talent again displayed during
"Can't Find My Way Home" and
Joy Strachan-Brain's magical stage presence throughout.
Quill continue to blossom on stage with
Andy Edwards again providing perfect percussion alongside the smooth vocals of bassist
Matt Worley and violin wizardry of
Kate McWilliam. My position on the front row afforded me the opportunity to see the wondrous guitar craft of
Tony Kelsey - up close and personal - and appreciate his contribution to a band worthy of a much wider acclaim. This was a wonderful event that will hopefully generate a healthy donation to a worthy cause and much interest with another
J4T21 concert set to be confirmed soon at the same venue later this year in November.
The Inspiration Choir performed: "In My Life" ~ "The Rhythm Of Life" ~ "Freedom" + Chris Tye performed: "Feature Fight" ~ "No Sing" ~ "I Will Be With You" + Bitty McLean performed: "Dedicated To The One I Love" + Morganisation performed: "Benediction" ~ "Knower" ~ "Red Rose" ~ "Gibraltar Farm" ~ "Mission Impossible" ~ "21 Today" + Steve Gibbons performed: "Sweetheart" ~ "Bird With No Song" + Steve Gibbons & Morganisation performed: "Hey Buddy" ~ "Words Of Love" ~ "You Can Never Tell" ~ "Like A Rolling Stone" + Quill performed: "The Bells Of Rhymney" ~ "Pretty Ribbons" ~ "Say It Ain't So" ~ "Elephant In The Room" ~ "Can't Find My Way Home" ~ "Perfect Skin" ~ "Winter's Jig" ~ "Say Goodbye" ~ "England" ~ "Jerusalem"
Yours Truly KJS and
ELO Beatles Forever (ELOBF) continue to support
Justice 4 The 21.
Until next "Time" in the ELO (and related) Universe ... KJS ... 25-Apr-2017
Keep them coming Keith
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