Tag Archives: Together Tour

Love Reign O’er Leeds with Alfie Boe and Michael Ball

My third concert review of the Together tour with Alfie Boe and Michael Ball and for me, the outstanding moment of the night, amongst many outstanding moments was Alfie’s Love Reign O’er Me from Classic Quadrophenia.  Majestic, powerful, vocally astonishing, touching, moving, emotional – there just aren’t enough superlatives and adjectives to describe how Alfie sang this song last night.  I’ve now heard Alfie sing this a number of times and each time I find something more to love about the performance.  This time, I even found myself with a few tears by the end of the song.  Judging by the audience response, this powerhouse performance was hugely appreciated by everyone else in the arena.  Take a look at Alfie’s photo from Twitter:

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As for the rest of the concert, there was only one thing I didn’t like…it was over too soon!  The music and the onstage antics and banter of Alfie and Michael swept me along that I couldn’t believe it when they came to the end of the first half and said “see you in a bit”.  In this first half, Speak Softly Love was another emotional song for me (the first lot of tears – previously, I hadn’t cried at all on this tour!) but the song that got the best reaction from the audience was a gorgeous rendition of Tell Me It’s Not True (thanks Linda W for sharing):

As you can see from this video, Alfie’s had a bit of a hair cut this week and, dare I say it, I’m not all that keen (sorry, Alfie).  You may all have different thoughts?

One of the joys of seeing more than one concert on a tour is comparing songs and performances along the way.  This is particularly applicable to this tour where the set list seems to be the same for each concert – for newer Alfie fans, previous concerts have had more flexibility in this regard, even though there is a basic set list.  Although I’ve seen Michael in concert before, it’s only been one concert on a tour so I have no means of knowing if he sticks rigidly to the same set list for the whole tour.  Thinking about the Together tour, the concert seems smoother and slicker each time I see it (which is lovely but sometimes those moments where it all goes wrong make it all the more special) but this has the unexpected advantage that I pay more attention to the different nuances in performance.  The beginning of the second half seemed much more relaxed to me, even more so than the Palladium; Alfie and Michael have slipped into an easy working and performing relationship that enables them to adapt and ad lib without upsetting the overall performance level.  Jokes and other improvised moments enhance the balance of the duets without ever letting the audience feel that the wheels might come off at any minute.

In my previous two reviews, I’ve necessarily concentrated on Alfie’s performance (not surprisingly you might say) but now I feel compelled to write something about Michael’s solo spot in the show.  His opening number is Gethsemane from Jesus Christ Superstar and after giving us a rather sweet story of his introduction to the musical, he launches into a superbly acted and sung performance that got better as the song went on.  In previous shows I felt that there were a few too many overly theatrical flourishes (yes, I know it’s a musical theatre song and he’s a musical theatre star) and indeed the opening bars of the song in Leeds went the same way.  But then, something magical happened and Michael gave us a fantastic interpretation of the turmoil of the song that made me totally believe in the character and not just Michael Ball singing a song.  A deserved standing ovation duly followed, with another for Love Changes Everything hot on it’s heels.  Bravo Michael.

I have two more opportunities to see the fabulous duo of Ball and Boe do their thing but they’re a while away now so I’m already having withdrawal symptoms.  See you in Hammersmith and Manchester, boys!

Together is available here:

together-album-cover

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Alfie Boe and Michael Ball Rock Brighton

The Together tour is in full swing and last night it was the turn of Brighton and our guest reviewers, Heather and Sam.  Sam had never seen Alfie live and was unsure what to expect but needn’t have worried, from start to end it was magic and she didn’t want it to end.  Here are her and Heather’s thoughts:

When you hear that two giants of the music world are collaborating in an album and nation wide tour it tends to set the heart a flutter.  The Together Tour landed at The Brighton Centre on Tuesday 15 November and it was clear from the first note that it was going to be an amazing evening. A simple set, a small but well balanced orchestra and three backing singers set the scene.

There could never be any doubt that we were in for a real treat of an evening but as the show unfolded, we were blessed with not only wonderful music but fun and laughter. There was reference to the album and many of the songs performed are from Together. They also mentioned the memorabilia that is available for fans to purchase – from coasters and mugs to t-shirts and fleeces (all of which is, in my opinion rather expensive).  The entertainment was, as expected, first class.  The choice of musical numbers was inspired – songs from
Blood Brothers (Tell Me It’s Not True), Phantom and The Godfather were off set with wonderfully unexpected items such as What a Wonderful World and Over the Rainbow combined into one song – cleverly arranged and beautifully sung. In between the songs, the banter between Michael and Alfie had us laughing, at times almost to the point of tears. Mr Boe is something of a giggler – after singing Speak Softly Love, he struggled to tell us, through his giggles, that he nearly counted out loud before starting to sing at one point during the song. He had us in fits of laughter as he pretended to have trouble getting onto a stool, thus requiring assistance from a certain Mr Ball.  At various stages
throughout the evening it was evident that Alfie was trying to stifle a giggling fit. It was great to see both Michael and Alfie obviously enjoying themselves whilst entertaining a packed venue.
There were, for me, a couple of unexpected moments during the show – firstly, Alfie Boe does Elvis!! To hear a classically trained singer do rock and roll was a real treat. Secondly, I was amazed by Michael Ball’s passion. He sang a song from Jesus Christ Superstar which I have never heard performed outside that show and left me moved almost to tears.  It brought home to me just how good he is.  Each of our entertainers did a solo spot which enabled them to showcase their individual style. Audience participation was encouraged and we got stuck in with great enthusiasm.  Alfie had us almost singing harmonies while Michael, having said we couldn’t join in with Love Changes Everything, then invited us to do so.

I could comment on every song that was performed, but it’s easier to just say that the entire evening was pure magic. A simple set, with different graphics projected onto the back wall depending on the theme of the music, an excellent group of musicians and singers provided the perfect accompaniment to the awesome voices of Messrs Ball and Boe. The evening concluded with a compilation of songs from Les Miserables – a show where Alfie doesn’t sing Bring Him Home would be like the Royal Variety Show without the National Anthem! The encore was more of a sing along – the audience on their feet joining in with You’ll Never Walk Alone – a wonderful way to end a perfect evening.

Thanks to Sam and Heather for giving us their thoughts on Brighton – our next guest review will be from Liverpool.

Together is available here:

together-album-cover

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Stairway to Paradise at the Palladium with Alfie and Michael

Hot on the heels of my review of Saturday Night at the London Palladium is my first guest reviewer, Cecelia’s post about Sunday night which she has dubbed Stairway to Paradise!

What a weekend it has been, starting with the arrival of our favourite roving New Yorker Roberta on Friday, ending up by chance in the same row as our favourite blogger at the Palladium on Saturday, and then returning last night for another slice of Malfie magic.  Trust me, from Michael’s opening notes offstage in Somewhere to those last combined, oh-so-stirring notes of You’ll Never Walk Alone, you’re under the spell of two consummate performers.  So often, seeing performers live can be a disappointment as the vocals fail to equal the recording.  With Alfie and Michael. it’s the other way around.  These two were meant to be on stage.
I thought Saturday night was fabulous and half the fun was meeting up with so many friends from far and wide.  But do you know what?  Last night was even better.  The boys seemed somehow more relaxed and playful, maybe because they hadn’t had a mad motorcycle ride across town.  Michael is sublime and Alfie is, for me, the voice that reaches the part that other singers don’t even begin to reach.  Together, these two really are a divine double act.
Highlights: Definitely Alfie’s Love Reign O’er Me.  It gave me chills when I first heard it sung on the Serenata tour and I get a tingle every time those opening chords are played.  The pianist was superb and I adored the fact that Murray was there to accompny Alfie with those masterful guitar riffs.  Having spoken to Murray the night of Classic Quadrophenia’s premiere, I know he was blown away by the music and Alfie’s performance so I’m so glad he got to be a part of this tour.  Another highlight was the power of Michael’s Gethsemane.  I wasn’t expecting that and found it extraordinarily powerful and moving.   Yet another highlight was Alfie forgetting the words to For Once In My Life early on because he was buy waving to people and he lost it completely when Michael helped him mount his stool for the beautiful What A Wonderful World / Over the Rainbow blend – it’s been such a while since I’ve heard that childlike Alfie giggle ring out.  It brought back find memories.  Of course, he got it under control and more than did justice to the songs…eventually!  And yes, there was even one mad Alfie dash when he leapt from the stage and ran around the stalls.
I’ve got to say I’m a sucker for Alfie the rock star, which I missed a bit on this tour so That’s Alright Mama was an absolute joy.  The Bond medley too was extraordinary and I thought that whoever worked out the staging did a great job.  The cleverness of the back projection throughout was stunning and the lighting shooting out over the stage on the beat as the Bond medley began perfectly captured the mood and set the scene for those oh so powerful songs.  The real surprise for me was how much I adored the swing section, which allowed the personalities of these two great buddies to shine.  Alfie and Michael perfectly captured the spirit of a bygone age, and they had such fun doing so. I didn’t want Me and My Shadow to end. Loved the choreography. So I guess I’m a sucker for a bit of soft shoe, too.  And then there was the Les Mis medley.  No words.
I feel privileged to have been able to have shared such a magical night, to have climbed that Stairway to Paradise and been swept away by the Music of the Night.  If you’ve caught the tour already, you know what I’m talking about.  If you are yet to go, I have a feeling these shows will only get better.  And if you can’t attend, you’ve got a TV special to look forward to in December.  Having thoroughly mixed my metaphors, I can’t help wondering where the Alfie train will be taking us next.  All I can say is, wherever it stops I’ll look for you at the station – because I haven’t been disappointed since I got on board.
Fantastically evocative review Cecelia – thank you so much for being my first guest reviewer!
Together is available here:
together-album-cover
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Heaven is a Saturday Night at the Palladium with Alfie and Michael…

…and a few of my closest Alfie friends of course!  So many friends were there last night which made the evening all the more special – thanks as well to everyone who came to say hello.  This was the first time I’ve brought a non Alfie friend to a concert and needless to say I got home to a text from Lucy saying she is his newest fan (Alfie and Michael sang her childrens’ favourite song)!  Mission accomplished – we may well be seeing her at more Alfie events in the future!

The title of this review is Heaven is a Saturday Night at the Palladium and the show really was a slice of heaven from beginning to end and, coming together with the perfection of Bournemouth, served as a welcome reminder just why thoughtsofjustafan came to,  and continues to, exist.  In other words, I fell in love all over again. This isn’t just because of the inclusion of my favourite song of all time, Keep Me In Your Heart (all together now, my favourite line is……..) but the overall balance of the show to accentuate the best qualities of both singers.  Michael’s cute and cuddly charming persona is well and truly on show but this encourages rather than hinders Alfie’s quieter stage presence; both are in their element and a week on from the start of the tour, are becoming more relaxed with each other, the set list, the short dance moments and the audience.

The stand out songs were once again Love Reign O’er Me from Classic Quadrophenia, Love Changes Everything and the Les Mis Medley but this time around, I was in a much better position to appreciate the vocal delights of Music of the Night and the Bond segment.  Alfie’s last note on Thunderball was exceptional and how I failed to mention that last week is a mystery!  The duet on Skyfall was also a goosebump moment and I’d like to hear a full length version some time.

Loved the Elvis segment although Alfie’s guitar was missed (bring it back for Leeds Alfie), especially the barn storming Suspicious Minds which evoked sweet memories of Carfest South three years ago.  With events across the pond this week Tell Me It’s Not True took on a whole new meaning and Alfie and Michael lost no time in exploiting it to the full.  Of the other album tracks we heard, A Thousand Years was again wonderful but on this occasion, I think Speak Softly from The Godfather was my favourite.  Perhaps this is one of those tours where I’ll have a new favourite song at each concert…I’ve got three more opportunities to find out.

Another highlight was the surprise appearance of Rick Astley who of course is also a guest on Alfie and Michael’s ITV special – no rehearsal but you would never have guessed (thanks for sharing Linda W):

In case you missed the fabulous news this Friday, Alfie and Michael Together entered the album charts at number two – awesome result (unless you’re Robbie’s dad from last night’s audience)!

Also, don’t forget Alfie and Michael are appearing on BBC Breakfast tomorrow (Monday 14th) and it’s a day of double delights with Children In Need Rocks for Terry televised at 8.30pm that evening.

Together is available here:

together-album-cover

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Alfie Boe & Michael Ball Wow Bournemouth Together

The day was here, no more days to wait, the Alfie Boe and Michael Ball Together tour was finally underway and my first opportunity to see the two in action was the second night, at the Bournemouth International Centre.  It seems as if I’ve lived and breathed this tour since tickets went on sale back in May and although the anticipation was immense, it wasn’t until my first ticket dropped onto the door mat this week (talk about cutting it fine Ticketmaster!) that I really allowed myself to think about hearing Alfie and Michael sing live together for the first time. Although I have been aware of Michael and followed his career for a long time (indeed it was him who introduced me to Alfie via Sweeney Todd and Les Mis) and been to see him in concert a few years ago, I admit that I was curious and slightly concerned as to how his voice would blend with Alfie’s in a live setting.

I needn’t have worried – from the first note to the last, Ball and Boe were outstanding.  Starting with Somewhere, with both off stage and progressing through more tracks from Together as well as nods to Sinatra, Elvis and James Bond, Alfie and Michael complemented each other beautifully and yet highlighted their differences too.  Michael’s Elvis was from the later years, although I do love his song choice, The Wonder of You, whereas Alfie’s That’s Alright Mama was the closest we got to rocking Alfie, complete with guitar!  The harmonies were gorgeous and the arrangements were clearly chosen to enhance the strengths of both voices and their very different approaches to singing which meant a perfect balance between the two throughout the whole concert.  My favourite Together song was A Thousand Years but the finale of the Les Mis medley was absolutely spine tingling – immediately after the concert I mused that I would have liked to have heard Bring Him Home all in one go but on reflection, it was actually really lovely to hear a new way of performing a song I’ve heard lots and neatly finished the Les Mis segment, coming after the soaring vocals of I Dreamed A Dream.  The encore of You’ll Never Walk Alone was also pretty special…what it will be like in Liverpool with the Kop choir I can’t imagine.

As befits two vocal giants, each had their own segment of the show and Michael gave a superb performance of Gethsemane before leading into his trademark song, Love Changes Everything.  He must have sung that song thousands of times in his career but it was still magical.  However, for me, the two highlights of the night came with Alfie’s solo spot.  Come on, you’re not surprised by that, are you?  Firstly, came my favourite song which contains my favourite line (yes, the one that goes “buttons on your blouse”) and I had to restrain myself from jumping up from my seat there and then.  Luckily, Alfie had us all up on our feet singing and dancing anyway so I was a happy bunny.  Here is Keep Me In Your Heart from Cardiff, thanks to Linda W for sharing:

I was even happier when Alfie went on to perform the fans favourite Alfie Boe song in our recent poll, Love Reign O’er Me from Classic Quadrophenia.  Although I don’t think anything could match the intensity of that first performance at the Royal Albert Hall in 2015, last night was a close second for me.  Sitting exactly in front of Alfie (I couldn’t have got a better seat if I’d tried) I could see the intense concentration and vocal technique necessary for that level of performance which once again bowled me over.  Judging by the roar of applause from the almost packed arena, I wasn’t the only one either.

Overall, my first Ball and Boe concert was a triumph and I can’t wait to see where they take it by the end of the tour (I have a few more opportunities to judge).  The show itself was very well rehearsed and choreographed, although I’m pleased to report that not everything went perfectly in that regard.  You know you’ve been at an Alfie concert when something goes wrong and Bournemouth was no exception.  Alfie’s long time MD Murray Gould and fellow guitarist, Sam, had to play a very long intro to A Wonderful World due to Alfie’s repeated corpsing and even when he eventually got the first line out, it was through gritted teeth as he was still inclined to giggle helplessly.  Michael of course was no help, openly laughing until he cried.  Michael and Alfie have chemistry in spades and this was abundantly clear in the banter between songs, as was the mutual respect with which these two fabulous singers hold each other.

Bravo gentlemen!

Alfie and Michael’s new album, Together was released on Friday and is available here:

together-album-cover

Click here to see remaining dates on the tour.

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Together Tour Reviewers Announced!

With the Alfie Boe and Michael Ball Together tour starting tomorrow night in Cardiff, here are the lovely fans who have agreed to become guest reviewers for us!

Bournemouth, 5 November: Jacqui Price

London Palladium, 13 November: Cecelia Powell

Brighton, 15 November: Samantha Davis and Heather Crosskey

Liverpool, 17 November: Pauline Hyland

Nottingham, 20/21 November: Heather Moore

Blackpool, 23 November: Carole Hunt

Manchester, 25 November: Roberta Kappus

Glasgow, 26 November: Annie Lloyd

Newcastle, 1 December: Barbara Wren

Sheffield, 3 December: Joan Rowe

Oxford, 9 December: Carole Hunt

As you can see from clicking here, there are plenty of dates that still need reviewing (with exception of London Palladium 12 November, Leeds 19 November and Hammersmith 8 December) so if you would like to become a guest reviewer, just contact me here.  I’m hoping that the content will be so good that thoughtsofjustafan will have it’s very own concert reviewing army for the future!

I’ll be at a few of the concerts so if I see you, come and say hello and above all, ENJOY!  See you on the other side!

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Alfie Boe 3rd Annual Best Ever Song: No. 1

We’ve reached the top!  Over the last ten weeks we have been counting down to this moment, finding out which song is the winner of the 2016 Best Alfie Boe Song poll.  Before we find out, let’s look at the 2 – 10 in reverse order:

10. Forever Young

9.   If You Go Away

8.   A Living Prayer

7.   It’s Over

6.   My Heart Is Yours

5.   First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

4.   Bring Him Home

3.   Trust

2.   Dimming of the Day

And so, the song at the top, a new entry to both the long list and the top ten is Love Reign O’er Me:

Thanks to Annie Lloyd for nominating this song – great to see it straight in at number 1!  This song, perhaps more than any other from Classic Quadrophenia, shows off Alfie’s vocal strength and versatility.  The high notes are just majestic, there’s no other word for it, whilst the quieter moments have such warmth and restraint.  Anyone who has been lucky enough to see Alfie sing this live will attest to the power of his voice.  Hearing it at the premiere of Classic Quad at the Royal Albert Hall last year was one of the best musical experiences of my life – and I don’t expect it to be bettered any time soon.  Quite simply took my breath away.  You can read more about that amazing evening here.

Thank you everyone for sharing your views on the top ten, it’s been a really enjoyable way (for me) to count down to the tour.  Guess what?  We’ve done it, we’ve arrived at the tour!  Hope to see lots of you at some of the concerts – come and say hi!

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Win Tickets for Ball and Boe: One Night Only

Alfie Boe and Michael Ball’s Together tour is nearly upon us and a spate of TV promotional appearances will shortly be announced – anyone excited?

Before that however, Alfie and Michael will be recording their one off ITV special, to be shown later in the year.  Some lucky fans managed to get tickets from ITV directly when the Ball and Boe special was announced a couple of weeks ago.  If you weren’t one of those lucky few (there were only a limited number for both Alfie and Michael fans), don’t despair because I have a pair of tickets up for grabs!

To win this pair of tickets, all you need to do is answer the following question:

Entrants must be subscribed to this blog – sign up on the right – and be able to attend the show at ITV London studios on Tuesday 25 October.  The competition will be closed on Saturday morning and the winner announced Saturday evening.

Good Luck!

 

Together Tour: Become A Guest Reviewer

Have you ever attended a concert and then told everyone you met about it afterwards?  Have you ever attended a concert, read a review afterwards and thought you and the reviewer must have been to a different concert?

If the answer to either of these questions is yes then this might well be the post for you.  I’m looking for guest reviewers for the Alfie Boe Michael Ball Together Tour and it could be you!

All you need to do is fill in the form to tell me about your first Alfie concert experience and which concert you would like to review*:

Don’t worry if you haven’t yet had the chance to attend one of Alfie’s concerts – fill in the form with a short review of one of his albums.

The concerts that are already covered are:

  • Bournemouth
  • London Palladium (Saturday)
  • Leeds
  • Hammersmith
  • Blackpool

If you are picked to review a concert, you will need to be able to produce a few paragraphs of text by the day after the concert – publication would be that day.  If you had taken any videos or photos, quality permitting, I would love to include those too.  Guest reviewers will be notified by the end of October.  If you need any inspiration, click here to see a guest review from Cecelia and here to see a review from Carole.  Neither of these ladies thought they would be able to write anything worth reading but I’m sure you will have enjoyed reading them as much as I did.

My first concert review on this blog was Alfie at Carfest South and one of my favourite videos from that day was:

Alfie was truly having so much fun that day – thanks Linda for sharing.

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*entrants must be subscribers

 

 

Alfie Boe 3rd Annual Best Ever Song: No.5

We’ve reached the half way point of our count down which means it’s only five weeks until the Ball and Boe Together tour starts!  The song at number five is a song that has been on the long list since the beginning but has only now made it to the top ten.  I’m talking about The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face:

Thanks to Annie for sharing this from Blackpool on the Storyteller tour.  Why has the song just now been voted into the top ten?  Not sure if I’m honest!  Perhaps that as we’re now revisiting Alfie’s repertoire for the third time, songs that have been previously overlooked are now been reappraised.  Alfie has sung this song live on countless occasions, right from the Bring Him Home tour, both American tours and Storyteller so this might be another reason as to why it has now appeared in the top ten.

The song was written by folk singer songwriter Ewan MacColl for Peggy Seeger before they were married although the song only became world famous when Roberta Flack’s version was used in the Clint Eastwood film, Play Misty For Me.  In the years since, there have been many, many cover versions, (all of them hated, at least those recorded before 1989, apparently by MacColl) but my favourite is George Michael’s version.  I may be biased in my choice as (before Alfie, yes there was such a thing). George Michael was my absolute favourite artist.

It’s rare that I find another artist’s version better than Alfie’s version but with this song, George’s phrasing edges it for me.  Certainly, it’s the best track on George’s album Songs from the Last Century.  Interestingly, in a long ago radio interview, Alfie picked George Michael as having a great voice and could have been even better if he’d gone down the route of vocal training.

First Time Ever I Saw Your Face is from the 2011 album, Alfie and is available here:

Alfie (alfie) album

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