I had this review already in the old forum, but I post it again here because I think it is intertesting ton thise fans that haven't had the opportunity to see Vanessa-Mae live on stage in concert. So here it is once more:
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The concert of Vanessa-Mae in Zurich was very good. However, it was clear that it was not an event of her own world tour that will start in September, as Vanessa-Mae announced during her concert. This concert in Zurich was an invited performance in an open-air music festival. I have no idea about the rules and conditions this invitation imposed on the concert. The entourage was too small for a normal Vanessa-Mae world tour concert. Moreover, she played for only about 1 hour 40 minutes (total 2hrs with a break of 20-25min). Normally, her concerts take about 2.5hours (break not included). Vanessa-Mae was accompanied by a band that consisted only of a guitarist, a bass-guitar player, a drummer, a keyboard player and two female backing singers. There were no dancers and no string section. As a consequence Vanessa-Mae only played tracks from her new album and some pieces of Storm and The Violin player. There was no classical intermezzo. I think the concerts of her forthcoming world tour will have all the mentioned missing ingredients. There was also no official program or concert brochure available.
But let me start my story at the beginning. It will be a long story and if you’re bored, just stop reading or skip a part!!!
The location of the concert was ‘Das Landes Museum’ which is located directly adjacent to the main railway station in the center of Zurich. The museum is a kind of castle and monastery. It has a courtyard, which can be accessed via the main port or via the park behind. In this back opening the stage was build. The seats for the audience were on the courtyard, there were also some seats where regular visitors of the museum could rest and have a drink. These seats where separate from the concert seats and were still accessible during the stage build up. After all, the museum was open as normal.
Anyway, I went to the museum immediately after my arrival in Zurich, just to see the location. I observed then the build up of the equipment for the concert of Vanessa-Mae. Next I went to my hotel and did some sightseeing in Zurich. At 13:30, I returned to the museum and saw that the band was starting to do a try-out for sound optimization. Vanessa-Mae herself was nowhere to see. But I thought that she needed to do a sound check for her violins and her voice, and I decided to take a drink and wait for the things to happen. I was so lucky to be there. Shortly before 15:00, a man came on stage with three handbags carrying her violins. Immediately after that, Vanessa-Mae appeared on stage. She started to unpack the violins and laid them down on a table out side the direct sunlight. It was a very warm an sunny day in Zurich. Now entering the area around the stage and the seats was prohibited, a Swiss security guy was taken care of that. I only saw Vanessa-Mae and the whole game on stage from an estimated 30-40 meters.
Vanessa-Mae did look great. She wore a grayish blue red spotted summer pants with the under part of her leggs open. She wore also a pink/rose sleeveless T-shits with white stripes around the neck and shoulders. She had no visible make-up, and her hair loose hanging on her shoulders. She was on bare feet wearing slippers. During her try-out, I started to take pictures. After about 30 minutes, a huge British security guy came over to me and asked politely to stop during the try-out. I told him that I was not a professional photographer, but only an interested dedicated fan. ‘I know’ he said, ‘but we still ask you to stop.’ Of course I stopped, but asked him whether photography was allowed during the concert. He told me that he didn’t know exactly, but that he assumed that if limited and without flashlight it would not be any problem at all.
The band had finished their sound-check and now Vanessa-Mae was alone on stage together with only two or three persons for sound check, technicians or for assistance. Vanessa-Mae received a belt with transmitters to have her violins plugged into. Now she started to do some singing. She sang parts of I a Doun, White Bird, and Love is only a Game. After that she picked up the acoustic violin and started to do some finger practicing. Now, that sounded awful and reminded me exactly why instrument playing neighbours are hated so much. But hearing it from Vanessa-Mae is an experience I will not forget the rest of my life. She played short parts from several pieces, but suddenly started to do a whole part of the Four Seasons!!!! Vanessa-Mae also changed her acoustic violin for the electric one, and back to acoustic again several times. It was absolutely amazing how easily she changed from doing finger practicing to real music, alternating between classical and modern music. Later Vanessa-Mae started to practice with the whole band, doing vocals and violin.
It was obvious that there were some technical problems. As an example, Vanessa-Mae wanted to do a special effect on her electric violin during T&F for which she had to activate a switch on a panel with her foot. This didn’t work correctly. Also, Vanessa-Mae wanted to do an effect during ‘Art of War’, which wasn’t successful enough, according to her, during the try-out. At least it wasn’t in her opinion. Now, I had the impression that she was a little irritated with that and because a sound manager didn’t agree with her on that. Vanessa-Mae and the technicians were communicating mostly through microphones, so I could hear parts of their conversations. One moment she said: ‘I have it on cd with me, I can play it for you!!! Vanessa-Mae definitely wanted to persuade the technician with her views on the matter.
There was another funny incident that somehow shows that she was a little annoyed. Vanessa-Mae kicked out her slippers: one slipper felt of the stage and the other was lying around somewhere. A lady (personal assistant?) immediately walked form the back to the stage in front. Picked up the fallen slipper, climbed on to the stage where she collected the second one, and put them somewhere where Vanessa-Mae could step into them, the moment she wanted to. Now, I don’t think Vanessa-Mae did this all on purpose, it just happened.
At 17:00, the museum closed and all spectators were asked to leave the courtyard. Next, I walked into the park to the behind of the museum. There was a closed parking area where a big black Mercedes with chauffeur was standing. I supposed he was there to serve Vanessa-Mae. I also planned to go there after the concert, in case no official signing session was organized.
Now, I was back at the venue at about 18:30. The beginning of the concert was scheduled at 20:30. In the meantime, I bought flowers and a card for Vanessa-Mae. On the card, I also mentioned our VM-forum. I asked a crewmember, how to get the flowers delivered to our girl. He replied: ‘let me ask around for you.’ After a few minutes he returned with another guy who promised me that he would take care of it.
Now let me first give a list of all the music Vanessa-Mae played and I will add to the title on which violin she was playing. She used her acoustic violin, her Zeta electric one and a kind of bass violin for a special effect. There was no Ted Brewer violin. The program was as follows:
Art of War (electric)
Picante (acoustic)
Deep South (acoustic)
Night Flight (acoustic)
Clear like ice (acoustic)
I am a Doun (acoustic)
Toccata and Fuge (electric)
Storm
------break-----
Love is just a game (electric)
Embrasse Moi (electric)
White Bird (electric)
Laughing Buddha (electric and bass violin)
Destiny (electric)
----end-----then encores---
Storm (electric)
Destiny (electric)
White Bird (dance version; Vanessa-Mae only singing)
During the first part of the concert, Vanessa-Mae was wearing a black long trousers with black shoes (no high heels) and a black sleeveless shirt with colored stripes (see also mid page of STC booklet). Her face was obviously made up, but only light: pinky lips and smooth complexion, no dark eye shadow. Her hair was loose on her shoulder. For the second part, Vanessa-Mae wore another black trousers, and a blue-white striped sleeveless front shirt that was tight on her back. To be short: Vanessa-Mae looked absolutely fantastic and gorgeous as always.
The orchestral intro of Art of War was on tape, but it started when Vanessa-Mae as not on stage. She appeared immediately after the intro. What can I say about the concert? The band played very good. Vanessa-Mae played very impressive, as was to be expected. The special effects went well, except for the Art of War effect. After the Art of War, Vanessa-Mae admitted this to the audience and told that some technical difficulties were encountered during the try-out that afternoon. Vanessa-Mae’s singing is very good. Her voice adds something to the words of the songs. The selection of songs suits her voice very well and she does not overestimate her qualities as vocalist.
The way she plays her violin really shows that she is the master of her instrument. Vanessa-Mae plays so relaxed and she really becomes one with her instrument the moment she starts to play. Her technique is perfect without mistakes and so fluently. Becoming one with your instrument, is a feature that can only be seen with the greatest instrumentalists. And Vanessa-Mae is the best violinist of our modern times today. That is my opinion, for which I personally have no doubts. Vanessa-Mae is also one of the world best and outstanding live performers. This girl is so at her best on stage. You have to witness it yourself to understand what I mean. Seeing her on TV or on tape (Berlin concert, Storm movie or Red Hot tour) gives you an impression, but comes no where to reality. To me, no one can meet her outstanding qualities to communicate with her audience. Being at one of her concerts really moves me. She is so nice as a person and such an outstanding musician; she has so much stage personality. The moment Vanessa-Mae appears on stage, the world turns around her. Nothing else exists anymore. I am thrilled being there at her concert.
During, Storm, Toccata and Fuge, Destiny and White Bird, especially the dance version, the audience becomes thrilled and excited with clapping and shouting for more. ‘Love is just a game’ is a real funny piece played live in concert: the singing is so joyful. With the light effects, Laughing Buddha brings you in another world. “Night Flight’ and ‘Clear like ice’ bring both emotions during the more slow part of the concert. Vanessa-Mae at her best playing on acoustic violin.
But to everything comes an end. As I explained, I missed the more classical oriented part of her concerts. During the try-out in the afternoon pieces like Solace, Pasha and some more tracks from Storm (Hocus Pocus, Leyanda) were played. I too missed Yantra. Hopefully these tracks are included in her world tour concerts.
Vanessa-Mae gave no indication a the end of the concert that she had indeed received my flowers. I imagine that Vanessa-Mae is not to be disturbed in her dressing room shortly before a concert and that the flowers were only put there during the first part of the concert. It is possible that Vanessa-Mae only noticed them after the concert.
At the end of the concert it became soon clear to me, that there would be no official signing session. So I planned to go to the backyard in the park where the Mercedes for Vanessa-Mae was waiting. Unfortunately, the park was closed. The park belongs to the museum and is probably closed for normal security reasons and to keep drug users and other bad people away form the museum. So I was not in the position to approach Vanessa-Mae after the concert.
I will definitely visit one of her concerts during the forthcoming world tour. Be aware, going to a concert of Vanessa-Mae makes you addicted, making you to wanting more and more.
It was all worth the money and time traveling to Zurich
Rijko
