Concert Review: Blickling Hall, UK - July 28, 2001
Robert Parsons:
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****** Chris de Burgh interupts Robert Picnic with sudden concert
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There I was sitting back gently relaxing in a Norfolk field on a beautiful Saturday evening, enjoying a feast that my wife and her best friend had spent nearly 20 minutes preparing at the supermarket that afternoon and suddenly I notice that there are 15,000 people around me and a man in black walks on to a stage without so much as an introduction and starts singing.
The gates only opened at 6.30, my wife therefore took this as meaning that we shouldn't leave until 7.00 (some limp excuse about having to feed the baby before going out, doesn;t she know I only go to one concert a year and he eats every day ! ) We therefore didn't arrive until 7.35 and were rather towards the back (damn that child.) However, this gave us an excellant opportunity to see the whole scene, 15,000 people on a slope, trying to decide whether to sunbathe, eat or go down and dance.
Meanwhile I was having some considerable trouble with my candles in the candelabra. Don't buy Sainsburys candles in the future, they are rubbish !
By the end of the fourth course I was ready for the Cheese and Crackers to wait a while so we ventured down to the front. After 20 years of going to C de B Concerts (I can't think of a year when I haven't been to one) of all types from the "bad old days" of Wembley full of people there just to hear LIR to the inovative Hampton Court Festival performance with the Orchestra to the current Picnic form, there is one thing that hasn't changed. C de B fans are always nice people. There was no crush, no abuse for standing in front of someone and a good deal of friendship between people who have never met, but have a common bond in enjoying good honest music. Just like this list then.
As you would expect the sound quality was excellant, the energy in Chris's 3 hr 15min performance breathtaking and the location brilliant for someone whose greatest worry about moving from London to Norfolk last year was that I might struggle to get to CdeB concerts !
All in all an excellant evening, but my editor had told me to go to this field because he'd heard about a spaceman who came travelling that was expected to land at Blicking Hall on Sat 28th July. I didn't see a spaceman, but there was certainly a bright star shining ..........
Angela Haigh:
Well, here is my review of Blickling...
I actually went down to Norfolk on the Thursday, so I could have a couple of days by the sea, just relaxing. I have had a rough few months, and this is just what I needed!
By the Friday morning, I heard that the weather forecast for Saturday was good, and that Britain was expected to have a heatwave for a couple of weeks...amazing!
I stopped in Cromer on Thursday and Friday, but Saturday had a place booked that was right on the beach, so headed there after getting my picnic shopping done. Once there, it was a short drive to Blickling Hall; it would have been even shorter, but the traffic signs from my direction were not as clear as from the other direction, and while one side of the signpost clearly showed Blickling Hall directions, mine didn't! However, I found it anyway, and was one of the first to arrive. If I had joined the queue immediately, I would have been second in the queue! Instead, I went to find a pub for a drink first, and by my return, was about 15th in the queue, so still a good position.
By this time, it was about 3 o'clock, and the gates were due to open at 6.30, so I spread sun lotion over my exposed limbs, and enjoyed the glorious sunshine. I went to take a picture of the stage, and was spotted by Sheila, who came over to chat. She was sitting with a few list members...Alan, Miriam, Hannelore and a couple of others. It was nice to chat with them...and sorry to those who I didn't speak to.
There was potentially trouble brewing in the queueing system, where late arrivals decided to join the front of the queue! One elderly couple got really annoyed at being requested to join the back of the queue, and it was a situation that was developing into a riot, so quite sensibly, the gates were opened early!
What a long jog it seemed down to the stage! However, I finally arrived, and set up my table and chairs! As this was my only show from the picnic shows, I did things in style! Shall I tell you what we had? Yes!
For starters, it was melon with parma ham, followed by stuffed peaches. Main course was plain chicken breast and chicken breast in lime and coriander (mmmmmm) with fresh fruit salad and crusty bread spread with Marscoponi cheese. Dessert was valencia orange cream dessert...but I had no room for that! All this, washed down with champagne, and in a superb atmosphere!
I'd no sooner finished that, and packed away, and had a word with Chris and Stuart Williams, when it was time for the show. I think this was the first time I have been to a show that has started so close to the official start time! Three hours and twenty minutes of amazing energy! How does he do it? I guess you know the format of the shows by now, from earlier reviews, so I will just comment on my favourite bits.
First, hasn't the band come on? Last time I saw them was Christmas, when I was too ill to notice or care what was going on. In fact, I did come away at that Christmas show, wondering if I would ever bother going to another one! How glad I am that I went on Saturday! I've not listened to much of CdeB this year, following that disappointing show (actually, not so much the show, but how I felt in December).
Shortly before driving down to Norfolk, I listened properly to Notes From Planet Earth, and in particular to "2 Sides to Every Story", and am knocked out by it! It was great to see it performed by Chris and Shelly. I also loved the bit where the band and Chris sit round in a circle, and some of my favourite songs were sung at that point.
Having the space and freedom to stand up and dance and sing was graet, particularly now that indoor shows are mainly sit down and listen shows. I could not begin to estimate how many people were there, but I heard that people at the back could hear, but not see Chris.