News
'Unplugged' at The Granary in Beccles
18 July 2012
Rick, his son Oliver and the band being interviewed by Shakira Akabusi, before the "Unplugged' concert.
The 'Unpluggged' Concert at The Granary in Beccles, was a one off opportunity to see Rick Wakeman with his Acoustic Rock Style Ensemble together with a very special guest, Ricks son Oliver Wakeman on piano with Dave Colquhoun on acoustic guitars, Ashley Holt vocals and Tony Fernandez on percussion. In this 'Unplugged' gig Rick and the Acoustic Ensemble performed a large proportion of music rarely heard plus a Q and A for the first time where the band also had their say!
Performing to a full house, it was a great atmospheric evening and a DVD of the event will be available very soon. Watch this space!!
News for July
13 July 2012
June was extremely interesting with so many possibilities suddenly appearing of which, even if 10% reach fruition it will be pretty fantastic, as they are all extremely interesting. Firstly though, Oliver and Lisa presented me with yet another grandchild, Lottie, who arrived on the 7th July. She was due a bit before that but well worth waiting for, so I now have (in descending order of age), Skyla, Arthur, Finn, Kai, Taja, Melody & Lottie. Sounds like a future band in the making to me!
That’s the first piece of news, and the second is that we have the green light to move ahead with the recording of the new extended version of Journey to the Centre of the Earth. It will be the entire original re-recorded but with the same orchestration, plus two new songs and extended music, solos and narration, making it the one hour composition it was always meant to be. Recording starts almost immediately. New orchestration will be done by Guy Protheroe and Ann Manly and Guy will also conduct the orchestra and English Chamber Choir. The band will be the current line-up of the English Rock Ensemble. What is also quite exciting is that at many stages along the way, we will be broadcasting live from the various studios and when these will actually be will be decided as soon as the schedule is put to bed in a week or so. These broadcasts will include some of the initial pre-recording work including interviews with myself and Guy as to how the orchestration will be done and also live visits to the studio whilst the band are recording and also for overdubs, some of my solo work over the tracks, a visit during the orchestral recording and the choir as well.
This means that those interested can follow the progress almost from the beginning right through to its completion. The album will be completed by the end of September and the new orchestrations will go immediately to South America where the first live performances will take place in the last two weeks of November and maybe into December as well. Also in South America there will be a limited amount of performances of the new version of the Six Wives of Henry VIII, the first time it will have been performed since Hampton Court. All being well, we will be able to repeat these shows in other countries during 2013.
This month also sees the broadcast of my 100th radio show for Radio Nova in Dublin which many of you know gives me a chance every week to insult my good friend David Hoffman (Hoffy).
A couple more one man shows have been added for the coming months, but that will be pretty much it as the recording of Journey is going to eat almost every available day between now and the end of September.
You’ll be able to read updates as and when they are decided, so keep your eye out! Enjoy the summer........... if you like rain that is!!!
Cheers, Rick