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Concerto in Munich
A performance of Jon Lord’s Concerto for Group and Orchestra was held at the Herkulessaal in Munich on October 12, 2024. Performers included rock band Boxhead and Abaco-Orchestra conducted by Ina Stoertzenbach. Paul Mann and Pete York were in the audience, with Pete York delivering an introductory speech in German, reminiscing about the Windows event that was held at the same venue 50 years ago.
Thanks to Hotzen Plotz for the info, and to Harnoncourt66 and boxkopf for the video clips.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
Good to view both videos & especially the second 24 minute concert excerpts & thanks to all involved. A job well done. Cheers.
October 28th, 2024 at 08:16Was in the audience and have to say, that it was a great event. Standing ovations for all. My sent in review made it not to the HS, but nice to see the event coming up here now. Here is the link to the programme with some words from Pete York in English: https://programmheft.abaco-orchester.de/
October 28th, 2024 at 08:30As life sometimes goes, by chance I met the guitarist of Boxhead, Daniel Pihale, at the DP show in Munich and could say some words of praise personally.
To make the story round: Boxhead‘s organ player Andreas Pernpeintner wrote a enthusiastic review of the DP show in German newspaper „Süddeutsche Zeitung“, unfortunately behind the paywall.
That was underpromoted! I would have come down to Munich to see it had I known. 😕
I’m one of those strange people who actually likes Windows, a daring work.
October 28th, 2024 at 14:18@Uwe You know how many happens in big cities, to much for people to grasp. You burn money for no effort. Fortunately it worked for them without citywide promotion. I read by chance a notice in a free of charge city magazine and ordered my tickets in July.The ticket sale seemed to work at this point well, most of the tickets were already sold (I had to take second last row). I think there was a lot words by mouth. Most of the orchestra members are music students and IMHO there was much support from friends and families in the audience. The band has also a solid and loyal fanbase in her town. With some additional support by local sponsors and an article in the SZ it made the Herkulessaal nearly full. Nevertheless, for people outside the Munich area it was mentioned the first time in July on https://perfect-purple.com.
October 28th, 2024 at 19:27Hint: 🙂 You can become a supporting member of Abaco and will get invitations for all of their concerts, maybe there is a next time for the concerto. Thinkable after the success this time.
Danke schön!
October 28th, 2024 at 21:39This month of october definitely was most amazing for all purple followers in Munich. First – a stunning new performance of Jon Lord’s Concerto at the Herkulessaal with “Boxhead”, a rock band from the uprising music centre of Dachau, quite close to Munich and the “Abaco Orchestra”, consisting of music students and conducted by the most wonderful and attractive Ina Stoertzenbach, who won the heart of the audience immediately. Keep her name in your mind, we will meet her again both in the world of classical and of rock music. Fantastic reactions in the concert hall and in the munich papers the next days.
Second – our boys themselves returned to the Olympiahalle a couple of days later
with a total of six songs from their new LP which fitted perfectly to the five songs they had already played at their very first performance in this hall on January 21st,
1973 (Highway Star, Smoke on the water, Lazy, Space Truckin’, Black Night) .
I can talk about it, cause I was there !
They absolutely enjoyed playing, everybody on his highest level, and I am sure that
October 30th, 2024 at 20:26Ian Gillan’s closing words will come true: “Auf Wiedersehen”
Bernhard, by my calculations you must be a hundred years old …
We are not worthy!
My first Munich visit was in the fall of 1977 (Deutscher Herbst) on a school excursion. I saw Franz-Josef Strauß at a rally behind bulletproof glass, got almost beaten up in the Hofbräuhaus for having very long hair and saw Rainbow st Olympiahalle. So things kind of evened out! 😂
Several decades later, I went to a Judas Priest gig in Munich and it turned out that the cab driver had gone to the same Rainbow gig.
October 31st, 2024 at 13:39Dear Uwe,
well, quiet close to one hundred, but, to be more precise: This first concert took place just a few weeks after my 14th birthday. Now it’s your turn to calculate …
By the way: This gig was not only DP’s first appearance there, it was the very first concert at all that ever took place at the Olympiahalle, just 5 months after the olympic games.
And now let’s change over to october 1977, of course I’ve been there again, in the company of the guitar player of my school band way back then – and things turned out to be even more exciting: At the end of the encore (Do you close your eyes) RB smashed his guitar, the body broke into 2 pieces, and the two of us managed to catch the bigger, the downer piece of it (including the 3 pick-ups,
all the knobs, the complete electric contents) – and all of this works until today!
But – if we could only find the person, who owns the upper part of this stratocaster body ! It was an original Fender, no cheap japanese copy !
But the story still goes on: Several decades later I got informed that a book was going to be written on the musical history not only of the Olympiahalle, but on the music that ever took place in the complete olympic area – and it was a big honour for me of being asked to add some contributions, to write down some of my memories on october 1977, which I gladly did.
The title of the book is: “Rock & Pop im Olympiapark München”
November 2nd, 2024 at 22:00(München Verlag, ISBN 978-3-7630-4021-6)
—> FORMAL NOTICE OF REPOSSESSION !!! <—
Bernhard Huebl, you robbing and thieving Bavarian monstrosity, I FINALLY CAUGHT YOU after 47 years! So it was you and your criminal cronies who tore the Strat lower body (with the cable still attached to it) which I had initially caught at that gig from my hands (I was standing where you stood upfront on Ritchie‘s side, fourth or fifth row).
I am drafting a repossession demand letter to be filed soon as I speak. You just wait, you darn robber baron. The fact that you are a fellow bassist will not save you. 😂
November 3rd, 2024 at 17:38Bernhard has gone into hiding. For good reason too, the ole Strat snatcher.
November 5th, 2024 at 16:09@ 8- that is an amusing story regarding the Stratocaster. If Uwe is on the ball, well good luck trying to find that Uwe. I often wonder how people who end up with a decent size chunk of a guitar, can ever get out of the venue unscathed. Of course the Cal Jam live footage shows those guys wrestling with a guitar & there are so many people at that gig. A tad dangerous perhaps trying to sneak a decent chunk of a Strat out, if at all possible. In regards to dealing with the dastardly Uwe. Bernhard, just say ‘prove it’ or ‘I don’t recall seeing you at that concert’. Surely after all these years that will suffice. Cheers.
November 6th, 2024 at 06:42I’ve made my peace with it long ago 🤗, I actually surrendered (partial and however fleeting) co-possession of it at the time, thinking after about half a minute of pulling and yanking: “This is silly, stop it, Uwe.” So keep it, Bernhard, I’m sure it’s in good hands.
I can actually be seen, albeit fleetingly, in the audience in the video of the 77 gig. I was there with two classmates, Frank and Rudi. I witnessed how the poor bass player of Kingfish, the Grateful Dead Family opening act, was hit by a beer can on his head. He continued playing, very impressive. It was the year where I had started playing bass so bassists all of the sudden became interesting for me. Bob Daisley did cut a figure on stage, more so than diminutive Jimmy Bain had the year before. Daisley oozed confidence and seemed slightly bemused by it all. I never get why he had to leave, probably a money thing.
November 6th, 2024 at 14:36I will watch it again Uwe & see If I can notice your hands holding the Strat aloft & enabling your DNA to leave it’s mark. Now there is a thought. In regards to Bob Daisley leaving Rainbow. Well who can tell, but was Blackmore already thinking ex Purple members, possibly Glover for example. He obviously wiped the slate clean after the Dio era. There are other musicians who do that, Neil Young, Jeff Beck, Zappa even at times. Start fresh & see what happens. Cheers
November 7th, 2024 at 01:33From all I have read, Ritchie decided only in the very last minute to offer Roger the bassist slot within Rainbow. He played bass on Down To Earth from the producer’s chair by convenience, Ritchie hadn’t found a new bassist yet (and didn’t as time went on). Then both Don and Graham began pesking him why he wasn’t offering Roger the job and Ritchie in the end obliged, but only after having conferred with Cozy first who was also fine with Roger.
In 50 years I have never read or heard anything appreciative by Ritchie about Roger’s bass playing skills (unjustly so), have you? There are quotes of Ritchie lauding both Nick’s and Glenn’s bass playing, but never Roger’s. I believe the reason is that Roger’s bass playing lacks – from Ritchie’s viewpoint – drama and an edge. That is of course an unfair perception, but one Roger was always well aware of, he’s mentioned in interviews during the Morse era quite a bit that he always felt not respected as a bass player by Ritchie.
I think Ritchie’s relationship to Roger was woefully utilitarian, he saw his use as a producer, c0-songwriter and -lyricist as well as a messenger/diplomat to other Rainbow musicians + his bass playing didn’t do Rainbow any harm, but that was about it. Not great from Blackmore, especially concerning someone as good a citizen as Roger. And also underrating Roger’s qualities as a bassist, even if admittedly drama- and edgeless (qualities not usually demanded from bassists).
Judging from his work on the first two Ozzy albums (and also how he played with Widowmaker and Mothers Army), the bass playing on Down To Earth would have been a lot more quirky and embellished had Bob rather than Roger (who was also a little rusty on bass in 1979, not having really actively played bass on a daily basis during the preceding six years) done it, also more authoritative in sound. To boot, Daisley was a handsome man (and knew it + acted that way), so it is even more confounding that Blackmore let him go. Technically he was the most accomplished and accurate bass player in Rainbow by a stretch.
November 7th, 2024 at 14:43Interesting comments regarding Daisley being dropped from Rainbow. Maybe Blackers or even Cozy didn’t connect with him, who knows. I tell you what though, if he was there along with Glover producing & co songwriting the songs could have been really interesting & no doubt different in certain aspects. No I don’t recall Blackmore ever mentioning Roger’s bass playing, but then again I don’t recall the others being mentioned either from articles I have read over the years. Not that I have read everything. As you stated a workmanlike attitude would have been one reason Glover was brought onboard. Also a ‘olive branch’ approach perhaps from Blackmore & why not and the fact that they know each other & how well they can both work together without any shenanigans etc. I don’t look at it as a cold move from Ritchie, he wanted some quality control over things & Glover with his experience had that. Hindsight again & I am glad it didn’t happen with Daisley in the ‘new’ Rainbow as we possibly wouldn’t have had those two Blizzard of Oz albums from those four musicians at that time. Cheers.
November 10th, 2024 at 01:41Contrary to his tough guy image, Cozy never seems to have edged out any bassist: Not Clive Chaman in the Jeff Beck Group, not Craig Gruber, not Jimmy Bain, not Mark Clarke, not Bob Daisley and not Clive Chaman when the same was shortly again considered for Rainbow (at Cozy’s recommendation) nor were there any issues with Roger Glover. It was always Blackmore who grew dissatisfied with the various bassists or didn’t want them in the first place.
Bob Daisley’s bass style is very similar to Chris Glen’s of TSAHB and MSG, Cozy is actually on record for lauding Chris’ bass skills in a discussion with Michael Schenker, he obviously preferred him to Roger Glover.
The one and only exception was Colin Hodgkinson in Whitesnake, but that was no wonder: Their styles and grooves were light years apart. During the recording of Slide It In, Cozy stormed out of the drum booth and snapped at Colin: “Let me introduce myself, I AM THE DRUMMER !!!” when Colin’s jazzy leanings had clashed with how Cozy heard the song. It was Cozy who wanted the return of Neil Murray whom he knew from his own band ‘Cozy Powell’s Hammer’, which was ironic as DC had actually let go of Neil before because he felt he wasn’t a suitable bassist to play with Cozy! (Colin Hodkinson had been a recommendation from Jon Lord who had played with him on a German tour with Pete York’s Olympic Rock & Blues Circus, but Colin found it hard, even impossible to adapt to the required driving energy in the WS boiler room.)
Oh, and Cozy didn’t get along at all with Greg Lake in Emerson, Lake & Powell, but that was due to personal, not bass playing reasons. For the rest of his career Cozy would stick to forming a steady rhythm section partnership with Neil Murray – be it in the Brian May Band, Black Sabbath or Peter Green’s Splinter Group. Neil once said that while it was musically more fulfilling and nuanced to play with Ian Paice as a drummer because he has an ear for bass, playing with Cozy was physically more demanding and adrenaline triggering.
PS: S T O P P R E S S !!! I have now found something once published in Burrn! where Ritchie goes through some of the bassists he’s worked with, even Roger (where he is a bit damning with faint praise):
QUOTE
Interviewer: You played bass on four songs on the LLRnR album while you had Bob. Any reasons for leaving your recorded bass tracks as they were?
Ritchie: I don’t remember why I left them on (Uwe’s edit: Bob Daisley said in his bio it was due to time constraints, the album had to be rushed out after a protracted recording process), but I remember why I started to play them myself in the first place: Because I was sick and tired of the bass tracks by the previous bass player before Bob! (Uwe’s edit: He’s talking about ex-Uriah Heep/Colosseum/Tempest member Mark Clarke who was a very good finger, but not a pick player like Bob Daisley.)
Interviewer: Any favorite bass players ever? Say Rodger Glover?
Ritchie: He was good at playing an eighth note beat. (Uwe’s edit: Ouch!)
Interviewer: What about Glenn Hughes?
Ritchie: He was REALLY good. Especially good at playing syncopation, which is very important.
Interviewer: Greg Smith?
Ritchie: I may have liked his playing the most.
Interviewer: Bob Daisley?
Ritchie: Bob was more of a songwriter than a bass player. Wonderful person. Also he was handsome and really a nice guy who made me feel right at home all the time.
Interviewer: Jimmy Bain?
Candice: Didn’t he show before our live gig the other day?
Ritchie: Yes, he came to see our show in LA. He was more like a band member who gives a presence.
Candice: The current Bob (Sir Robert of Normandy) is a very good player!
Ritchie: He is indeed very good (Uwe’s edit: similar in style to John Gustafson of IGB which makes him a bit busy for Rainbow). We call him ‘Boblem’ as he creates a lot of problems. Whenever we tell him of our tour schedule, he says, “No, it is not possible!” We then ask when it is OK for him and he replies “In March!” After we re-set our schedules for March, he all of the sudden says “What? I said it was NOT OK in March” (LOL)!
Anyway I like him a lot because we can shoot the shit about anything stupid as long as we want.
UNQUOTE
November 11th, 2024 at 19:19A few typical ‘backhanders’ there from Blackmore in regards to bass guitarists that he has worked with, ouch indeed for a few of his replies. Thanks for digging that info out. It fits into Daisley not being in the picture at all with Rainbow in 1979 then, also in regards to his possible co songwriting. Blackmore obviously didn’t want to go there it seems. He then found an old ally in Glover. Cheers.
November 12th, 2024 at 01:54Didn’t Greg Smith and Doogie White blackmail Blackmore 2 days before the SIUA tour, saying double our pay or we’re not playing, and Blackmore tried to cancel the tour, but the promotors threatened to sue him if he did?
November 12th, 2024 at 05:25As for Jimmy Bain I remember seeing him with Dio, good player, but not very good looking, probably all the booze and drugs RIP Jimmy.
@ 18 -not according to Doogie in this article. Cheers.
https://myguitarlessons.co.uk/2012/11/doogie-white-denies-blackmail-claim/
November 12th, 2024 at 10:50I tend to believe Doogie here, he’s talking about that final gig in Ejsberg indeed. But by that time Rainbow was done in any case.
Besides, hired hands demanding more money mid-tour, what else is new? It happened to Bowie on his 1974 “David Live” album when the whole band said they would not be playing that night (which was to be recorded for the planned album) unless their wages were raised or they got a cut in the record. Bowie, seethingly, obliged.
Pay people fairly and well and something like that doesn’t happen. Unfortunately, Ritchie has always had a miser’s reputation. And his well-known search for “unknown talent” is also a reflection of his innate desire to spend/share as little money as possible on/with the musicians he works with. Stuff like buying the rights off David Stone for co-writing Gates of Babylon. Never a trait I liked with him.
Sidroman, I believe diminutive Jimmy (Bain) battled with heroin all his life, he certainly looked the part.
November 12th, 2024 at 17:02Thanks for the info guys!
November 14th, 2024 at 04:27