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Post by AGD on Feb 20, 2019 18:08:51 GMT -5
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Post by The Cap'n on Feb 20, 2019 18:12:57 GMT -5
Fantastic memories. That means fifteen years ago this afternoon, I was waiting for those of you in London to get home, log in, and tell us all about the show. I managed to avoid listening to the recordings for the week or two before I got over to Glasgow to hear it for myself, which was torture, but I did read up on the reports. Such an exciting time.
After that, I thought we'd either be looking at a real resurgence of Brian's creativity, or his retirement. Instead it was disappointingly in-between. But those shows were great, and whatever flaws people find in BWPS in comparison to the sessions of the original material, it felt like a miracle to me then. And I still enjoy it (though I don't really listen to it often).
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Post by AGD on Feb 20, 2019 18:24:01 GMT -5
Get home ? There was an internet store maybe 200 yards down the road from the RFH that did a roaring trade for that week: I don't think some fans ever left it except to sleep* and catch a show. Oddly, it closed down shortly after, but if you wanted to catch, say, Peter Reum, chances are he'd be there.
[* a whole mess of us set up camp in the Premier Inn for the week. At the other end of the building - the old County Hall - was the Marriott when Brian & band were staying, and after each show most of the band came back to hang with us, once memorably until 3.30 am when the exasperated staff literally threw Darian, Probyn, Nelson and I think Nicky out into the street. Happy days !]
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Post by The Cap'n on Feb 20, 2019 18:25:32 GMT -5
OK fine, I'll be honest, I didn't care from where anyone spilled the beans. Wherever they were, I just wanted them to get on SS or wherever we were at the time and tell me it was brilliant.
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Post by AGD on Feb 20, 2019 18:30:37 GMT -5
Interesting stat: the Royal Festival Hall holds about 2,700 people. Last time I checked, about 25,000 people claimed to have been there on the first night.  |
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Post by The Cap'n on Feb 20, 2019 18:34:35 GMT -5
I'll cop to having been in my living room, quite some distance away from RFH.
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Tilt Araiza
Dude/Dudette
Dominated Ruins Columbo
Posts: 64
Likes: 85
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Post by Tilt Araiza on Feb 20, 2019 19:20:39 GMT -5
I didn't plan on going to the first night, but I'd joined the RFH mailing list in the summer of 2002 so I think I was given early booking, asked what night had good seats and was told there were still some good ones for the 20th, so I just had to say yes. I got VDP to sign the back of my programme that night and a week (or was it two) later, got Brian to sign it in Liverpool.
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kirkk
Dude/Dudette
Posts: 74
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Favorite Album: Pet Sounds, SMiLE, Sunflower... but I could go on and on...
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Post by kirkk on Feb 20, 2019 20:26:51 GMT -5
I have such fond memories of being on the Smile Shop board reading the reports as they came in and freaking out imagining all the new lyrics, etc. And then like, the next day, a recording surfaced. I’m going to have to go listen to that recording and the album, it’s been awhile!
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Departed
Former Member
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2019 21:22:10 GMT -5
Thanks for the topic, AGD. Hard to believe it's been fifteen big ones.
I remember lurking on a message board - I think it was actually Smiley Smile - and somebody who was at the concert was reporting to the forum as each song unfolded. It was quite a thrill. There was a feeling of camaraderie, like we were all sharing and experiencing this event together after so many years of longing.
Seriously, not to derail the thread, but I was 100% behind the initial BWPS concerts. My feeling was that anything was fair game when presented live, and the purist aspect of SMiLE wasn't the overriding point. It wasn't long before we all figured (?) that it was just a live performance of the SMiLE songs, not SMiLE. And that was OK. It was only later when other things took over and jaded it. OK, back to the celebration of a truly historic event! |
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Post by lonesurf on Feb 20, 2019 21:49:59 GMT -5
Wow. 15 years. Wow.
I remember wanting a souvenir, so I bought a crinkly blue Smile windbreaker in the lobby that night. I'm sure I paid some ridiculous amount for it, but I figured it made more sense than the bowling ball bag they were selling.
And, sure enough, that silly windbreaker has probably turned out to be my most cherished article of clothing. I still wear the darned thing almost every time it rains.
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Post by lonesurf on Feb 20, 2019 21:53:09 GMT -5
AGD, great photos! Hey, you don't happen to have a phot of Jeffrey turning over his guitar to reveal the Smile, do you? I used to have a picture of that, but lost it to a faulty hard drive.  |
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Post by Jim on Feb 21, 2019 9:16:16 GMT -5
I remember the night of the first SMiLE show as well. Waiting for the reports to come in. Magical.
And yeah, at that point the board of choice was The Smile Shop.
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Post by sneakypete77 on Feb 21, 2019 10:12:05 GMT -5
I couldn't make the first night but I was there for the second, which by all accounts was maybe a more satisfactory performance.
What struck me the most was the spontaneous reactions of total strangers, who turned and hugged people sitting (and standing) next to them out of nothing more than raw emotion. There was a guy two seats away from me who was wearing the most colourful turban who launched himself at me after the final notes of "Surf's Up". Chatting to him at the end I discovered that he felt there was a real kind of spiritual connection between the traditional Indian music he enjoyed at his local Gurdwara Sikh Temple, and the music of SMiLE. I can't say that I've heard that comparison anywhere since.
A couple of pics from that night, Van Dyke and Brian readying themselves for the punters to arrive for the meet 'n' greet of their lives, and an excited yours truly, after the interval lights had gone up and waiting patiently for a word with the old guy in front. By the expression on the face of that girl next to me (no idea who she was) the penny had just dropped. By a million miles, the most emotional concert I've ever attended.   |
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Post by Paul JB on Feb 21, 2019 10:17:22 GMT -5
15 years....is hard to believe and look how much it's all changed for Brian and THAT band. Bittersweet to see those pics now. Those were the glory days of Brian's solo shows....even if he didn't always give 100% there was purpose and something special between him, his band and the fans. How true that we don't know what we have until it's gone.
Also, AGD I was neither one of the 2,700 nor the 25,000 there on the first night but thankfully I was in the crowd at the BWPS show August 2005 in Milwaukee Wisconsin.
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