Trip Down Memory Lane


NAH and I 'went abroad' to Cardiff yesterday evening to see Jeff Wayne's musical version of War of the Worlds. This was a double reminisce for me as we parked outside the lab where I spent mant a happy hour in 1993/94 on my masters course in Applied Hydrobiology.
Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds itself dates from my undergraduate days at Newcastle, where I often played it whilst studying in my room. I loved the combination of music and story, utilising such 'greats' as Richard Burton (the narrator), Justin Hayward, Phil Lynott and Chris Thompson. Almost 30 years later, last night's performance didn't disappoint, utilising many of the original artistes, including Richard Burton's voice via a projected head looking rather like Ewan McGregor. A 45 piece orchestra, the Black Smoke Band, a martian monster (see picture courtesy of Flickr via the War of the Worlds website linked from above), CGI animation, lights, smoke and fireworks all combined to make a spectacular evening. NAH wasn't so enamoured ('not my kind of music'), so I think that makes up for my similar experience at the Dixie Chicks concert at the NEC a couple of years ago.

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