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Classics come alive
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Gary Brooker and his band belted out hits of the 1950s and 1960s
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PHOTO: S. R. Raghunathan
Unique sounds Brooker and his band treated Chennai-ites to some rare talent
Anyone who missed this charity concert should be kicking themselves. On a warm yet breezy Saturday night, Chennai was treated to a rare kind of talent. Gary Brooker, lead singer and musical composer for Procol Harum, teamed up with a number of world-renowned musicians to create history here.
Joining Brooker on stage was Andy Fairweather-Low on guitar, a veteran of numerous concerts with Eric Clapton, Roger Waters and George Harrison.
Fresh from a sold-out orchestral-rock performance at a London cathedral, Brooker was excited to be here. "We just completed a wonderful tsunami relief event in England, where all the proceeds went to one specific village in Tamil Nadu," he said. "And Indian music has influenced my own," Brooker added, pointing out that the underlying musical notes throughout the Procol Harum album `Pandora's Box' are inspired by one of Ravi Shankar's early morning Ragas, "so I'm glad I finally turned up!" The organisers, Kumar A. from Albatross Tours, and John Caulcutt of the U.K.-based Watermark Group were amazed by the dedication of the artistes. "Everyone donated their time and effort to come all the way here, especially for this concert," said Caulcutt.
The commitment to the cause of tsunami relief clearly showed through in the music. The opening act, Step on the Gas, was especially praised by Carey, a VJ from SS music. "Even though they all have other jobs, and only play for charity, their music was phenomenal!" he said. "In Chennai, we hear cover bands all the time, but they were truly a step above the rest." The group, formed by Caulcutt, included Simon Bladon, Tony Howe, Giles Latchford and Baz Parsons-Smith, and played rock covers with a high level of energy and intensity.
But the stars of the show were the five world-renowned musicians who hit the stage next, for a flawless 90 minutes. Despite the heat, and an audience that could have been better, the band gave their all. "We are playing the music that inspired us to become musicians," said Andy Fairweather-Low, explaining the line-up of 1950s and 60s rock n' roll and blues standards. "This is the music that made me drop everything: school, jobs, family, and just go for it!"
Popular classics
That explained the passion and professionalism with which the band belted out such greats as Fats Domino's `Blueberry Hill', and an uncanny replica of Bo Diddley's guitar vibrato in `You can't judge a book by its cover'. It was an amazing opportunity to hear these classics, so well known on the radio, played live by musicians who loved the songs as much as the original performers. "I finally got a chance to hear these songs live, which I had grown up listening to," said Paloma, host of two shows on SS music.
Gary Brooker also touched the crowd with a more recent composition `The World is Rich', a ballad inspired by the inequality in this world. However, the real highlight of the night was Brooker's haunting rendition of his seminal and groundbreaking hit `A whiter shade of pale'. Hearing this, the most popular song in the world in 1967, made me wonder how many people ever hear such a classic sung by the original composer and lead singer. Not very many, and for it to happen in Chennai of all places was truly amazing.
TEJAS EWING
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