I don't know about YOU dear reader, but my 70 years on this planet have been defined by a series of events over the decades.
Many of them are music related and one is even political, back before I knew the difference between a Democrat and a Republican actually was!
I have chosen some that I believe would also be memories for others of my age...
1] The death of John Fitzgerald Kennedy. President of the USA. 22 November, 1963. I remember when the news broke, I hid in my Dad's gown hanging in our bathroom and cried copious tears as I saw JKF as the epitome of a hero. It was only as an adult that I discovered his true nature.
2] Assassination of John Lennon in New York on December 8th, 1980. I was in my car about to head off to work. In June of 1994, I got to stand outside the Dakota Building where he was shot.
3] And bring things up to date, I can add the 29th April, 2023 when I participated in Steve Doen...Beautiful Noise at the Voortrekker Monument. Certainly a night I will never forget!
To see the interview that I had with Steve before the event, use this link: https://youtu.be/vReyEG8mRl8
We started off the event process in Midrand, near Johannesburg where the first band and orchestra rehearsals took place. A 30-piece symphony orchestra was combined with a 20-piece band to make this event unique for a singer like Steve Hofmeyr.
As soon as the musicians sat down, they began to make notes on their music.
Rehearsals HAVE to have snacks of some description...and there were more than enough for both the musicians as well as the crew to enjoy.
Full tummies make for a happy cast and crew. And we certainly were.
Well done and thank you to the caterers who kept the platters filled and who provided a proper sit-down lunch as well.
This percussionist flew in from Europe and came straight from the airport to the rehearsal room and got stuck in.
A day later and we moved from the rehearsal room to the performance venue, which was at the Amphitheatre adjacent to the Voortrekker monument.
This bastion of Afrikaner heritage was the perfect backdrop that combined the music of international superstar Neil Diamond with the talent of iconic South African singer, Steve Hofmeyr,
TV director Warren looked at the stage and perhaps wondered what he had taken on. But he is a seasoned professional and as such this was a relatively simple 18-camera shoot.
According to the company that erected this stage, it is the largest stage that has ever been performed on by a solitary Afrikaans singer.
The image does not really do the size and scale of the monstrosity justice.
With swarms of sound techs, electricians, and riggers it was no surprise to me that there was a safety officer as well as medical personnel in attendance.
Stairway to heaven? Not quite...however this was the way that the riggers got onto the trusses that hung above the stage floor.
That being said, I did try to get the guitarists in the band to play the song "Stairway to heaven" for me, but not would oblige.
Veronique, one of the backing vocalists, has a moment with my camera.
She did a duet with Steve during the show And her Dad was the bass player in the band, so the family was well represented.
Blowing your own trumpet is hard work.
Caught in the late afternoon sunlight as the final rehearsal was winding down, this subtly lit violin makes a strong statement.
Steve steps into the spotlight at the first rehearsal. For a show of this nature, there was only one rehearsal before performing before a paying audience.
It attests to the professionalism of both Steve as a performer and the musicians that we could achieve this feat with virtually no issues.
The orchestra was under the most capable baton of conductor J.P de Villiers.
The seats were empty during the rehearsal, but the BIG question was whether they would be full come Saturday.
We need not have been concerned.
Although no rain was forecast, the clouds told a different story.
Staying in contact with family in Johannesburg, we knew that we were in for a downpour. As to when and how hard it would hit Pretoria, we could only wait and watch.
Director Warren and PA Theart getting ready to say "ROLL CAMERAS" at the beginning of the performance on Saturday.
I did mention earlier that from a technical aspect, the show ran like clockwork. What we could not predict was the rain that poured on the venue for about an hour, just before the show was due to start.
Believe it or not, no one moved or left their seats. Audience members either used umbrellas (they came prepared) or utilized empty chairs to protect themselves.
Weather 0, Audience 20000...
Let the show begin! Lights on the sound desk on the side of the stage.
When the orchestra and band stuck up the first chord a 20000-strong gasp could be heard rippling through the audience.
It was THEN that we KNEW it was going to be a good night. Nope, let me rephrase that. We knew that we were about to be part of an awesome and unique event.
The moment the audience had sat patiently in the rain for. Would you believe that some of them had arrived before miday for a show that was scheduled to start at 7pm!
"Hello Pretoria" shouted Steve and the audience responded with a wall of noise that almost eclipsed the sound system that was on the stage.
I do believe that however nervous he might have been in the days running up to the show, all that vanished once he realized that wet or not, the audience would support and sing along with every song.
And SING they did.
This is what Steve had to contend with at the end of the runway, but did it deter him? Not one bit. He even had to sit in the wet at the end of the stage and lo and behold, one of the audience brought him a towel to sit on.
Steve did say that he was going to shake EVERY had in the audience, he decided that discretion was the better part of valour and spent time with many audience members in the Golden Circle.
"Thank you and goodnight"!
Ticket sales for the next event in April 2024 have already started. And if this concert was anything to go by, the next one will be bigger and more spectacular.
Many thanks to the crew, the producer and his team, all the musicians, the audience, and Steve for making this an event to remember.
And if for some reason you were not there, book your tickets NOW for 2024...
All images are the copyright property of
and may not be used without permission.
No comments:
Post a Comment