Well, only 4 days to go now until our Stanshallian Spectacular at the Bloomsbury Theatre aka ‘One Night Stanshall’. Strange to think that in 5 days time it will all be over, after 12 solid months of preparation. You see, Rupert, Vivian’s son, and I started to plan this show straight after last year’s 70th Birthday Party event, with a very clear mandate. We wanted to do our best to get together what, Rupert has told me many times, his Dad referred to has his ‘Dream Band’ to play his music in and around our performance of his meisterwerk ‘Sir Henry at Rawlinson End’. No mean feat as these are a supremely talented group of performers who are rarely, if ever, not working, and who are scattered around the globe. However, we managed it. We also wanted to ensure that we held the event at the place that Vivian referred to as his ‘performing home’ in the capital – The Bloomsbury Theatre – and we managed that too.
So, next Tuesday, April 8th, we shall be privileged to welcome to the Bloomsbury, Vivian’s dream band, all of whom last played with the great man in 1991, at the Rawlinson Dog-Ends shows, for what will truly be a one-off event. The roll-call of top-flight, A-list performers we have got together reads like the fantasy band of any Classic Rock and Pop fan. Neil Innes, Rodney Slater, Danny Thompson, Jim Cuomo, Susie Honeyman and ‘Admiral’ John Halsey for ONE NIGHT ONLY, and for one reason alone. To celebrate the life and music of their late, great friend Vivian Stanshall.
There was one musician on Vivian’s ‘dream band’ list however who could not play at the ‘Rawlinson Dog Ends’ shows at the Bloomsbury in 1991, and that is keyboard supremo and prog rock superstar Rick Wakeman. You may or may not know this, but Rick plays on Viv’s classic 1974 LP ‘Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead’. Amazingly however, next Tuesday at ‘One Night Stanshall’ Rick WILL be playing in that band. Thereby finally getting together Viv’s dream band at long last.
Speaking personally, as a fan of all of these incredible musicians and performers, I cannot express to you how excited I am to get to meet and work with these people next week. It really will be like a dream come true! So, please take us seriously when we say ‘One Night Stanshall’ really is a ONE NIGHT ONLY event! to get such talent together – Vivian’s own ‘dream band’ – to celebrate the great Vivian Stanshall IS a dream come true, and lucky you get to sit in the audience and let these giants entertain you!! Can we swap?
On second thoughts, having looked at the photo of me n Rick above, I’ve changed me mind! Terrified or not, I’m not swapping – though I do wish I could sit in the audience and enjoy this historical event with you all! This is truly an event that you cannot afford to miss! I mean, it will haunt you for the rest of your days if you wasted the opportunity to come and see Vivian’s Dream Band perform wouldn’t it? TICKETS are still available form the Bloomsbury website here; ONE NIGHT STANSHALL TICKETS
