By P Web Design Company
Lovebugs & Basel Symphony Orchestra - 04., 05. & 06.02.2011
5 standing ovations on the Friday alone, as well as numerous others on the following 2 nights… the deafening whistles… and what seemed a never-ending applause between songs… it all really speaks for itself. The Lovebugs reminded us one more time, why we stand behind them as strongly and for as long as we do. This time they tackled the challenge of combining their musical genius with that of the Basel Symphony Orchestra. And what an unforgettable surprise this was! Filling our weekend with 3 sold-out shows in a row, the band, as well as the orchestra, proved to the slightly reserved-at-the-beginning-audiences of the Stadtcasino Basel, night after night, that this fusion was well worth the wait; and not a bad experiment whatsoever! The words are hard to find to describe the indescribable, but we’ll give it a go anyway. Straight from the heart!
The best atmosphere was to be felt on the opening night, Friday. It’s hard to say who was more nervous that evening: the band, or ourselves on the band’s behalf!! The Lovebugs had madly been rehearsing for several weeks - day-in, day-out - with only a handful of opportunities to fully rehearse with the 80-piece orchestra! Still, the result was a stunning performance of hair-raising proportions. What was most incredible, was that although the songs were re-arranged by English conductor Robert “Ray-of-sunshine” Emery together with Moritz Schneider and Robin Hoffmann, we could still make out the original compositions from the very first couple of notes. Still, the element of surprise was never far away, especially seen within the dreamworld of “Me Astronaut”, where the Lovebugs’ music romantically courted Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata No.8”. For us - perhaps also for countless others in the audience - this had to be the official highlight of this spectacular event. Stefan Wagner, keyboardist with the Lovebugs, had the most challenging task of all on the piano with this piece, but nonetheless managed to deliver it with the full passion it deserved.
That is not to say that the other band members had an easier time! Lead guitarist Thomas Rechberger and bass player Florian Senn had some challenging pieces to get through. Both had the chance to really display their musical excellence here and they did this perfectly, not only during “Wall of Sound” but also with the way they harmonised together with the kettle drums, violins, cellos, flutes and the harpsichord during the whole show. Drummer Simon Ramseier was his usual self; never missing a note, carrying himself perfectly through every challenge the 3 nights had to offer and still managing to look as though nothing could phase him.
Singer-songwriter Adrian Sieber drove the whole show in his usual charming manner, constantly having to juggle the enormous task of singing along to numerous key and song changes throughout the performance, at the same time constantly interacting with the band, the conductor, the orchestra, the sound and lighting staff, as well as the audience, and still doing a great job in breaking the hearts of many females - of ALL age groups – who seemed to be craving for his attention! Adrian’s voice was in top form on all 3 nights and he worked the crowd like never before, most probably earning new respect for rock musicians from the more conservative crowds.
The obvious highlight there was the way he constantly managed to raise people from their seats and have them dance to anthems like “The Highest Heights” and have them follow his arms from side to side to classics like “Avalon” and “Shine”.
Contrary to popular belief: symphony orchestras do NOT necessarily consist of stiff and snobby old people! At least not this orchestra. The Basel Symphony Orchestra were incredibly likeable people who seemed to be completely comfortable in their new atmosphere, seemingly breathing in deeply the freshness of the Lovebugs and doing what they do best, with more than just the occasional smiles on their faces. We did not detect a single frown from any of them – then again we were totally engrossed in the magic, as we are sure they themselves were. We’re also certain that they won the hearts of many a rock music fan too – they definitely won ours.
The Lovebugs & The Basel Symphony Orchestra bowed before the audience and thanked them countless times for their attention, their presence, their support; not only from the stage but also later via the social media like “facebook” and “twitter”. That just doesn’t seem right – we, the audience, are the ones that should be thankful. And we bow before YOU!