It started with a stiltwalker and an entertaining trick that transformed one of the compères into Mro Sigmund Mifsud, but the real magic (and lots of it) at this year’s Rockestra concert was still to come.
This being the fifth edition, and the last one under the presidency of George Abela, it was widely expected that Rockestra 2013 would be even more more special than in previous years, and indeed it was. Boasting an incredible number of artists taking charge of vocal duties over and above the omnipresent Malta Philharmonic Orchestra – which I’d like to applaud right here and now for an awesome job – this year’s concert offered an extensive selection of songs covering a variety of genres, all in keeping with the rock motif that the event’s name implies.
Reflecting attention to detail on all fronts, the opening number – featuring Fire’s Kenneth Calleja and Malta’s top rock chick Mikaela, once again sporting flaming red locks after a blonde spell – was quite appropriately Queen’s One Vision.
After all, this event does owe its existence to its unifying philanthropic cause, and the audience, here in record-breaking numbers, responded to the song in a big way.
Just as big, perhaps even bigger, than any previous editions, the stage, lights and sound system all contributed towards creating the buzzing atmosphere inside the hall. However, I have to say that the sound’s consistency and quality depended on one’s location inside the hall. Not that it held anyone back from participating in the proceedings, of course, as most of those present heartily sang along to the selection of popular songs being performed on stage.
With some 30 or so songs performed on the night, it’s going to be a challenge to include everyone, but here goes nothing:
The first of the stand-out moments arrived early on in the evening. Two songs in, 26 Other Worlds’ vocalist Chris Grech gave an immaculate rendition of Aerosmith’s Dream On, hitting the song’s peak with comparative ease and consolidating his position among the top rock and metal voices on the island.
Grech was also outstanding alongside Ludwig Galea later on in the show, when the two gave a rousing interpretation of Bohemian Rhapsody, during which guitarist Wayne Camilleri also delivered a spot-on solo.
Two songs that certainly received a rousing response from the crowd where Matt Borg’s Heaven and Chris & Moira’s Beneath Your Beautiful – two songs from different periods of pop history that nevertheless seemed to evoke the same emotions among the audience.
In between, Gypsy Genes’ Rick certainly deserved a bigger applause for his Purple Haze, delivered with a bit of bounce and a lot of confidence.
And talking of confidence, one cannot leave out Konrad Pulé’s rendition of Fix You, which had the whole venue singing along, a feat he repeated later when he sang Wish You Were Here.
Errol Sammut’s With or Without You had the same effect, but I wasn’t sure of his misplaced lyrics and phrasing; still, the song seemed to work well with the crowd all the same.
This song in particular puts across the message that ultimately, each one of us must ‘fight, love, live’ in order to be free
Rounding off the first half of the concert – yes, there was a lengthy interval – Pawlu Borg Bonaci (also the concert’s artistic director) brought his colourful presence, along with some overgrown chickens on stage to fire up the crowd with Zucchero’s Per Colpa Di Chi, the image of which will probably remain entrenched in my mind forever thanks to the beaming smile on Pawlu’s face, splashed out on the big screens as he strutted his stuff.
Before moving on, I must mention Raquela’s performance of Pink Floyd’s epic The Great Gig in the Sky, which the orchestra executed to perfection and to which the singer added a grandiose delivery.
The second half of the show kicked in with what I consider the orchestra’s finest moment on the night – a lavish instrumental rendition of Black Sabbath’s Iron Man, that certainly prompted a lot of raised horns (metal-heads will understand!), followed by Deep Purple’s Perfect Strangers, making it a double treat for the more seasoned rockers in the audience.
Mikaela’s Uninvited revealed a classier side to her vocal range and style, as did her flowing red dress, while Raquela and Sandrina served up a touching take of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah.
Giving more than a little bit, the trio of Victorio Gauci, Lawrence Gray and Gloriana Arpa Belli did a fine job of the Supertramp hit.
Ivan Grech’s double helping of Soldier of Fortune, segued by INXS’s evergreen Never Tear Us Apart (which he dedicated to those Maltese musicians we have lost in the past year or so) marked a moment of poignancy but also acknowledged their contribution to Malta’s music scene.
A couple of songs later, Kevin Borg got a huge welcome when he stepped on stage to give us all a taste of the stuff that helped him win Sweden’s Pop Idol. His Living on a Prayer did rock, but metal vocalist Frank Calleja’s Thunderstruck, boosted by the twin guitar attack courtesy of Peter Borg and Wayne Camilleri, cranked the dial up to 11.
Ira Losco’s Radio Ga Ga had the entire audience with hands in the air, a grand finale if you want, paving the way for a bigger grand finale of encores that saw Tiziana, Sandrina and Claudia Faniello bring a dash of girl power to Kiss’s I was Made for Loving You.
And to round it all up nicely, what else but a mash-up of Queen’s We Will Rock You and We Are the Champions – guaranteed crowd favourites that always go down a treat.
If there was any doubt about the rock in Rockestra, this year’s edition was proof enough that this concert rocks hard. Well done to all involved, and here’s hoping this wasn’t the last one!