The last weekend of March was marked by two completely different live music events – on Saturday night, ahead of Brian May’s performance the following week, the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO), under the direction of the charismatic Philip Walsh, took on a tiny part of Queen’s vast repertoire and gave it a symphonic twist.
On Sunday night, the Music & Steel Festival offered an entertaining, even if not necessarily comprehensive, glimpse of what the Maltese music scene has to offer.
Both nights were very well attended; the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta packed out for the MPO performance, and I estimated that the former Malta Shipbuilding structure in Marsa welcomed more than 5,000 people in the allocated space for the event.
Indeed, the Marsa venue is so big one wonders why the authorities haven’t considered converting it into a multi-purpose venue.
Better still, it could be developed to house a complex of smaller, fully-equipped venues that would be used for conferences, sports and (especially) cultural events; the latter perhaps more emphatically given that the lack of appropriate venues has been debated so forcefully on countless Facebook threads in recent months.
This, however, is a completely separate debate, so let me move on to the two aforementioned performances.
Saturday’s Queen extravaganza by the MPO had much to live up to; it was overall a mighty performance, but not without its flaws.
Appreciative of the fact that reworking this iconic rock band’s music is quite a challenge, I felt the guitar and drums were too low in the mix.
This was particularly evident on opening numbers One Vision and Tie Your Mother Down, which didn’t quite pack as mighty a punch as I was expecting to kickstart the show.
I’m fully aware this was an orchestral performance above everything else, but the fact remains that the original versions’ rock edge is way too integral to the songs and was sorely missed in the numbers performed during the first half of the show.
Thankfully, someone with some influence must have also sensed this, as when the second half of the show began – I hate intervals, by the way, as they interrupt the vibe – both the guitar and drums were marginally louder.
As a result of this enhanced presence, the elaborate orchestral arrangements came across more distinctly, and the songs sounded all the better for it.
The encore version of Bohemian Rhapsody, for example, certainly packed much more oomph than the one we had been treated to earlier.
Although it was largely an instrumental performance, the concert also featured an appearance by the much-touted New Victorians, who sang Love of My Life, and the Mirabitur Youth Choir, who accompanied the MPO on We Will Rock You and We are the Champions.
I’m pretty sure the National Celebrations Foundation will be looking into staging an event focusing on lesser-known genres
While they didn’t mar the proceedings, I personally didn’t feel they added anything particularly extraordinary to the performance either, although the audience’s response might suggest otherwise.
On a different note, the footage projected throughout the concert complemented the performance perfectly. Capturing Queen’s moments of glory and sadness, the visuals brought a strong emotive element to the fore.
Without a doubt, this was at its strongest during the rendition of Who Wants to Live Forever, which had the entire audience sitting silent, clearly moved as much by the song as it was by the previous clip of Freddie Mercury.
Also commendable was the choice of the set list which, apart from the predictable crowd-pleasers, also featured some less obvious picks.
In the lap of the Gods, Lily of the Valley, Killer Queen, Now I’m Here and Dear Friends, for example, provided the right balance to the familiarity of hits like Radio Gaga (which was among the best interpretations on the night, by the way), I Want to Break Free and Don’t Stop Me Now, among several others. It all made for a great evening of majestic music – not flawless, but enjoyable all the same.
The following evening, the Music & Steel Festival presented an altogether different show, bringing together rock, ska, world music, new folk and pop.
The New Victorians, with a full band in tow this time, gave a sparkling performance, including a version of Queen’s Somebody to Love, which I would have loved to see them perform with the MPO the night before.
The Crowns were on next, their performance exuding all the positivity that is part and parcel of the songs that have earned them their popularity and a couple of awards too.
So far so good, and Red Electrick’s set made sure it only got better. The inclusion of some of their earlier songs was a great reminder to all that this band has made great leaps forward, and one can only wonder, following the diverse inclinations of more recent singles Paul and The Runaway, what they are coming up with next.
Next on the bill, legendary band The Rifffs presented a mixture of songs old and new, all bearing their signature ska sound and still packing as big a punch as ever.
It was impressive to note that despite ska having more of a niche audience, the crowd was having a great time dancing, giving a particularly rousing response to the classic Dance Music for the 80s Depression and new single Whole Lot of Nothing.
Theirs was certainly one of the best performances on the night, making it a hard act to follow. Relying on their tried, tested and widely popular repertoire, Airport Impressions rose to that challenge.
Slipping in recent singles Hymns of June and Berlin, as well as a brand new track off the album they’ve just released, they were most definitely in top form.
Finally, Tribali proceeded to create the festive vibe we have come to expect from their colourful and energetic performance, bringing the event to a close on a high note.
What else is there to add, except that the sound quality was fantastic, the organisation smooth, and everyone went home reeling from an amazing concert.
This one, staged as part of the National Celebrations Foundation programme, boasted some of the top names in Malta’s music scene.
It’s no secret that there are a lot more bands operating away from the mainstream that could benefit from similar events, and I’m pretty sure the foundation will be looking into staging an event focusing on lesser-known genres to cater for alternative musical tastes.