Sadler's Wells update

["Martin Bailey" <mobailey@cwcom.net>]

This was posted on www.petetownshend.co.uk just half an hour ago:

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Sadler's Wells update

I am planning to post a cyberfilm diary of my rehearsals for Sadlers Wells.
This is going to be posted every day on this site, except of course for the
days I'm not actually rehearsing or working on the show. The first posting
will be on February 8th.

The show is unfolding in an exciting way. It was an impulse to plan the
event. I have been worried lately by how much it might cost to mount, but in
the past week a few side-deals have been negotiated which provide money to
improve the production. One of the deals allows a simultaneous radio
broadcast, another the filming and subsequent webcasting of the event by a
company specializing in such things.

The London Chamber Orchestra will perform some of the orchestral tracks from
Lifehouse Chronicles, and also accompany me where appropriate. But with this
new money in the pot I am going to be able to gather some wonderful
musicians together so that every song can get its due.

John Rabbit Bundrick is here to help Billy Nicholls and I with the music.
Jon Carin was to have been involved, but a communication hiccup (my fault)
saw him taking on another job, so he can't join us this time around. Billy
is putting together a vocal group, which I hope will include a couple of
singers who can share the load - my voice doesn't always last the night.

I am also planning a simple and elegant film-projected light and backdrop
design. Simon Corder, a theatre designer, is in charge of this. Tim Drury
(who designed the new eelpie logo - the little face) and I are hoping to
cook up a three screen MIDI keyboard controlled system to fly in some
extemporized images and short animations.

So the event should be interesting to look at. But this particular show is
going be about the music, and mainly the demos for Lifehouse. I am not
trying to create a dramatic context for the show, nor tell the story in any
way. But I hope the underlying themes, hopes and concerns of Lifehouse will
come through.

I'll keep you posted

PT

0920 Saturday 19 January 2000


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I've got tickets for this and I'm starting to get very excited!  The idea of
PT playing with the London Chamber Orchestra had originally put me off a
bit.  But I love the idea that the show is about the music, and not the
story.  I wasn't particularly relishing the idea of another Psychoderilict -
type tour.

I bet a few of you out there are going to be quite pleased with the words
"subsequent webcasting".

-MB

PS: Pete has spelt the words "specialising" and "extemporised" in the
American, not English, manner.  Also, the date says 19th January, not 29th.