Pink Martini at the Royal Albert Hall

Pink Martini – Royal Albert Hall, October 17^th 2011

A much anticipated evening at the Royal Albert Hall, booked in January, and a sellout.  Pink Martini were accompanied by the BBC Concert Orchestra.  Most if not all of the team had never stepped inside the Albert Hall before.  Thomas Lauderdale, the inspiration behind the group stated that the only time he had even seen it was in the 1956 Alfred Hitchcock movie – ‘The Man Who Knew Too Much’.  The opening number was instrumental – a version of Ravel’s Bolero, with the opening phrases played on the violin.  Following this great reworking of such a well known piece came the first vocal piece, and a surprise – no China Forbes, but her recent replacement, a lady by the name of Storm Large.  Storm is a statuesque blonde with a chest that would spark envy in most women, and a great voice, which improved as the evening went on and she became more relaxed.  After some research I’ve discovered that poor China has had surgery on her vocal cords.  Hope she is better soon.  We heard many of P.M.’s best known songs.  The usual stunning use of the trumpet and trombone.  Then we had a surprise.  Thomas told us that on their recent tour of Japan they had wanted to perform ‘White Christmas’, but Irving Berlin, who had experienced the second world war, had refused to allow it to be performed in Japan or translated into Japanese.  After some negotiation, P.M. had performed it, with a Japanese singer, who Thomas described as Japan’s own Barbra Streisand.  He had discovered her voice on a 1969 LP which he found in a record shop in Portland, Oregon.  Then, surprise, surprise, Saori Yuki, the lady was with us, having journeyed all the way from Japan for the opportunity to appear at the Albert Hall.  She appeared in an exquisite silk dress, with much bowing and greetings between her and Thomas.

The second half was equally enjoyable, and began with the lead trumpeter playing the remarkable Concerto for Trumpet by Harry James.  My memory went back to my first year at Cambridge, when I shared rooms with a lawyer who played trumpet, and had the music to this.  He used to try to play it from time to time – a true virtuoso piece.  I’ve never actually heard it before.

But the strangest thing happened in the interval and after.  We have had some curious coincidences recently.  A few nights ago, to try out a new DVD player, I put on ‘Remember that night’, a disc with the residual members of Pink Floyd, led by David Gilmour.  While wandering round the circle behind the stalls at the Albert Hall, admiring the remarkable photo exhibition of pop stars, I came across a vintage pic of Pink Floyd, all dressed in pink.  It was hard to recognise Gilmour, with his young face and long hair. 
A few moments later, David Gilmour walked past me...

To cap this, on getting into the car at the end of the concert, and putting on Radio 2, purely for the traffic announcements, the programme which was playing was a radio history of Pink Floyd...  life is strange.  And how appropriate that the theme for the evening was pink.

So, bye bye Pink Martini, wherever you are off to.  We enjoyed you again.  Although Storm doesn’t have the sultry grace of China Forbes, she is a good replacement.  Across her back is a giant tattoo, which at first glance looked as though it said ‘Lager’, but could possibly have been ‘Lover’.  (I’ve checked on the web: it is Lover.)  The guitarist looks just like Fabio Capello, but plays with more flair than the
England manager, or at least what you would call his ‘pitchly representatives’.  Timothy, the Japanese soloist is great, the violin is beautifully played, and Thomas Lauderdale – you made a great decision at Harvard not to train as a concert musician.  Otherwise we would just hear you as yet another brilliant concert pianist playing the Greig with the BSO.  Now you truly are an original talent.