Well, much to report as it’s been a busy time throughout March, and April looks like being busy too, with May and June extremely busy - so I’ll start with Gloucester.
As followers of this saga will know, the organisers had huge problems with the original proposed venue and that dragged on for so long everything was in danger of disappearing altogether and this, I was determined would not happen.

With new venues in place, The Centaur at Cheltenham and Blackfriars in Gloucester, we set about putting together some shows that would be different from anything I had previously done in the UK but keeping the original prog / orchestral theme that had originally been set out.
It was not possible to do the new Journey in its entirety or indeed that of King Arthur and the new additional music at the new venue, as venue size would not allow for the production size originally planned and also would have meant a minimum of an additional 6 full days rehearsal with the orchestra, band and choir and this would have meant a huge loss for the organisers at the end of the day and ostensibly, these performances are in aid of charity, so a very careful re-think took place.
My initial thoughts were to perhaps perform the piano and orchestra concert that had only been performed once in England at Cadogan Hall in Chelsea, but wanted it to be different so thought about using keyboards instead of the grand piano and then that developed into “Well if I’ve got keyboards, I could have some of the English Rock Ensemble, which then developed into “Why not have them all”! And so we have got them all.

The orchestrations for the music need little adaption to do this and so we will be playing at The Centaur on the 16th and 17th of June a mixture of music including a large chunk of Journey, large chunks of Arthur, at least 2 of the 6 Wives plus at least 5 other pieces. Thoughts were then floated around to do The New Gospels at Gloucester Cathedral, but availability rendered that impossible but Blackfriars became available and so I thought about what could be done there on the 15th and whilst on the telephone with son Adam, asked if he fancied doing a show with me...Wakeman with Wakeman. He said he loved the idea. Then by chance on the same day I was talking to son Oliver and mentioned it to him and very soon we had Wakeman with Wakeman and Wakeman! Out of the blue, daughter Jemma called and within 5 minutes we now had Wakeman with Wakeman with Wakeman and Wakeman!

There will be two shows on the 15th, one at 6pm and one at 8.45pm. The 8.45 sold out on the first date of tickets being available and I am led to understand that there are just 49 tickets left for the 6pm performance. There is a possibility that two more shows may be added for Thursday 14th.
After a family discussion it was decided that not one piece of music that would be played at the Centaur would be included in the Blackfriar's W w W w W & W show and so expect surprises.

Each of us will have two keyboards, plus Adam will have his guitar and both he and Jemma will be singing as well. We are hoping that these shows may be filmed. They will certainly be recorded.

At the time of writing this, tickets are available for all the Centaur shows but all the VIP tickets have gone for Sunday 16th and just 45 of these left for Monday 17th. If these two shows sell out then a third show will be added for the 18th.

Box Office is now LIVE and the direct link is:  http://rickwakemangloucester.com/ticketoffice/ and the organisers' press release is here.

April also sees me doing more filming for the new series of Watchdog plus a trip to Portugal to the Gouviea Arts Festival which I am really looking forward to on the 28th.

There will be an awful lot of preparation going on for the Gloucester and Cheltenham shows and every spare day will certainly be utilised in making these shows happen.

These will be the only major concerts in the UK this year and so I want them to be very memorable......
.................and talking of memorable, how lovely it was to be a part of Viv Stanshall’s 70th posthumous birthday concert at the Bloomsbury Theatre.  I drove all the way home with a great big smile on my face.

2013 seems to be coming alive at last!

Cheers,
Rick

Previous Editions

August 2026
July 2026
June 2026
May 2026
April 2026
March 2026
February 2026
January 2026
December 2025
November 2025
October 2025
September 2025
August 2025
July 2025
June 2025
May 2025
April 2025
March 2025
February 2025
January 2025
November 2024
October 2024
September 2024
August 2024
July 2024
June 2024
May 2024
April 2024
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
October 2022
September 2022
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009