Rock Me Buddy Holly!
Buddy Holly Reloaded
Imperial Theater, Hamburg, 24th February, 2014
with special guests Fabian Harloff, Earl Carpenter and Drew Sarich
From 1995 till 2001 the musical Buddy Holly ran in Hamburg and a few years later some former ensemble formed a band for a once off gig but it was so successful that the guys decided to play regularly gigs honoring the music of Buddy Holly and others from that period, so the music is largely Buddy Holly, other artists from back then but also the other songs re-arranged so they fit the rock'n'roll concept.
Having found their home at the Imperial Theater on Hamburg's Reeperbahn, these concerts are usually rather popular but for some reasons I never managed to go there as often on when no time or on just after I went away for a long weekend and not in mood to go out straight away but when a couple of weeks ago Drew Sarich and Earl Carpenter were announced as special guests I so had to go.
I adore Drew Sarich as people who read this blog regularly know and I also like Earl a lot having known him now as a performer for 13 years, I saw them together in Les Miserables in London in 2008 and while I liked Earl's then understudy a bit more it was still a wonderful combination.
I expected them to perform songs from the rock'n'roll period but, surprise, Earl Carpenter actually sang Les Miserables' "Stars" with the last lines even sung in German and Earl and Drew sang together "The Confrontation" - reloaded! What a different but so fantastic version of that song! Finishing off that block Drew sang one of his own songs. Beautiful.
Later the guys joined the band at the end as for performing Falco's "Rock Me Amadeus", well Drew, Earl just made a funny brief appearance.
Additionally another special guest though he is quite a regular it seems was Fabian Harloff, a German actor, I have known pretty much all my life growing up watching him on telly when I was tiny and he little appearing on Sesame Street, later in various kids TV series as in TKKG (I had such a crush on him then... ;-) ) and now in other TV stuff.
He was also in Buddy Holly in the title role (I actually saw him on my one and only visit to that show here in Hamburg) and has its own band.
Great performance from him too though I really noticed that A LOT of time has passed since TKKG.... ;-)
But also the actual five guys from the band, Marko Formanek, Hauke Wendt, Torben Widdermann, Falko Burkert and Stephan Sieveking, were incredible rocking the house giving the old classics some new life - but also the re-arranged songs of newer songs were done so well and especially performed so well.
Overall a brilliant and most funny night out that needs to be repeated eventually!
The special version of "The Confrontation":
The special version of Falco's Rock Me Amadeus:
