Sweden Rock Festival 2001 - Reports
Mr Hensley at SRF...
Then
we're back home from SRF, aching all over, tired but happy and with lots
of new experiences in the luggage, including a Hensley concert which was
something really groovy and which I will comment closer on beneath.
BTW; I
didn't meet any Heepsters at SRF. I searched hard for The Rainbow Demons
Salisbury t-shirt, but didn't see him. I even went round in the area asking
people if they were ScanHeepsters, but nobody was. Strange.
Well; earlier
Filip wanted to make contact with the former owner of the record store Sweet
Freedom Records. I found him and he said he was interested in ScanHeep directly
when I mentioned the list. He said he would contact me by internet and after
that I could pass on the contact to Jenny so he could be a member. And I
met another guy who showed some interest for ScanHeep and who took
Hensleys autograph. If these gentlemen take contact as they said they would,
then maybe we will have two new list members?
Now; let's focus on Hensley's concert which began with:
- Easy Livin' (long, beautiful start on piano before the organ takes over and Ken starts to sing)
- It's Up To You (from A Glimpse of Glory)
- Stealin' (the audience is singing the refrain at the end and Ken and the band just increases the intensity until the song is full ended. Excellent.)
Now; let's focus on Hensley's concert which began with:
- Easy Livin' (long, beautiful start on piano before the organ takes over and Ken starts to sing)
- It's Up To You (from A Glimpse of Glory)
- Stealin' (the audience is singing the refrain at the end and Ken and the band just increases the intensity until the song is full ended. Excellent.)
Ken
talks about the weather; tells us that he can see people he knew in the
audience; he thanks people for supporting him; tells us that it is the first
concert for the band and mention something about the choosen songs for today.
Thereafter he plays a new song which shall be included on the new cd Running
Blind, which he tells us will be ready this year, next year or the year
after that and he says it "eventually" will be released. I think
he introduces the song under the title:
-
Who I Know (a very good song with beautiful melody, distinct refrain and
a text which seems to be about life before he met Jesus. As a song regarded,
it should have fitted on the Demons and Wizards record with it's kind of
Heepish choir and some harder sound in the end section. It seems like a
good promise befor the new album.)
Thereafter
Hensley introduces the band under warm applauces from the audience. He tells
how pleased he was by his new band and being at the SRF. He tells about
his moving from USA to England and that he is pleased with this because
it's here he feels happy to be and then he asks the audience to buy the
album A Glimpse Of Glory. Thereafter he takes the guitar and plays:
- The Return
(a string was broken on Kens guitar, but he played on and afterwards he
joked about the incident. Thereafter he make a change to an acoustic guitar.)
- The Wizard
(with the audience as choir in the refrain and this version by Ken and the
band is very nice.)
- July Morning (has hardly begun before the audience is singing the text of the first verses and Ken is satisfied with just reciting the words until he seriously seizes the mick. This is a very fine and sensitive version and if anyone ever has doubted Ken Hensley's ability as a singer, this person has now been forced to change his mind after hearing July Morning in this lovely day of June, for Ken both sings and plays perfectly--excellent and that cannot just have passed anyone present! This is a smashing masterpiece and one of the concerts big highlights not to say one of the entire festivals absolutely highlights!)
- July Morning (has hardly begun before the audience is singing the text of the first verses and Ken is satisfied with just reciting the words until he seriously seizes the mick. This is a very fine and sensitive version and if anyone ever has doubted Ken Hensley's ability as a singer, this person has now been forced to change his mind after hearing July Morning in this lovely day of June, for Ken both sings and plays perfectly--excellent and that cannot just have passed anyone present! This is a smashing masterpiece and one of the concerts big highlights not to say one of the entire festivals absolutely highlights!)
- Lady In Black: Ken tells us that July Morning is one of his favourite songs. Thereafter he introduces a "new song" (good old Lady In Black) which he says consists only of two chords and then he jokes about him writing the refrain just this morning in Swedish, Danish and German. And when he deliver the song the refrain goes "aaaaaaaaa"....! It's so good and straightforward!
After
that the band lieves the stage, naturally applauces rises and bring them
back and Ken thanks the audience and organizers and a lot of others for
a "special day" and he is obviously happy and pleased by the receivement
and by all of us screaming for him coming back on stage again. So the band
now delivers:
-
Gypsy (in a concrete hard rock semented version which really rocks heavy
and if Hensley hadn't won the audience before he is definitely doing it
now! No bastard could avoid loving this and there is no word for how good
this concert was! Entirely amazingly superb and yet I had extremely high
expectations in advance. Hensley lived up to it it all and much more!)
When
I later on meet Hensley, get his autographs and has my photo taken with
him, we changes some words and Hensley tells how incredible satisfied he
is with this day and the response we gave him and I praise his new
band and he is himself very happy with them and says he hope to return to
Sweden as fast as he can. And I now say to all of you that wasn't
there at SRF: that when he comes back don't miss him, for if he is just
half as good as on SRF then it is a musical climax to hear him this vigorous,
intensiv; and frankly speaking: bloody good!!! This man has very much to
give in the future and the new record can be completely superb if it just
resembles a little of this concert.
For
you who are interested in fashion I can tell that Hensley played wearing
a white shirt and light blue jeans and that he at the autograph stand had
a thick grey sweater instead. It was hot all the time at the festival so
I understand the changing of clothes.
In his general condition Ken seemed to be happy, satisfied and touched by the response he had experienced and he was quite nice to talk with and funny and entertaining on stage. His concert was definitively one of SRF's highlights this year for me. Very good!
In his general condition Ken seemed to be happy, satisfied and touched by the response he had experienced and he was quite nice to talk with and funny and entertaining on stage. His concert was definitively one of SRF's highlights this year for me. Very good!
To all
of you who couldn't make it there, I'll just say I'm sorry for your destiny
and feel pity for you. You really missed something, but as said: Surely
there will be new opportunities and Ken said something on the stage about
he willingly would be back for next years festival. We really must hope
that it will be so and one can by all means write to the leaders of SRF
and wish him back there next year. That would surely both Ken and the audience
appreciate!