Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds
Glasgow Clyde Auditorium, 28th April 2006
No-one would have believed at the dawn of the 21st century that, almost 30 years after if first invaded our planet as a synthtastic, ullaaavely concept album, Jeff Wayne's musical version of HG Wells' groundbreaking sci-fi novel The War of the Worlds would finally make it onto the live stage. But this year, that's exactly what happened, and never before have so many grey-haired prog rock fans moved and exulted as one.
All together now: 'Duh duh duuuuh, diddle ee, diddle ee…' Etc.
For the stratospheric price of the ticket, we expected a good show (although then again, I've been waiting more than half my life for this, so would probably have paid almost anything) and a good show is exactly what we got. A full string orchestra and pop rock band (complete with David Essex band stalwarts Ian Wherry and Herbie Flowers – now there's a blast from my dim and distant past…), conducted by the exuberant Mr Wayne in person, plus stellar guest vocalists in the form of Justin Hayward and Chris Thompson (the only original cast members to make it), popera star Russell Watson and, wait for it, a giant paper maché head with Richard Burton's face projected (somewhat creepily) onto it. Not to mention big screen CGI background footage depicting the rout of humanity, and a 20 foot tripod descending onto the stage, firing heat rays into the audience and ullaa-ing in triumph.
Bizarre? Pompous? Ludicrous? Overblown? Of course – isn't that why we love The War of the Worlds?
True, we could perhaps have dispensed with the clumsy Battlefield Earth style prologue…
Martian #2: Invade earth – those puny humans can't stop us.
Martian #1: Great idea – I'll set the phaser to 'bee yoo, bee yoo, bee yoo'.
Etc.)
… and some of the background footage was pure '80s video cheese (a swirl of golden leaves in 'Forever Autumn', for example), with Dr Who style tripods stalking the earth, just waiting to trip over a cattle grid. However, the sepia period footage and Edwardian costumes were a fitting tribute to and a timely reminder of the amazing sci-fi imagination of HG Wells, who invented the concept of alien invasion before the Wright brothers had taken flight and foresaw with uncanny prescience the carnage of the First World War, in his vivid description of man annihilated en masse by terrifying superior modern technological fire power, the like of which had never been seen or envisaged before.
But enough of the lit crit – what about the music? Well, it sounded fabulous, and what an absolute treat to have the score I know inside out played live, and performed so very well. Russell Watson poured heart and soul into his performance as Parson Nathaniel, ably matched by Irish songstress Tara Blaise as Beth, while newcomer Alexis James carried off a pitch perfect David Essex impression as the youthful Artilleryman.
A fantastic and unforgettable live experience that I sincerely hope won't be a one off, The War of the Worlds was pure, spine-tingling showbiz spectacle. It's official: the earth now belongs to Jeff Wayne. Uuuuullaaaaaa!
