Britpop Classical @ Eventim Apollo

Britpop Classical:

There can be no doubt that the Britpop movement marked one of the most important eras of British music, and its impact is still going strong. Nothing proves some 20+ years later, this more than the excited audience who piled into the Apollo last night ready to celebrate the music of so many key figures from the era. Britpop classical is a unique set of three concerts that sees Simon Fowler (Ocean Colour
Scene), John Power (Cast / The La's), Mark Chadwick (Levellers), Mark Morriss (The Bluetones), and Saffron (Republica) all join an incredibly talented orchestra on stage to sing their own hits, and other beloved songs from the era. Last night at the Eventim Apollo was the concert series' opening night, and I was lucky enough to be there.

The orchestra remained in place throughout the night, whilst the singers took turns to perform couple of songs each per act. They are all led by the brilliant conductor, Elliott. His comedic timing was as good as his musical timing, adding to the enjoyment of the night. Elliott opened Act 1 by welcoming the crowd to the show, before providing both hilarious and informative introductions for each singer that came out. The first of which was Mark Morriss, lead singer of The Bluetones. Mark's performance was extremely impressive, as he mastered his way through a few of The Bluetones most beloved tracks, including 'Sleazy Bed Track'. Mark commanded the stage in an almost crooner style, with his somewhat dry and self-deprecating style of humour getting deservedly huge laughs between songs. It was not all laughs though, as his live vocals could truly take your breath away

Next out was the sensational Saffron, lead singer of Republica, who burst onto the stage with the most infectious energy, before diving straight into the upbeat 'Drop Dead Gorgeous'. The artists were each asked to prepare a cover of a Britpop track, with Saffron being the first to perform one. Her cover of Richard Ashcroft's 'Break the Night With Colour' was a real change in pace from her storming opener, but equally as brilliant, showcasing how dynamic an artist she is.

Saffron was followed by Levellers frontman Mark Chadwick, who joked that no-one knew his opening track 'Edge of the World', before
erupting into 'One Way'. This anthem got the biggest reaction of the night at that point, further waking the sleeping giant that was tonight's crowd. 

If Mark Chadwick lifted the energy more, then the emergence of John Power sent it through the roof. This man lives and breathes the spirit of Britpop, being both the frontman of Cast and the bassist of 'The La's'. This heritage was not lost on the crowd, who welcomed John to the stage like the musical royalty he is. Huge hits 'Fine time' and 'Alright' received a rightly rapturous response from the crowd, who were suitably warmed up by now.

The first act was closed by the vocal powerhouse that is Simon Fowler, vocalist for Ocean Colour scene. 'The Riverboat Song' and 'Hundred Mile High City' were no doubt huge crowd pleasers, but the performance of 'Robin Hood' took the definition of musical brilliance to a whole new level. There may be some bias in this as it is my favourite Ocean Colour Scene song, but the addition of an orchestra to this song took it to levels I didn't know possible, and further highlighted the pure emotion Simon pours into this song. This section perfectly closed Act 1.

After a brief intermission, the orchestra took back to the stage; This time being joined by Saffron first. Together they gave the liveliest performance of the night, with an electric rendition of 'Ready to Go'. This song has soundtracked so many memorable nights for so many people, but with the combination of Saffron's stage presence and the extreme talent in the orchestra, it may never soundtrack a more memorable night than this.

Mark Morriss then took the stage to deliver one last original before performing his cover song. A rousing rendition of The Bluetones' biggest hit 'Slight Return' was followed by an emotional cover of Pulps 'The Trees'. This may have been one of the more rogue covers of the night, but was absolutely one of the best. Before beginning his cover, Mark joked that this Britpop thing can't last forever, so this is his audition to begin a career in cruises. Yet another example of just how humorous he was throughout his time on stage.

As one Mark left, another appeared, with Mark Chadwick returning to the stage to deliver his final songs of the night. Mark started off by masterfully guiding the crowd through an explosive sing along of 'What a Beautiful Day' before leading a tumultuous sing-along to The timeless classic 'Bitter Sweet Symphony'.

The only artists on the night who didn't perform a cover was John Power, such is the benefit of having two of his own Britpop bands to call upon. His second selection of songs saw him call upon songs from both Cast and The La's. The orchestral rendition of 'Walkaway' in particular, was a thing of beauty. It took one of the band's most emotional songs to a whole new level. When looking around I saw people hugging, saw People crying, but more than anything I saw an audience completely engrossed by the power of music

As with the first act, the last singer to perform was Simon Fowler, who seemed to cut an increasingly emotional figure throughout the
night, taken aback by just how beloved his music is. An excellent cover of Inspiral Carpets 'This Is How It Feels' was a highlight, but nothing could come close to the epic finale of 'The Day We Caught the Train'. The crowd were on fine form all night, but the reaction to this song in particular could have blown the roof off the Apollo. 

This proved to be the perfect night that celebrated not only the brilliance of Britpop music, but also commended so many of the key figures behind the era. Every singer who took to the stage did so at the top of their game, and were backed by a breathtaking orchestra, to create an evening that I don't think I could ever forget