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Post by James on Mar 30, 2008 14:22:12 GMT
AFTER THE CONCERTAfter the concert finished we headed out towards the stage door, and this time had to wait only about 15-20 minutes for Hayley to turn up. Fortunately, there were not a vast number of people waiting to see Hayley, as it was raining and the covered area was quite small. As already mentioned, we must have had a good 45 minutes with Hayley, and she was really chatty with everybody. A couple of people handed her cards as they wouldn’t be seeing her again before her 21st. I asked her how it felt to be back performing indoors after the outdoor concerts in NZ and she took one look at the weather outside and said it was great to be performing indoors again! We also spoke briefly about her time back in NZ and she confirmed it was the longest that she had been back in NZ since she first left. One young girl was particularly taken with Hayley and managed to get a couple of hugs from Hayley who encouraged her in her ambition to be an author. Hayley also had kind words to say about the conductor and the supporting band, ever appreciative of the supporting cast. The time flew by, and I ended the evening having a fairly lengthy chat with Ray. Finally, as the song goes, it was time to say goodbye with a chorus of “see you next week at Buxton” so Hayley is aware there will be a large crowd of us!!! By the way, we also said hi from Belinda, Dori (Sukayna), Graeme and Marianne and Hayley remembered you all! As we were so close to the stage, I wasn’t going to risk any photos during the concert itself, but here are a few from backstage.   James
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Post by Andrew on Mar 30, 2008 14:22:28 GMT
Hi All, Richard, Mark and James... thanks so much for your Concert Reports and dazzling photographs!!!  Hayley looks radiant as usual!  WOW... How striking she looks in her red coat too!!!   Andrew  |
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Post by James on Mar 30, 2008 14:25:23 GMT
A couple more:   |
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Post by James on Mar 30, 2008 14:29:06 GMT
I'm afraid this is the last good one I took last night, and possibly my favourite of the evening:  Now it's over to Grant for the main course... James |
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Post by Stephany on Mar 30, 2008 15:33:01 GMT
Hello James, Mark, Caitlin and Richard, Thank you very much for your lovely reports and early pictures. It's great to hear that you enjoyed the concert so much and the meeting with Hayley despite the rain Did she mention anything about the Japanese album or/and 4th album?  Thanks - Stephany |
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Post by grant on Mar 30, 2008 15:38:58 GMT
Hello everyone I'm back!! What a fantastic evening we had! Thank you Caitlin, Richard, James and Mark for reports and pictures so far. Mine will follow as soon as time allows - I have to eat - and I'm out again tonight! A couple of quick comments for the moment. I took my first picture of Hayley at 10.36 pm, as she emerged from the stage door, and the last at 11.13pm and we had a good five minutes more with her after I'd put my camera away, so the estimate of 45 minutes with Hayley is about right. I actually took 96 pictures, mostly of Hayley, but there is one of Ray holding a bunch of flowers. I also included Gene, Paul, Andrew and Joyce in the list of people wishing to be remembered to Hayley, but then I think we just said "what the heck" and included the whole of HWI!! I have a snippet of information about Hayley's next album  More later Best wishes Grant |
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Post by roger on Mar 30, 2008 15:40:05 GMT
The band was fairly small but it had a large sound. The band was actually quite large... Are you sure you two were at the same event? Okay, so it was an elastic band!  As has been mentioned, Hayley had to start 'Abide With Me' again. But shouldn't that have made it 'Abide With Us'? Thanks for the reports and pictures so far, everyone. It was, indeed, a great concert. Roger |
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Post by Stephany on Mar 30, 2008 15:45:47 GMT
Hi Roger and Grant, Thank you for your additional comments on the concert. Hopefully Hayley will come back to Croydon soon I have a snippet of information about Hayley's next album You've got my full attention!  Love, Stephany |
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Post by martindn on Mar 30, 2008 16:11:10 GMT
Hello everyone I have a snippet of information about Hayley's next album Oh Grant, you can't do that to us!!! Thanks to everyone who has posted reports and pictures. Did anybody notice how full the hall was? There was concern that there would be a lot of empty seats. Martin |
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Post by Caitlin on Mar 30, 2008 16:14:47 GMT
The band was fairly small but it had a large sound. The band was actually quite large... Are you sure you two were at the same event? Okay, so it was an elastic band! Okay, it was small by my standards. I'm used to bands with 70 or more people in them. The smallest band/orchestra I've been in was one of 55 people. And yes Grant, what did you find out? <3 Caitlin |
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Post by roger on Mar 30, 2008 16:31:14 GMT
Did anybody notice how full the hall was? There was concern that there would be a lot of empty seats. Hi Martin, There were certainly quite a lot of empty seats in both corners at the back of the stalls. I couldn't see up into the circle so I don;t know how that fared. From what I saw, I would estimate that it may have been about 80 per cent full so, although disappointing, I don't think it was quite as bad as was indicated on the venue's website yesterday morning. Comments have been made that Croydon is so close to London that there are vast amounts of venues which were attracting audiences which may have explained the poor attendance in Croydon. Well yes, but Croydon is in the heart of the most densely populated part of England (London and the South East) and so the two, in theory, should cancel one another out. Anyway, if it were true, then the same would apply for all events at the Fairfield Halls regardless of who is appearing. Clearly that is not the case. I therefore wonder if there was insifficient publicity for last night's event.  Roger |
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Post by Paddy on Mar 30, 2008 16:31:52 GMT
Are you sure you two were at the same event? Okay, so it was an elastic band! As has been mentioned, Hayley had to start 'Abide With Me' again. But shouldn't that have made it 'Abide With Us'? Thanks for the reports and pictures so far, everyone. It was, indeed, a great concert. Roger ... Or ' An Unexpected Song' - ' Do You Hear What I Hear?' 'Bet they were a very Surrey band! |
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Post by martindn on Mar 30, 2008 16:41:34 GMT
Roger, Thanks for your reply. It could be that it was publicised as a band concert, not a Hayley concert. As such, it might be more a reflection of the popularity of brass bands in South London than anything to do with Hayley. There is a big picture of Hayley on the band's website though! www.centralband.com/Martin |
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Post by thomas on Mar 30, 2008 17:31:25 GMT
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Post by grant on Mar 30, 2008 18:09:38 GMT
Hello everyone!
There is a point in time with all my ‘adventures’ when the enjoyment of anticipation fades and it often lasts right up to the day itself. Such was the case yesterday, mainly because it has been three and a half months since I saw Hayley last. I’ve been missing her very much and wishing the time to the concert would pass more quickly. It was a pleasing and reassuring feeling therefore to realise that the excitement of a ‘Hayleyday’ had returned with a vengeance as my train slid slowly away from Derby on its way to London.
Arriving in Croydon, I decided to visit the venue before checking into my hotel in order to relieve them of a quantity of flyers for tonight’s concert. It is early, only 1.20pm, and I thought to myself that this might just be my opportunity to arrive at a venue before Richard! Alas, as I approached I realised that I was rapidly overhauling a familiar figure – it was Richard! I did briefly consider an ‘about turn’ to race round the block and approach from the opposite direction, thus beating Richard to the door, but it’s a good half mile and my ill conceived plan was soon abandoned.
Having secured the required flyers and enjoyed a relaxing coffee with Richard, I checked into my hotel, changed and returned to Fairfield Halls to await the arrival of the others and to enjoy the sound of Hayley's voice drifting down to the foyer as she rehearsed with the band.
With our little group now at full strength (well, apart from Peter, who had luckily realised that he had left his ticket in his car and gone to retrieve it!) we made our way into the auditorium to take up our seats in Row C (having passed rows A and B in the corridor!)
I won’t go into great detail about the concert itself, as most of it has already been outlined in detail. What I will say is that I have never really been a fan of bands and had only decided to come to this one when Gordon had pointed out that rooms at the Travelodge were available at £29. (Nice one Gordon!) As has been said, the bands choice of material was excellent and I did recognise most of the pieces even though I couldn’t name every one. I think it’s also the first time I have seen anyone play a sousaphone live!
I have to admit, also, to being a little disappointed to discover that Hayley would only be singing six songs, but they were six very special songs because they were Hayley's songs and in the end, although her sets seem to be over very quickly, I wouldn’t have missed it for anything.
Hayley noticed us immediately and it was clear to see her scan the line of familiar faces at various times during her opening number, ‘Hine’. Things were clearly going wrong for the second, ‘Abide With Me’, when a missed cue by, I believe, the conductor meant Hayley had to restart, a little embarrassing for those on stage perhaps, but Hayley handled the situation with her usual grace and we got to hear that beautiful hymn for a second time.
As Hayley finished the song, the conductor indicated to the sound desk to switch his mike on, upon which he apologised for the mistake. Basically, it seemed to me, admitting that he had been so busy listening to Hayley that he had lost his place. I’m sure, had he known the word, that he would have admitted to being ‘Hayleywowed’!!
And so the concert ended and we made our way out into a rather wet night and tramped round to the stage door, where Ray had the ‘Grand Voyager’ strategically placed to ensure that Hayley didn’t get too wet. We settled ourselves under the covered area by the stage door and waited patiently for the lovely Hayley to appear.
If anyone needed proof that Hayley is pleased to find a group of fans waiting for her after a concert, tonight would have been it. I was standing against the wall, which is in line with the corridor down which Hayley would walk to get to the stage door and, no sooner had she come into view at the top of the corridor, a beaming smile spread across her face and she waved happily at us.
I spent much of our time with Hayley snapping away frantically and I think I’ve already mentioned that I eventually took 96 pictures. Don’t know whether or not Hayley had been looking at this concert thread and read about me being the ‘official’ photographer for tonight, but she kept flashing me one of her smiles every now and then as though she did. Katie and her father from Hemihelp were also there and Katie was keen to establish that Hayley remembered who she was. Of course she did! Katie was not shy in coming forward either, at one point asking Hayley for a hug. I think she got several.
I’m seeing Hayley again next week, so I had an Easter egg for her this time as well as a bar of her favourite chocolate, leaving birthday’s for Buxton. I also asked her if it was likely that she would be singing ‘Laschia’ at Buxton as, I explained to her, it was Elizabeth’s favourite. Hayley said she wasn’t sure and couldn’t promise but it’s in her mind now so I’m sure she will if at all possible.
At one point, I found myself ear wigging a conversation with Hayley about her song writing, Hayley confirming that she is doing a lot of song writing at the moment and using the guitar that Roger gave her for the purpose. I found that an interesting comment, as I know she has a keyboard at home which I thought she used. Anyway, I though to myself “opportunity for a leading question here!”
“So Hayley, are we likely to see a lot of your own material on the next album?” to which Hayley replied “Hopefully, yes” So there you have it. I suppose the final selection will be up to the record company, or will it?
By now it is past 11pm, Ray is keen to be away, Hayley is working tomorrow and will probably need be up early and must get her beauty sleep. Reluctant to leave, we wish Hayley and Ray a safe journey home as Hayley climbs aboard and Ray closes her door. “See you in Buxton next week” we shout, as our favourite young lady disappears behind the smoked glass.
Waving our final goodbye’s as they drive past on their journey home, we plod on our respective ways after another very memorable evening with Hayley. With a farewell blast of the horn, Ray steers them expertly into the traffic and they are gone.
Pictures tomorrow! Promise!!
Best wishes
Grant
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