Bradford St George's - Valentines Tour - 12 Feb

[dkeeno]

As of last week i will now be attending this concert. Very much looking forward to it, ive seen the st georges hall but never been in it so that will be nice! And its been a while since ive been to just watch a Hayley performance.
See you all there,

Danny

[martindn]

Hi Danny,

It has been a while since anyone has seen a Hayley performance. There weren't many after Stoke before her illness struck. I was at Northampton, which i think was the last one. Stoke is one I'll never forget, so thank you for that. I don't know when I will get to see Hayley again right now, there are personal reasons, and she seems to be avoiding the East Midlands for the Valentines Tour. But I hope to be back in circulation later this year.
Meanwhile, I shall keep a keen eye on what is happening, and look forward to reading the concert reviews. Perhaps I will learn to appreciate how some of out overseas members feel.

Martin

[gra7890]

Nov 11, 2008 23:16:12 GMT gra7890 said:

At this time of year the 'North' may be knee deep in snow (Unlikely in Sussex or Lowestoft ! )

Right for the first , wrong for the second !
I am not going to risk traveling by car after work for this, unless there is a rapid improvement in the weather before Thursday !

I think a trip to Manchester on a Saturday ( 21st Feb ) is a safer option .


Best Wishes,

Graham

[grant]

Feb 7, 2009 9:44:20 GMT gra7890 said:

I am not going to risk traveling by car after work for this, unless there is a rapid improvement in the weather before Thursday !

Hi Graham

Do you have a ticket for this concert?

Seems a shame to miss out on these wonderful duets we're promised for this tour.

Best wishes
Grant

[gra7890]

Hi Grant,
I would very much like to make one of the Valentine Concerts...... and Bradford was the only viable one.
However I am always cautious about car traveling at this time of year. At present we have had a covering of snow of various depths for 6 days and heavy overnight frosts. Some of the local roads have been ice tracks !
Getting to the concert would mean leaving after work, a mad rush down. However worse would be the drive back after in the present conditions and then work on the Friday!
I would do it in the Summer..... but not with the present conditions.
So .... no I did not get a ticket as this is always possible up here ....if the weather had been good I was going to ring up and see if there would be a ticket to collect at the door, but I have decided that is not sensible.

For Manchester I can travel during the day, and if necessary stay overnight, and travel back during the day on Sunday..... Family commitments allowing.

Hope you enjoy the concerts,
I am hoping for a CD !

Best Wishes,

Graham

[gra7890]

Nov 11, 2008 23:16:12 GMT gra7890 said:

....... At this time of year the 'North' may be knee deep in snow

Feb 7, 2009 21:16:15 GMT gra7890 said:

..... I am always cautious about car traveling at this time of year.

Just as well as it started snowing here today at 11.00am by 5-00 pm there was about 6 inches closing Teesside Airport and local roads. It has turned to sleet/rain since, leaving a 'mulch' that is now freezing !!
I am glad I do not have to try and travel in this.... Although of course sad not to be able to get to the concert
I hope those that are traveling have not had our conditions and get there and back safely (Although I have heared it is wide spread in the North )

Best Wishes,
Graham

[natalie]

Very sad 2 fans of Jonathan bothhad to give uptheir journeys to Bradford

[postscript]

Feb 12, 2009 19:52:16 GMT natalie said:

Very sad 2 fans of Jonathan bothhad to give uptheir journeys to Bradford

My deepest (no pun intended) sympathy. It is a great show.

Let's hope the gang arrive safely, in good time and reach home okay, or have the nerve to put up locally. However, where are they tomorrow?

Peter S.

[gra7890]

Hayley and Jonathan were on Yorkshire Local News ....it is still on ITV Yorkshire website.

HERE

The News programme 'Calender - South' ( N.B Not Calender North ) comes on the small screen.
( if not search for it beside the window ) After brief advert Calender starts ;Fast forward to 22.30 mins out of 29.22 mins . Double click on small screen to go full screen.
I managed it so it can't be that difficult i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

Enjoy

Graham

p.s Yesterdays programme is still there so it should be there for another 24 Hours

[Dave]

Thanks Graham,

I had intended to try and guess where and when this interview might be broadcast so I could record it from digital TV but unfortunately, I had to go out at the time the regional news programmes were broadcast so I missed it.

However... thanks to your tip-off, I have now downloaded the ITV news programme from the Yorkshire ITV website and I have extracted the Hayley-Jonathan interview to keep for posterity.

Video size is small and the bit rates are very low (220 kbps video, 20 kbps audio) but what you see is exactly what was on the website. It looks much sharper to me when played in VLC Media Player than Windows Media Player (which frankly, isn't a very good player at all). I think it will stand being viewed at double size.

Hayley & Jonathan Interview - Yorkshire ITV

Cheers, Dave

[grant]

Hello everyone

Arrived home safely about 15 minutes ago

Another fantastic concert with a very amusing "first" in the second half.

No pictures time, space and rain put paid to that but it did mean I got to talk to Hayley quite a bit at the end

Review soon.

Best wishes
Grant

[grant]

On The Way

I can never concentrate on other things on a “Hayleyday” so I eventually gave up at 11am, switched off the computer, washed, changed and loaded my belongings into the car. By 11.30 I was on my way, a fairly uneventful but rather slow journey ahead, ably assisted by my Google directions.

Found my chosen car park more easily than expected and it had spaces – I thought £3.00 for all day was exceptionally good value despite the potholes. As I climbed out of the car it began to snow lightly and did so on several occasions during the afternoon.

I met up with Thomas who had travelled up from Stanstead and sat in the warmth of his hotel lobby whilst he checked in and sorted himself out. As luck would have it, Thomas’ hotel is only about 100 yards from the stage door, which is right onto a narrow pavement with the sound guy’s truck right outside.

We made our way there at 2.30 to find only a solitary Jonathan fan waiting. (Hi Tracy – hope you got home to Newcastle OK) Karsten and Paddy arrived with their luggage in tow and eventually a few other fans of Jonathan joined us.

Richard had told me in Reading that they would be aiming to arrive at 3.15pm to film for TV at 3.30pm. In fact it was 3.30pm when they arrived so only time for a few brief pleasantries as they went inside. Hayley's smile still managing to provide enough warmth to cast out the chill from our hour long wait in the freezing cold. I quickly passed the tube of posters to Richard for Hayley to sign.

While Karsten and Paddy went to find their hotel, Thomas and I headed for the nearest Weatherspoon’s for a much needed coffee and to wait for them returning. Fed and watered, we headed back to St George’s Hall where we arrived just as the Town Hall clock was striking six. The venue is open and we made our way inside.

Gradually the place began to fill up and we passed the time chatting to other fans until a tannoy announced that the auditorium doors were open. We made our way to our seats. Karsten, Thomas and I are on row G which is the fourth row and my seat is very central with an excellent view. Paddy is sat just in front of me.

As 7.30 approached, we waited excitedly for the concert to begin. …….

[grant]

ANYONE WHO IS STILL INTENDING TO ATTEND A VALENTINES CONCERT SHOULD NOT READ THIS IF THEY DON'T WANT TO SPOIL THE SUPRISE - EVEN IF YOU'VE ALREADY BEEN TO ONE!!

The Concert (or the bit where Hayley got carried away)

I gather there had been a bit of unpleasantness over photography the previous night in Oxford. Tonight there is an announcement that there is to be no photography at all.

The set list is exactly the same tonight as it was in Reading and I had anticipated that a little bit of the magic I felt at my first ‘Valentines’ concert would be missing, not a bit of it! It seemed that knowing what was coming next actually heightened the experience and the magic was still there in all it’s glory. I still could not take my eyes of Hayley and Jonathan as they dueted together and of course, Hayley's wearing that red dress!

After the first duet, Hayley and Jonathan spoke to the audience, Jonathan seemed tongue tied tonight and admitted that the events they had performed at together had slipped his mind so he just mentioned the “Festival of Remembrance”. He said that it had been an honour to perform for the Queen and remarked that Hayley had performed for her many times. A grinning Hayley waggled the fingers of her left hand to suggest how many times.

There were several more of these bits of banter between them that we hadn’t seen before and again, it’s clear to see how much they are enjoying working together. When Hayley's turn to speak came and she asked “How is everyone?” well, it worked in Reading so I went for it with “Wonderful thank you!” and I got the same response I got in Reading so that was OK.

The rest of the first half followed pretty much the same pattern as I remember from Reading, including the set from Raven who continue to be received with great applause. This time it was good to see Kirsty being a little more confident with her introduction and she even included a funny when she said “welcome to Bradford” she paused, considered what she had said and then added “…but then I expect most of you come from here anyway!” which the audience seemed to appreciate.

Once again, the final song for the first half was Mario Lanza’s “Be My Love” No forgotten words from Jonathan this time – it was perfect.

After the interval, Raven opened with their second set before Hayley took centre stage to sing “I Know You By Heart” made famous by Eva Cassidy who recorded it just three weeks before her tragic and untimely death. I didn’t know this song until last Sunday and now I have versions by Hayley, Sophie and Eva – I find it haunting and I pray that Hayley will record it. Hayley said that she hoped she would be able to do the song justice – well, she does for me.

“Never Saw Blue” and “Pokarekare Ana” followed after which Hayley talked about the movie Bombay Dreams and introduced the next duet “How many Stars” written by Don Black whose tribute concert at the London Palladium both she and Jonathan had played at. Hayley commented that she always found herself calling him ‘John’ Black and said that she would have to get it right on Sunday as he will be in the audience.

It was at this point that the superb working relationship that they have developed became evident. Jonathan turned to Hayley and said “My turn for solo’s now” to which Hayley replied “Um No! My solo’s” “I don’t think so, you’ve done yours” said Jonathan. I don’t know what everyone else in the hall was thinking but Hayley stood her ground. “There’s only one way to settle this” from Jonathan as he turned to face the audience. At which point, he scooped Hayley up, gently placed her over his shoulder and carried her off stage left!! Returning with a satisfied look on his face to perform his three solo’s – wonderful stuff!!

Mixed emotions now! The final duet is “Amigos Para Sempra” which is probably, for me, the most thrilling of the duets, but at the same time it means the concert is drawing to a close. The pair just seem to put so much into it which is probably why it’s left to the end. No standing ovation tonight for “Time To Say Goodbye” but it was more than evident that everyone, performers and audience alike, had enjoyed a wonderful evening of music.

Final part shortly

Best wishes
Grant

[grant]

Rain and Hayley

We left the theatre at 9.40 to be confronted by that fine rain that just soaks everything. Now, I had left my camera in the car with the intention of fetching it at this point to try for a few pics. but it didn’t take many seconds to convince myself that it would more than likely be a waste of time. I made for the stage door to wait for Hayley and my posters.

Luckily I found a sheltered spot by the stage door itself whilst other dedicated fans had to stay out in the rain. The Raven girls appeared first, then Jonathan. At which point I felt I had to move to let his fans have their time with him.

It must have been about 10.15pm when Hayley stuck her pretty head out of the stage door and immediately stuck it back in again. Richard seems to think that it will be a better idea for Hayley to stay inside and guess who volunteered to hold the door open?! Well I had to retrieve the heavy tube of posters that Hayley had brought out with her didn’t I?

I also quietly suggested to Richard that we might open the other door to give a bit more room, which was agreed and that worked very well. Hayley chatted with fans and signed their programmes and CD’s and in between I chatted happily with her. I thanked her for signing the posters and at one point she addressed me by name but for the life of me I can’t remember the context (It’s always nice when she does that!)

I told her how much I had enjoyed the concert. Particularly her version of “I Know You By Heart” and I told her that I didn’t think she had anything to worry about not doing the song justice.

Hayley spent a fair time with us and didn’t leave anyone wanting. Karsten asked Thomas if he would take a picture of him and Hayley and she ducked out onto the pavement for it. I jumped on the bandwagon and asked Thomas to take one of Hayley and I. I would have gone to stand with her, but Hayley felt it a better idea to stand with me where I was so Thomas had to stand in the rain, though I'm sure he didn't mind.

With everyone else already back on the bus and with a long run back to London ahead, Richard is keen to be moving and we began to say our goodbyes. I have one last question – about a ‘duets’ album. Hayley is well aware of the interest in the possibility of this happening and I gather she and Jonathan have talked about it but with busy solo careers it may be a way off, it may not even happen. Personally, I hope it does.

I said my goodbyes to Thomas, Paddy and Karsten and went to find my car, waving my goodbyes to the departing minibus as I passed.

Roll on Sunday and the London Palladium!

Night night
Grant

[Richard]

Thanks for the report, Grant!

It sounds as though this tour is getting better and better. So far there are only a few short reports on Jonathan's forum, but there should be some longer ones later.

Here's the link: jonathanansell.forums.umusic.co.uk/t/2203.aspx

Richard