Blog Post
Rick Wakeman - Folkestone Leas Cliff Hall, Friday 29th November 2024
Reviewed by Laura DQ • 3 December 2024
For a famously Grumpy Old Man, Rick Wakeman doesn’t seem to have any trouble locating his festive cheer. On a stage dominated by keyboards and a grand piano, it’s the tinsel draped upon them that draws the eye first, and the lavishly decorated Christmas tree that stands centre stage. Though it’s not the first time that the legendary pianist has embarked on a Yuletide jaunt, this year’s tour sees some notable changes in the addition of his son Adam and acclaimed vocalist Mollie Marriott. There’s an opportunity for Wakeman to mix up the setlist and to share some fun (if occasionally cringey!) interactions with his co-performers. And when I say cringey, I’m referring to the exchange of gifts that you suspect are unwrapped night after night - Wakeman expectantly unfurling what he thinks is a golf club to discover a walking stick within!
But what shines through the slightly forced humour is Wakeman’s exceptional talent. The evening serves as a showcases for a lifetime of work that has seen him collaborate with David Bowie on huge hits ‘Space Oddity’ and ‘Life on Mars’, write an album with Tim Rice and record and tour with Yes through arguably their finest years (tonight represented by ‘Wonderous Stories’). Sections from his solo works ‘The Six Wives of Henry VIII’ and ‘The Myths and Legends of King Arthur’ are also featured, sprawling progressive rock par excellence, but controversially, it’s his ‘Nursery Rhyme Concerto’ that pleases me the most; an eccentric re-working of various children’s favourites in the style of classical composers (and er… Les Dawson!) that is as unexpected as it is wonderful.
And it would seem Adam has inherited his father’s talent, not only for the keyboard but also for re-working famous songs in unexpected styles. He is permitted some time to plug his own ‘Jazz Sabbath’ (he’s got a new album out you know!) and gives a surprising rendition of ‘Iron Man’ on the grand piano that is unlike anything fans of the original heavy metal band could imagine.
The set is interspersed with seasonal tunes including ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’, ‘Blue Christmas’ and ‘Jingle Bells’ all delivered beautifully by Marriott. But it’s ’The Twelve Dogs of Christmas’ that really amps up the audience participation. Yes, that’s dogs, not days - Wakeman is a dog lover, who supports charity Saving Strays. We’re split into twelve sections, then encouraged to leap up and do accompanying actions at the right moment (I’m still trying to work out how I’m supposed to enact ‘two cockapoos’)!
We are told that the “bullshit encore” will follow and the group duly oblige, loitering at the side of the stage before returning for a rendition of ‘Eleanor Rigby’ in the style of Prokofiev (naturally!). You learn to expect the unexpected at a Rick Wakeman performance, a show that manages to be utterly impressive without ever taking itself too seriously.