CRS BOTY reviews and feedback...

[wickedwitch]

big love to my man Tom, who just phoned me for Saline. You are getting such a hug when i next see you!

How was it folks? what happened?

[Philadelphia]

They got Saline? It must've been good then...

All right, who recorded it? (;-)

I hope everyone had a great time! (:-D

(if I hadn't just got in from a walk I'd be green with envy, but you'll have to settle for white with patches of red with envy!)

[Ash]

c'mon.....

[ich_bin_besser]

They are still laying drunk under the tables...

[Pedro]

Well, I'm really knackered and I don't have any piccies (lighting not good enough) or video (tonight I wanted to just enjoy it).
No actual awards for Frost* itself but a good set of top few placings.
JJ got best bass.
JM got 2nd best guitar (Magenta's Chris Fry got the top spot).
JM got the best Musician award.
JG got 2nd best keyboards (he started BLM with "I'm just the second best keyboard player, I walk in the black light....")    Oliver Wakeman got the top spot.
TBE was something like 3rd best drummer.
I can't recall too much else in my current knackered state.

Magenta won a stack of awards (best album cover, best CRS gig, best female vocalist, best guitar and best band). They played a blinder in the support slot too - the whole of the Metamorphosis album with the full band line-up....very nice.

The awards went on for a bit but it was entertaining - Steve Hackett did the honours well despite Martin Hudson's "help".

Frost* were just as good as always - a few moments of (ahem) "un-scheduled improvisation" from the No. 2 keysman....which made for a few laughs.

TBE was amazingly good throughout and made his last performance very memorable.
The set list was :-

BLM
Pocket Sun
EIMA
HyperV
Saline
Wonderland
Snowman
Toys
Milliontown

Encore - Other Me

It all ended a bit abruptly, with no line-up or bow. They walked off the second time, we clapped and hollered, a roadie flashed a torch and the PA muzak started.
A second encore would have been very fitting but , from the setlist it appeared that nothing was prepared.

Saline was lovely (Jem obviously got a real buzz from how well it went) and the whole set just flew by really.

Interestingly, Jem was back to a single keyboard for this one - not sure why, I only got the briefest of minichats with him straight afterwards.

Good to see the many familiar faces and to say hi to most of them (including Prog Dog!).  

A great night.

[tomskerous]

Knackered here too. But yes it was great.

Thanks to everyone for making Vicky so welcome. She says she really enjoyed it, and it all makes a bit more sense as a live experience. Although perhaps once a year is her limit.

As Pedro says, Magenta won a lot of awards - they seem very nice people, but all the clips we heard confirm they're still not really for me.

Was particularly pleased that TBE managed to finally get the oboe solo right on his last performance. And JM, I'm really sorry that we had to dash - the bar staff were too preoccupied for me to get that glass of wine. I'm sure many others were ready to step in in my stead.

It was a good night, some great banter between songs and to paper over cracks. Was never going to have the crackling atmosphere of the Xmas Peel gig, but still a great show.

More thoughts tomorrow when I'm a bit more together. Night all - sleep well.

[MrsJiB]

We are home and warm now..... Prog Dog still has his t-shirt on (I don't think we will get it off him for a couple of days)
Had a great time tonight, music was great as usual, people were friendly as always, Big hugs to all Frost*ies. Sorry if we left abruptly but we had to leave as we had a very long drive home and Prog dog had sat in the car freezing his butt off alone for long enough.
If we didn't say byee to you sorry but hopefully we will see you again sometime during the year.
 Jib will do the gig comments later no doubt I leave all that to him, just to say I really enjoyed myself and it was brilliant to see lots more women tonight.  

[johninblack]

CRS BOTY reviews and feedback...

No, none of that. The sound guys were on top form. :twisted:

[johninblack]

But seriously.......

Photo's of Frost* HERE

Photo's of Magenta HERE

Photo's of Award winners HERE.

A fantastic evenings entertainment. Magenta, to be honest I wasn't expecting a lot. Saw them at Summer's End and they had sound problems from the start of that set, obviously that caused a sub standard performance because tonight I was most Impressed. Very surprised just how much I enjoyed them, so well done. Perhaps it helped that they played the whole of Metamorphosis which is the album I know best.
The awards themselves were MC'd by Martin Hudson in the way only he can, awards presented by Steve Hackett. The awards went something like.....

Best Male Vocalist - Peter Nicholls
Best Female Vocalist - Christina Booth
Best Keyboards - Oliver Wakeman
Best Bass - John Jowitt
Best Drummer - Johanne James
Best Guitarist - Chris Fry
Best Album - Pendragon for Pure
Best CRS gig - Magenta
Best Track - It Bites for This Is England
Best Band - Magenta
Best New Band - Panic Room
CRS Musician of the year - John Mitchell
Album Cover Of The Year - Magenta for Metamorphosis
CRS Special award - Final Conflict

EDIT**(11-01-2009 @ 12:03) Missed one!! Best Roots - Troy Donockly

Feel free to correct any errors, it's getting late!!

Then the main event, Frost*. Fantastic as usual. Not quite the atmosphere as last months Peel gig but still a well played (mostly) set including song of the night, Saline. This track works so well live I really do expect it's inclusion in the set as automatic in the future, but then it's not my decision :mrgreen:  A shame we only got one encore, we were certainly ready for it and at first it looked like we might get it but sadly it was not to be. All in all a great night and fitting tribute to Mr Edwards who played a blinder for his last Frost* gig.

[D S]

Thanks all for the updates on last night - sounds good - and thanks for the great photos already John.  :shock:  You can sleep now!
Nice to see JM given a deserved gong for his efforts with both It Bites and Frost*.
Pure wouldn't have been my album of the year - but then I'm biased...  

[Ash]

That's the crusty cock society for you tho - no surprises imo.

[LivingForever]

But seriously.......

Best Male Vocalist - Peter Nicholls
Best Keyboards - Oliver Wakeman
Best Drummer - Johanne James
Album Cover Of The Year - Magenta for Metamorphosis

Feel free to correct any errors, it's getting late!!

"Interesting" choices. Especially Pete Nicholls, who is an aquired taste at best, and also hasn't done anything this year unless I'm mistaken?

I don't know who Johanne James is so I suppose I shouldn't comment but I doubt he's as good as Andy Edwards.

And the Magenta album cover is rubbish! Frost* should easily have walked that one.

Ho hum.

[Mouse]

Great to hear it was another great night for you all. I really am green with envy!  :mrgreen: (Mr. Green will have to do for now...)
Does anyone by chance happen to have a recording of Saline? Or anything? I can hope!  

Also, I think we all (whether we were there or not) owe a massive thank you and biscuit offering to TBE. Thank you sire! Good luck in the world outside of the Frost*iverse! (I hear it's bright. Too bright for my eyes...  8-) )

[catherine]

The boys played really well - there were a few fluffs from the No. 2 keyboard player, but we forgive him. My husband came along - it was his first Frost* gig. He was rather underwhelmed by Magenta - thought they were too loud, and little dynamic range - but really enjoyed Frost" - and he couldn't understand why the Magenta guitarist got the award as he thought that JM was much better.

Dec was radiant; JJ was splendid; TBE played his socks off; JM was awesome, and Jem was great - really enjoyed his running machine story but didn't get the chance to inspect his head for lumps!

Lovely to see so many Frost*ies there - my husband thinks we're all slightly barking, but he hasn't even met ProgDog! I was very sorry to have to rush away so quickly afterwards, and completely gutted that I didn't get to give TBE a farewell hug, but I had to get the poor tired old codger I'd brought with me back home as it was past his bedtime and his feet were tired.

[Jem]

[
And the Magenta album cover is rubbish! Frost* should easily have walked that one.

Ho hum.

Ah, well. I sponsored that award under strict instructions that Frost weren't nominated. And we still came 4th! :lol: