FTHP1946 wrote:Of course much was 'fake' - except the crap, that was real. Gallagher showed just how mediocre his talent as a live singer is.
If anyone expected this to be anything other than a celebration-fest then they were misleading themselves, however for me the real highlights were Brian May, Ed Sheeran, Eric Idle and (bizarrely) Jessie J and Take That. The rest were just 'fillers'.
This was billed, on the BBC, as the aftershow to rival all aftershows, not quite sure it fulfilled its promise, but it was very well done.
I'd agree with most of that assessment. In fact I'd say that Eric Idle's performance was the highlight for me - the only performance of real character and engagement with the audience. That was followed by Brian May (and the cameo from Freddie - the audience reaction just shows how much he is missed), The Who, and a surprisingly tuneful Jessie J.
Liam Gallagher on the other hand was a waste of space. Lacking in presence and it sounded to me like the wrong key (although that could have been the poor sound off the TV). George Michael was OK on 'Freedom' but whatever it was he sang after that completely lost the plot (and the crowd).
As for Madness, the Pet Shop Boys and Blur - I shudder to think that outside the UK people might think this is the best we have to offer musically. And they repeated all three songs as the athletes came in!
One Direction are not really to my taste, but at least they made an effort. Similarly Kaiser Chiefs, but they did at least have a decent song to cover. Take That were OK, Annie Lennox sounded a little weak, and I enjoyed Ray Davies. The Spice Girls looked great but lacked something in execution.
As for the two rap acts, I have no idea who they were, and neither do I care. And Fat Boy Slim? WTF? What's the point of having a DJ miming scratching to obviously pre-recorded music, sat on top of an inflatable octopus (er.. sixtopus ?). Russell brand? The less said the better.
John Lennon's Imagine was well done, despite some technical glitches on one of the screens, and the collection of musos who did Wish You Were Here did a great job (but where was Dave Gilmour?).
As a spectacle, I thought the show was superb - the lighting, the fireworks, the choreography all brilliant. As a demonstration of GB's musical talent it left a lot to be desired and was a huge missed opportunity.
Marty
Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2012 9:09 am
Brian May, was so awesome can not forget the cameo from Freddie, he is still missed after 21years.The "Who" was super great.All in all everyone had a great time.