Stand by for Action

The words, ‘Stand by for Action’ evoke many memories for me and many who enjoy the worlds of Gerry Anderson. Some many shows come to mind, and of course the themes that grabbed the attention.

Around December time, I saw a post about an upcoming concert in April right around the time of my 60^thbirthday. It took me about a minute to decide I wanted tickets. The concert would feature the shows of Gerry Anderson and the music of Barry Gray and others. As a long-time fan how could I resist?

Time pasted, VIP tickets in hand and off to Birmingham Symphony Hall. I was excited as there was the unknown as to what would be played. The past two years had been affected with Covid and concerts such as this were important in many ways. 

VIP

VIP tickets were the suggestion of my dad. Given it was so close to my birthday and a one-off concert again why not. You must make the most of any chances you find. At the VIP meeting we had the chance to say hello to Jamie Anderson, Nicholas Briggs, and Jon Culshaw, all of whom were very happy to talk.

Settling down in good seats, again why not, I waited for the opening theme. There are some TV and film themes you know what they there and mean at the first bar. Hairs on the back of the neck stood up as the opening theme to Thunderbirds was played. For me, that theme is just iconic, it means Saturdays sat Infront of the TV, glued to whatever International Rescue was doing that week.

Listening to a 50-plus orchestra playing this iconic theme was FAB. The bar was set, and it never dropped for the rest of the concert. In fact, it just kept on flying high. Yes, that’s a song as well. The range of shows and themes took us back to the very start with ‘The Adventures of Twizzle’ and ‘Torchy The Battery Boy’. We were guided on this journey by the excellent Jon Culshaw, himself now taking part in the new Captain Scarlet audio adventures.

Reading the program, I saw one song that meant a lot to my dad. ‘I wish I was a Spaceman’ is the end song to Fireball XL5 and my dad used to sing it to me when I was little. It was his attempt to make me go sleep. However, it had the opposite effect. Maybe that was the first draw into this amazing world which I would enjoy as I grew. Stingray and Captain Scarlet brought more heart-warming memories and I still know all the words to both songs.

The first half ended with Joe 90 including some of the best incidental music which is often forgotten but not here. That was just as important as the themes. This is what brings the shows even more to life. I wonder at how the likes of Barry Gray managed to create just the right music for the right moment. 

Second Half

The second half opened with a tribute to Gerry Anderson and The Secret Service. Then came a couple of my favourites, UFO and Space:1999. UFO is a very up-beat funky 70’s theme. It has pace, rhythm and that electronic sound that took us to the future but not too far. You could believe this was it come, and that was what Gerry Anderson managed to convey so many times.

The concert continued apace through TerraHawks, Space Precinct and more. The treats kept on coming and we waited for the finale. Thunderbirds is just so well known. To pick incidental music from the first episode Trapped in the Sky was perfect. Barry Gray made me sit on the edge of my seat. The music delivered the whole drama of the scenes. You knew International Rescue were going to win, but boy the ride was fun.

Then cam that march. I think the whole audience could have listened to the Thunderbirds March all night long. I could have for sure. The orchestra were superb. Hairs went up again. It was once again FAB.

A couple of encores UFO and Captain Scarlet ended a wonderful night. Personally, I had the chance to say thank you to both Jamie Anderson and Jon Culshaw. It rounded off a great night for me.

There will be a DVD/Blu-ray of the concert and what better way to keep those memories, to play the concert again and again. It was a wonderful experience, very fitting to all those involved and to the memories of Gerry Anderson, Barry Gray, and Derek Wadsworth. They would all be very proud.

To all concerned, thank you.

Tagline: Many memories happened in those 3 hours.