Nigel Kennedy at Birmingham Symphony Hall
When was the last time you heard Jimi Hendrix's Hey Joe being played in the middle of a Vivaldi violin concerto?
Nigel Kennedy and the Orchestra of Life
Birmingham Symphony Hall
Concert review By Ian Harvey
When was the last time you heard Jimi Hendrix's Hey Joe being played in the middle of a Vivaldi violin concerto?
Nigel Kennedy's astonishing performance last night was quite unlike anything Symphony Hall has ever played host to.
It was billed as an evening of Vivaldi violin concertos, culminating in a recreation of the spike-haired, Aston Villa fan's breakthrough recording of The Four Seasons.
But along the way the audience was also treated to music by, among others, Bartok, Duke Ellington and, for a second time, Hendrix.
Things hadn't got off to the best of starts, with the violinist apparently trying to become the Axl Rose of the classical world by coming on 25 minutes late after a round of slow clapping from the audience.
"We paid £40 to see this, get on with it," shouted someone from the balcony.
Kennedy's instant putdown - "If you'd have paid eighty quid I'd have been on time, mate!" - brought the house down.
Ever the maverick, Kennedy did everything in his power to throw protocol out of the window as he led his handpicked Orchestra Of Life – surely the most totty-filled musical combo in history – through an exhilarating near three-hour performance.
So we got exultations of "Yeah" at key moments, a couple of quite unexpected "Oi"s, footstomping dances around the stage, the occasional rock star jump to end a particularly powerful piece and a thumbs up inbetween movements to encourage the audience to break with convention and applaud before the end.
It was not an evening for the classical purists but what came across strongest was the sheer joy and energy on the stage, the young performers swopping smiles and laughs with their leader, the audience laughing along as much as they clapped, the late start forgiven if not forgotten.
And while Kennedy was happy to introduce the next "concher-oh", the diction of his playing was precise and razor sharp, the orchestra behind him up for the challenge, vibrant and full of energy and colour as he skipped about and weaved his magic.
Not content with that, as soon as they concert ended Kennedy dashed over to the city's tiny Glee Club for a further two hours of rock, jazz and blues into the early hours.
Nigel Kennedy? Rock and roll, mate.
