GIG: Yoko Ono and the Plastic Ono Band
DATE: Friday 14th June 2013
VENUE: Royal Festival Hall, Belvedere Rod, London
COST: £40
OUR VERDICT: Yoko o.k.
One thing was for sure…this was never going to be a “Minty
and the Beeb” review. Wild horses couldn’t drag Minty to a Yoko Ono gig! For
The Beeb, just seeing someone so hugely inspirational in concept art and world
culture in general would be enough.
With a ticket secured for Yoko’s Meltdown Festival at the
Royal Festival Hall by the kindly Stephen Bailey from the Beatles Shop in
Liverpool, we met up on a glorious sunny evening at the Southbank. Before the
gig had started Stephen had already been swamped by half a dozen female
friends. “Animal magnetism” he explained!
We took our seats and the programme started with a specially
made film featuring Yoko’s past. From film of her as a child in Japan, to her place
as a peace activist and a performance artist, this had everyone hyped up before
she even appeared on stage.
The Plastic Ono Band was always a concept as well as a band,
and tonight, instead of Eric Clapton we had Yoko's son Sean leading the band
musically. The band strolled onto the RFH stage followed by Yoko in her trademark
black hat. The reception she got let her know a lot of the prejudices she faced
in the past were well and truly gone.
Looking ridiculously healthy for an
octogenarian, tonight’s set sees Yoko largely forsaking her generally
perceived “yelping and screaming” vocal
delivery, for a more laid back and sympathetic take that really suits the
grooves each song achieves. “Moonbeams”
opens the show, and most of the set is taken from her album “Between My Head
and the Sky.” A highlight of the set is when she’s joined by Peaches for a
rendition of “Yes, I’m a Witch.” Girl Power at its scariest!
Sean said, “Mum, it’s your hit…you’ve got to play it”,
before blasting into “Walking On Thin Ice.” For the encore the band are joined
again by Peaches, and they have the audience yelling along to “Don’t Worry
Kyoko (Mummy’s Only Looking For Her Hand In The Snow)”. Forty odd years ago I
could never have imagined standing a couple of feet away from Yoko Ono and
singing along with her.
Not only that, the audience and I got to be part of one of her
concept pieces. Everyone was given a little torch on the way in, and when Yoko
came back out she flashed her own torch in time with her chanting of
“I…Love…You.” Part of her ONOCHORD art-piece, we all returned the chant to her,
with love.
Yoko came across as very witty and really appreciative of
the audience reaction to her. It’s taken a while, but people around the world
now appreciate what Yoko had done over the years. Not only in all that she and
John did for peace, but her own strong feminist stance as well.
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