It was a case of every man for himself, as people almost fought for space in the press area in the hall, eager to catch the second rehearsal of seventies star Engelbert Humperdinck. He delivered a stable performance yesterday but no outstanding vocal performance. Would he go one better today?
The stage and act in general is blissfully free of effects and gimmickery, with Engelbert on stage in a smart casual black long sleeved shirt and trousers. He was accompanied by a guitarist to his left and two dancers to his right, all dressed in black. The two dancers, male and female, are wearing simplified flamenco outfits, the dress of the woman reaching her knees. They serve to help set the scene and create atmosphere for this gentle ballad.
The set starts off in complete darkness with 2 beams coming down shining on The Hump as he is affectionately known among the UK supporters. You can see his features, whereas the guitarist and dancers remain as silhouettes to start off with. As the song progresses, the set comes to life, with white beams in a fan formation against a black backdrop – this then merges into other images of what looks like waves crashing against rocks in black and white. This then evolves into black, blue and red cloud like formations. From above, rays alternate between red black and blue, changing to a vivid orange mid song.
His vocals were rather iconsistent on the whole – the first run through he wasn’t satisfied with himself, asking the technicians for more reverb from the stage when he finished. His voice sounded husky in places and the opening lines were barely audible, but he managed to improve as the song progressed. The second run through was clearly the best vocally, although he avoided exerting his voice on the keychange but did manage to hold the all important final note which must be quite a challenge for a man of his age. He was clearly relieved and delighted with the reactions in the hall as he stood there blowing kisses to those watching.The third run through however left a lot to be desired. Unsure whether it was as a result of fatigue, he evidently was struggling to keep in sync with the backing track, and his vocal performance was well under par.
The number overall is very simple, the dance routine performed by the couple at the side of the stage seems to tell a story that complements the endearing sentiment of the song. Overall, a warm and sincere performance by Engelbert which should appeal to many but before that it does need work doing to it. This also includes camerawork – there were many shots of him from a distance, few close ups – this should be altered as it is an emotional song and they should capture the emotion shown on Engelbert’s face. A few tweaks here and there and the UK should have an entry that they can hold their head high for.
