At its peak it captured an audience of 27 million in the UK alone, with hundreds of millions tuning in from all around the globe to see Danny Boyle's sensational start to the 2012 London Olympic Games. There are few people who didn't witness the spectacle that was the Olympic Opening Ceremony, celebrating all aspects of British culture, from the Industrial Revolution of the 1700s and 1800s to universally-loved screen stars such as James Bond and Mr. Bean, to Britain's biggest musical exports. However, did the ceremony fully maximise its coverage of the talent that has been displayed over the past few decades in this country? Could more have been done to showcase the glittering array of musical stars to come out of Britain that have played a huge part in shaping the culture and history of the nation?
Whilst the ceremony director, Danny Boyle, was keen to promote an array of music legends within Britain over past decades and the varying musical genres that have risen to prominence over the 20th century, I'm sure I can't be the only one questioning the lack of live music performances at the ceremony, possibly the main weakness of the evening's events. I did however particularly like the visual display representing the different musical eras of the last century, with groups of dancers portraying some of the musical genres this country is known for, such as Rock 'n' Roll, Punk Rock and Britpop. The punchy dance routines were complimented by a dazzling medley of some of the world's best-loved tracks, The Who's 'My Generation', The Clash's 'London Calling' and Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody' to name but a few.
The Who - My Generation
Although there was a clear lack of live performances to really bring the music section to life, the ceremony did indeed have a fantastic soundtrack which really promoted the superb music Britain has to offer, with striking tracks such as Muse's 'Map Of The Problematique' being used to open the evening's festivities. The crowd and millions watching at home were also treated to a short but sweet rendition by the Arctic Monkeys of one of their biggest tracks to date, 'I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor'. Frontman, Alex Turner, clearly basked in the excitement and prestige of the moment, a definite milestone in the band's career, who played their very first gig at 'The Grapes' in Sheffield City Centre in 2003; they've certainly come a long way since then. In an unexpected twist, the band also covered one of The Beatles' biggest hits, 'Come Together' from their 1969 album, Abbey Road. For me this was one of the highlights of the evening and the cover proved a success not only with the Olympic crowd, but also in the British download charts, climbing to number 14 this week.
Arctic Monkeys - Come Together (Beatles Cover)
Ending the evening on the ultimate high note was former Beatle, Paul McCartney, with a heartfelt performance of the Beatles classic, 'Hey Jude.' Whilst his vocal ability may not be what it was in his prime during the 1960s and 70s, no one can deny that McCartney is a staple when it comes to globally-anticipated music and sport events such as this. Despite missing his cue at the beginning of the performance, McCartney delivered a heart-warming rendition of the song which remained a signature part of the evening's events, leaving the whole world chanting a united chorus of 'na, na, na, na, na, na, na', bringing together people up and down the nation, sending social networking sites into a frenzy. Boyle clearly put a huge amount of thought and effort into the ceremony's musical arrangements and was eager to symbolise Britain's massive presence and identity in the music scene, however I found myself somewhat disappointed that there were only three live performances of any real significance throughout the night's proceedings. Emeli Sandé, Paul McCartney and the Arctic Monkeys provided just a snippet of the talent Britain has to offer, and I also thought more could have been made of the backing vocals provided by Two Door Cinema Club's Alex Trimble following the lead up to the lighting of the Olympic Torch. Surely as one of the country's greatest exports, music should have played a greater part in the ceremony, which leads me onto the official Olympic single, or should I say, the lack of it? Having penned the official track for the Games, Teignmouth-based rock legends, Muse, first outed 'Survival' on BBC Radio One last month. Despite receiving widely negative reviews amongst critics, the track delivered a clear message about the heat of competition and the drive and aspiration contained by so many by athletes taking part in the Games. What confused me, therefore, was its absence during the unfolding events of the evening. Surely it ought to have been played at least once as a key part of the Olympic Games, but it remained absent from the evening's proceedings, leaving a lot of fans disappointed to say the least.
The lack of live music was a let down to a certain extent, but overall the ceremony certainly did our country justice in terms of Boyle's portrayal of Britain's culture and musical exports, celebrating everything we have to offer and getting the 2012 Games off to a cracking start! It truly did make countless people across the nation proud to be British and proud to come from a country full of raw talent and music legends that have shaped the musical history of the past century. I for one have a very good feeling about what Britain has to offer, both sporting-wise and musically over the years to come!
No comments:
Post a Comment