BRIAN TYLER: LIVE IN CONCERT
Music composed and conducted by Brian Tyler
Performed by the Philharmonia Orchestra
Vocals performed by Tori Letzler
October 25, 2018
Royal Festival Hall
London, England
PART 1: CONCERT REPORT
Heads were banged and bows were broken!
Seeing Brian Tyler conduct and perform his greatest hits with the Philharmonia Orchestra live in concert was a truly unforgettable experience.
All I could think during the whole concert was, “man, what a rush!”
It really was two hours of adrenaline-pumping and crowd-pleasing music that left us feeling like we could take on the world.
The live drum kit parts in NOW YOU SEE ME and FAST FIVE were mind-blowing – they sounded so cool and vibrant in a live setting. In fact, I remember having them on mental repeat in my head for days after the concert.
When the solemn “hymn” from BATTLE: LA started, I was astonished to see Tyler pick up his electric guitar and play the opening bars of the theme while “conducting” the orchestra – surely a first in any orchestral concert!
I didn’t know what to expect when Tori Letzler graced the stage, but she immediately commanded my attention with her deeply passionate and melancholy performance of “Drift and Fall Again” from CRIMINAL, my favourite Tyler-penned song. As the piece reached its climax, I felt nothing but sheer ecstasy… I still get the same feeling when I listen to that song today.
The evening ended with the jazz/swing theme from CRAZY RICH ASIANS, with Tyler traversing the stage to play his own piano and drum parts. It was a fun way to end the night and no doubt left a smile on the face of actress Gemma Chan who was sitting in the audience.
PART 2: CONCERT MERCH
Although I was told by staff that a program was being sold, nothing could be found at the venue. However, we were given small, but nicely printed flyers:
PART 3: MEETING BRIAN TYLER
As I got to the venue only an hour early, I didn’t expect to meet Brian Tyler as I was sure he was already inside rehearsing or getting ready.
However, I had time to kill so I just leant against a wall a dozen or so meters away from the stage entrance and sipped on my bottle of water.
Minutes later Tyler suddenly appeared out of nowhere! Surprised, I timidly approached him and asked if it was OK to grab a photo with him. To my surprise (and delight!), he asked me to accompany him into the stage door, which I of course did. I wished him good luck for the night and took my photo with him:
As I didn’t want to bother him any further, I quickly left… feeling like a million dollars! Dreams do come true 🙂
A HUGE thank you to Brian Tyler for kindly obliging this fan who had travelled all the way from Japan to see him in concert!
PART 4: ANOTHER CONCERT REPORT
Check out this excellent review of the concert (with lots of pictures) by Soundtrack World!
PART 5: OVER TO YOU
Did you also go to this concert? How did you like it?
And what did you think of my report? Feel free to comment below or reach out to me directly in the “Contact Me” section.