Tag Archives: Gary Wright

PVT Wars Review

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As the stage lights flick on and off to separate each scene of PVT Wars, we capture a glimpse of the mundane activities and conversations of three Vietnam War veterans recovering in hospital.

 

On the outside world, they wouldn’t have been friends, but circumstance has bought them together and their friendship is marked by satire, violence and a desire to get better rather than die or rot in hospital.

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Gately, the most personable character, frustratingly slowly attempts to fix a radio piece by piece. 

 

But it seems his physical task also plays an important part in his mental psyche: ‘If a guy like me can make a radio work than the whole of America will work.’

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Setting about this task helps restore Gately’s own mind as each screw, nut and bolt restored to the radio makes him believe he’s one step closer to helping America too.

 

But his colleagues Natwick and Silvio don’t lend themselves to helping him; each pockets different essential parts making it nearly impossible for Gately to accomplish his important job.

 

Somehow as the three men celebrate Silvio’s impending release back home, Gately pushes the switch and the radio starts playing music.

 

Silvio is the Italian Catholic predator going around the hospital wards flashing the nurses.

                       

He’s arrogant, cocky and torments Natwick. But we see his vulnerable side as he relates his concerns to Gately about wearing floppy underwear and kilts for better sperm count.

 

While the bravado and bragging underlies his character, we later learn shrapnel blew off his penis and testacles so in reality, he’s all talk and no action. 

 

Natwick is the thinker out of the trio. From a privileged background, he’s intelligent and sensitive, often heard reciting poetry.

 

While his family had high hopes for his career, he feels a failure in hospital and attempts a suicide bid as ‘when you’re rich you only have one way to go; down’.

 

Despite his wealth and intelligence, in hospital with the other men, he’s an equal in every sense and he’s seen as nothing more than an ‘asshole’. His recital of TS Eliot’s ‘peach on a beach’ may have been applauded back home, but here, it’s laughed at.

 

PVT Wars, a Bare Bones project, written by James McLure and directed by Naomi Wirthner is about fighting your own wars rather than interfering in others. Each character is fighting their own personal battle as well as helping others to fight their own demons. Slow in pace and filled with ramblings from each man, PVT Wars at The Space, gives an insight into the state of mind of soldiers following every war, not just Vietnam.

 

Gary Wright who played Gately portrayed him with a real sense of compulsion with just the right expressions of confusion. But Jim Pople (Natwick) and Laurie Wilson (Silvio) played their parts with equal triumph too. 

 

Starr Man: Ringo Starr Announces European Tour

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Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band return to the road for the 12th All Starr tour this summer. Joining Starr will be Rick Derringer on guitar, Richard Page on bass, Wally Palmar on guitar & harmonica, Edgar Winter on sax and keyboards, Gary Wright on keyboards and Gregg Bissonette on drums.

The twenty eight-date tour kicks off in Kiev, Ukraine on 4th June, stopping in Russia, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Latvia, Poland, Britain, France, Czech Republic, Italy, Holland and Germany before concluding in Vienna, Austria on 17th July.

4th June, Kiev, Ukraine, Palace Of Ukraine

6th June, Moscow, Russia, Crocus City Hall

7th June, St Petersburg, Russia, Big Concert Hall

10th June, Gothenburg, Sweden, Liseberg

11th June, Oslo, Norway, Norwegian Wood Festival

12th June, Randers, Denmark, Vaerket

14th June, Riga, Latvia, Arena Riga

15th June, Warsaw, Poland, Sala Kongresowa

17th June, London, England, Hampton Court

18th June, Liverpool, England, Empire

20th June, Birmingham, England, Symphony Hall

22nd JuneManchester, England, Opera House

23rd June, Glasgow, Scotland, Clyde Auditorium

24th June, Bournemouth, England, BIC

26th June, Paris, France, Palais des Sports

28th June, Budapest, Hungary, Sport Arena

29th June, Prague, Czech Republic, KCP Congress Centre

2nd July, Lyon, France, Centre de Congres

3rd July, Milan, Italy, Civic Arena

4th July, Rome, Italy, Auditorium Cavea

7th July, Hamburg, Germany, Stadtpark

9th July, Weert, Holland, Bospop Festival

10th July, Dusseldorf, Germany, Philipshalle

12th July, Berlin, Germany, Tempodrom

13th July, Munich, Germany, Circus Krone

14th July, Salzburg, Austria, Halle 1

16th July, Frankfurt, Germany, Jahrhunderthalle

17th July, Vienna, Austria, Open Air Arena

Ringo Starr is one of the world’s brightest musical luminaries. He has enjoyed a successful and dynamic solo career as a singer, songwriter and drummer, an active musical collaborator and as an actor. Drawing inspiration from classic blues, soul, country, honky-tonk and rock ‘n’ roll, Ringo continues to play an important role in modern music with his solo recording and touring.

Ringo Starr’s music, as a solo artist and as a Beatle, is permeated with his personality. His warmth and humour, and his exceptional musicianship have given us songs we all know and love, including ‘It Don’t Come Easy’, ‘With A Little Help From My Friends’, ‘Yellow Submarine, ‘Don’t Pass Me By’, ‘Octopus’ Garden’, ‘Photograph’, ‘Back Off Boogaloo’, ‘You’re Sixteen (You’re Beautiful And You’re Mine)’, ‘Don’t Go Where the Road Don’t Go’, ‘The No No Song’ and ‘Never Without You’.

The All Starr Band has toured consistently since its inception in 1989. Based on the concept “everybody on stage is a star in their own right”, each concert sees Ringo performing songs from his solo and Beatles’ career and each Starr performing hits from their own careers. Over the years the revolving line up has included such stellar artists as Joe Walsh, Dr. John, Todd Rundgren, Timothy B. Schmidt, John Entwhistle, Peter Frampton, Sheila E., Rod Argent and Paul Carrack.

Returning to the stage for the 2011 tour are the six All Starr band members who toured with Ringo in 2010:

Rick Derringer is a noted rock guitarist, vocalist and entertainer who was just 17 when his band The McCoys recorded the No.1 hit ‘Hang On Sloopy’ in the summer of 1965, knocking ‘Yesterday’ by The Beatles from the top spot. He later played with both Edgar Winter and Johnny Winter and found further success with his hit single ‘Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo’ and with his eponymous band Derringer. Throughout the 70’s and 80’s he appeared on numerous albums with artists Alice Cooper, Richie Havens, Todd Rundgren, Cyndi Lauper, Barbra Streisand, Kiss and Steely Dan. In the mid-80’s, Derringer discovered Weird Al Yankovic, producing music for Grammy-winning albums and videos and the 2006 Grammy Awards brought Rick his third Grammy with his participation on the Les Paul 90th birthday tribute CD.

Born in the USA in 1953, Richard Page is best known as the singer/bassist for the multi-platinum, Grammy nominated group Mr. Mister. In the late 70’s and early 80’s Richard recorded three albums under the moniker of Pages with Steve George. Page has retained a cult following in many areas of the world. The pair formed Mr Mister in the mid 80s. The band released three albums and had several world-wide hits, including ‘Broken Wings’ and ‘Kyrie’. They split in 1990 and a fourth Mr Mister album, ‘PULL’ remained unreleased for 20 years. It has been remastered and is currently available on Richard’s own record label, Little Dume Records. Page has recorded two solo albums, ‘Shelter Me’ and ‘Peculiar Life’, as well as providing backing vocals for artists such as Elton John, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Barbara Streisand and Elvis Costello among many more. As a songwriter Page has had songs recorded by Madonna, Leona Lewis, Josh Groban, Celine Dion and Hall & Oates to name just a few.

Wally Palmar, lead vocalist, harmonica, rhythm guitar player, and founding member of The Romantics, is amongst one of the most recognized voices of the 80’s. The group’s self-titled debut album yielded the hit ‘What I Like About You’, which carries on throughout the decades. Other singles include, ‘When I Look In Your Eyes’, ‘One in a Million’, and the international hit ‘Talking In Your Sleep’. The Romantics are continuously being re-introduced to new generations today via the extensive airplay on contemporary, rock and satellite radio, commercials and movie soundtracks. Never content to simply rest on his red-leathered laurels, Palmar continues to write, record and tour around the world with The Romantics.

Edgar Winter is an accomplished jazz, rock and blues keyboard player and saxophonist as well as a vocalist who found success in the early 70s and has continued to record throughout the 80s, 90s and 00s. Edgar has worked with noted guitarists Rick Derringer and Ronnie Montrose as well as his older brother Johnny Winter (a noted blues / rock guitarist). In 1972 Edgar had a #1 hit with the instrumental ‘Frankenstein’, taken from his acclaimed album ‘They Only Come Out At Night’. Edgar also enjoyed great success with the hit ‘Free Ride’ as well as ‘Dying To Live’ which Eminem produced for the hit movie ‘Tupac’. Edgar Winter’s songs have appeared on the soundtracks to over 20 films.

Over the course of his 40-year career which began in the UK with the rock band Spooky Tooth, Gary Wright has played before millions of fans and his music has appeared in blockbuster movies & TV shows as well as being played on radio every day. A pioneer of using synthesizers in pop music as heard on his worldwide hits ‘Dream Weaver’ and ‘Love Is Alive,’ Gary has inspired generations of mainstream artists including Eminem, Mya, Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes, Anastacia and DJ Armand Van Helden all of whom have either sampled or covered his songs. Gary’s world-unifying vision and musical prowess were recently displayed on ‘Connected’ his first pop-rock album for 20 years. Gary joined the All Starr Band in 2008.

Drummer and vocalist Gregg Bissonette comes from a musical family, where his father was also a drummer, his mother a pianist, brother a bass player and sister a violinist. Gregg played on three albums by former Van Halen vocalist David Lee Roth, with the first ‘Eat ‘Em And Smile’ one of the most acclaimed rock albums of the mid 80s. Since then Gregg has recorded and toured with a number of artists, including Toto, ELO, Santana, Andrea Bocelli, The Maynard Ferguson Big Band, Spinal Tap and James Taylor. Having first worked and toured with Ringo Starr in 2003 (alongside his brother Matt on bass and vocals), Gregg has been an All Starr member since 2008 and this is his third tour as an All Starr.

www.ringostarr.com