Every single person here tonight is drawn by one thing the world cannot be without. Music, as the Nordoff Robbins Trust highlights with the introductory film before the show begins, is something no one should take for granted. But the people assembled at Wembley Arena do not just love music. Those on stage and those assembled before it are in attendance because they adore the Stratocaster, the guitar that dreams - and epic rock records - are made of. Quite rightly so, for without it those leading the rock revolution these days would not be the same.
This is highlighted for all to see with the rambling performance put on by The Crickets. They might not look like much, but the music they create speaks with a youth which has never left them. Tonight is a ‘greatest hits’ spanning the life of the Strat. This really is what music is all about and as soon as Hank Marvin takes to the stage, the crowd explodes into appreciation. Playing ‘Wonderful Day’, the chilling ‘The Savage’ and the fragile, dream-like ’Sleepwalk’, it highlights the beauty of that wonderful creation. Things pick up with the powerful groove of ‘Fingle Bunt’ - like a feline in the night, it purrs with that rare quality found only in the best of musicians. Finishing off with 'Apache', that oh-so-famous rise and fall which many bands have tried to emulate since, Hank Marvin silently poses the question “who needs a voice when your guitar can sing like this?”
Proving that females can rock just as hard with a Strat, Theresa Andersson impresses all with her beautiful voice and, obviously, her beautiful figure. Both guitar and voice sing with the power found deep within when an artist gives their everything. This means that when Albert Lee takes to the stage again for a wonderfully energetic version of ‘Country Boy’ with Theresa on violin it’s a delicious slice of the potential country music has.
As soon as ‘How Long’ begins, the floor shifts with the amount of feet stamping in time. Easily one of the big crowd pleasers of the evening, Mike Rutherford and Paul Carrack's rendition of ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ causes everyone to sing along. The mood picks up again with ‘I Can’t Dance’ - the slamming drive of it pushes far out to the very back of Wembley Arena. If new bands had just an ounce of the talent displayed tonight, the music industry would not be in so much trouble. Perhaps this concert will allow people to see why those who love and understand music must evolve to keep this vital part of society firmly on its feet.
Even those with no creative drive feel the need to stroke their fingers over the strings of one of those beautiful creatures which cry like an angel when Gary Moore takes to the stage in a roar of appreciation. ‘Red House’ has never sounded so good as it expands through the arena and causes everyone to sit, mouths agape.
Jamie Cullum seems slightly out of place on the stage tonight, for despite his soulful voice, his face is devoid of those creases which suggest experience and his hands rest on a piano rather than a Strat. Pulling faces even Deryk of Sum 41 would be proud of, Cullum lacks the talent to get through ‘Angel’ without losing the attention of the audience. Alongside such seasoned musicians, pretentious modern jazz artists really don’t stand a chance.
Another young face appears soon after and brings with it the soulful voice of Amy Winehouse. “Sod this! I’m going out for a fag!” one fan declares before leaving Winehouse to warble ‘Out of Box’ to those polite enough to listen. Her final song, ‘Stranger than Me’ is a large improvement and enlists the help of a backing band. The effect is instant - people look up and pay attention for the first time in 10 minutes. As an artist, she is a talented individual, but like Cullum, she cannot compare to anyone who played during the first half of the evening. It is a refreshing change to see the Strat played in a totally different way however and although the music might not be as exciting as, say, Marvin’s set; it proves just how versatile the Strat really is.
Power returns with Paul Rogers who plays four songs of drifting, immense authority. ‘Alright Now’ with Brian May causes the whole arena to stand and sing along loudly and all thoughts of modern artists are quickly forgotten. Joe Walsh also shows what he’s made of with the legendary ‘Life in the Fast Lane’. Each of the four songs he performs are full out declarations that the Strat was, and always will be the best for this type of music.
David Gilmour and Phil Manzanera are the artists responsible for the highlights of the evening - all three songs played (‘Marooned’, ‘Coming Back to Life’ and ‘Sorrow’) show just how resilient the Strat is. There are tears in the eyes of many who watch, for few people realised that this amount of beauty could radiate from two people. The melancholy that hangs in the air is brushed away when Ronnie Wood performs ‘Oooo La La’ - an energetic end to the evening and just the lift that is needed before everyone (minus Cullum and Winehouse) takes to the stage for a huge rendition of ‘Stay With Me’.
If there was ever a concert which highlighted the talent that's still alive today, this was it.