Alright . . . so who's coming to the TO concert this Sat?

Double Post:
I'm gonna be somewhere in the orchestra section . . . B 26. Paid a lot of money for this ticket . . .

I'm RORC WW32/33 (depending where my friend sits)

SEE YOU THERE! =D

I'll be there with my fiancee, ORC section...if anyone bought their tickets early, you have to upgrade to VIP if you want to be part of the meet & greet at the end of the show, FYI.

Play! Symphony Troubles...
 

This is some funny (or equally odd) news but I heard Thomas Boecker (Executive producer of Play!) has quit.

I've never had any strong ties nor interest in Play! in the past, but I thought you guys would be interested in knowing. Not entirely sure why though- anyone have any lead on it?

Hmm... makes me wonder if it'll cause any disruption in their management and events =/

After what -=SeRaPH=- told about Play! here I'm not surprised Thomas Böcker is leaving them as he seemed only superficially involved. He better focus just on his neat yearly Leipzig series of vgm concerts during the GC there.

I'm in Toronto, and I'll be there tomorrow in ORCH 3. I'm planning on being at the Hummingbird Centre around 6:45 or 7:00 and hanging around outside for a while before the show. I'll be easy to spot, since I have dark purple hair at the moment.

I got an email a few days ago from the Hummingbird Centre advertising a pre-concert get-together, but it's just a panel discussion about game music with a few people from the film composer's of Canada group or something. Other than that, there's just the meet-and-greet after the show that you have to pay $40+ extra for ahead of time. I'm hoping to show up early at the Hummingbird Centre and find some people jamming outside or something, but I'm not holding my breath.

Oh, and I doubt there's CDs. No PLAY! ones, anyway. None of the other shows have had any. Pamplets and shirts maybe, but unless this is the first show they're selling CDs and they've kept REALLY quiet about it, there's unlikely to be any.

Still in Ottawa for now . . . Bussing it early tomorrow morning. I'll prob run into Amanda but hopefully I'll run into other ppl too. See ya there

The (free) pre-show panel - presented by the Guild of Canadian Film Composers GCFC - actually sounds pretty interesting...wish I could be there to check it out. One of the panelists is Ubisoft Montreal audio director Simon Pressey. For those not familiar with his work, he's the music supervisor for the PRINCE OF PERSIA series and upcoming ASSASSIN'S CREED.

I'm going to be at this panel, definitely interested to hear what Mr. Pressey has to say.

Just after 5pm: Off we go! :)

Fuck, that was pretty gooodd... And that Shenmue guy singing - HEELARIOUS.
Btw, did anyone see Nobuo? I dont even think he came. >_>

Btw, I'm not sure if this was you, Amanda. But were you with 3 other people? And you spoke French.... <_______<

Just got back from the meet and greet afterwards. You didn't see Uematsu? Arnie pointed him out a few times in the audience, and he was mobbed at the end of the show. I got to meet him and get a picture with him, Mitsuyoshi was great, I talked to him after the show and told him I loved Burning Rangers and he started singing it, haha. Got a picture with him and Arnie Roth as well...Mitsuyoshi's expression is priceless.

Uetmasu did show up . . . The spotlight was never able to show him while he was moving around or sitting down. And yeah he was mobbed at the end. Tried my best but I couldn't get a picture . . .

Oh yeah, I almost got a Sonic plushie too. I felt its feet when it went by. Ronny Barak was amazing as well. All in all, well worth the money and time.

That's real stupid to pay to shake ppl's hands...

At our concert, people got to meet Uematsu for free... we got Youmi Kimura's autograph for free...the world of damned moneymakers!

Wow, did anyone get the Dear Friends CD? I thought it was from another concert >_>;; It's just famous pieces from other FF games. BLEHHHHH. I should never have assumed. =(

PS. I got the program. Does anyone want to see it?

i want to see it dude!
post it or send it if you can-!
now about dear friends cd, is it a new cd, or the FFV arranged cd, or what???

It was released (as said on the back) in 2005. And then they had a More Friends poster right next to it, so I assumed it was their Dear Friends concert... only to find out it was some stupid shit. I'm going to file a complaint.. err... =(

And sure, I'll scan it and post it tonight.

edit: Here's a sample XP

Nope, that wasn't me. I only ran into one person from GFF, horseman85. Though I did meet two interesting (non-GFF, as far as I know) people during the concert. Sat next to one guy who was nice to chat with, and I ran into someone else after the show and we mourned our mutual getting-screwed-by-the-Hummingbird-Centre because they waited until the last minute to send out the emails about the post-show get-together. Wankers.

I was sitting about ten feet away from Uematsu! I think I have two pictures of the side of his head on my camera somewhere. I'll post 'em when I download the pictures.

Is the Dear Friends CD really just a "best of" thing? Blow. That's such tremendous false advertising. At least the concert programme is nice.

There were so many amazing performances during this concert. The Chrono, Castlevania, and Warcraft suites were fantastic, and so were most of the other performances (minus poor Theme of Laura). That drummer was amazing, and Shenmu guy's piano performance was hilarious. I wish the little nitpicky crap hadn't bogged the show down for me. The spotlight work was bad, the close-ups of the orchestra on the screens seemed to focus more on performers sitting there waiting for their cues than the people doing solos, there were those random explosions during the first half of the show (piano strings snapping, I think), and-- Well, it's not a Hummingbird Centre problem so much as a Play! problem, but S-E really come off as a bunch of stingy assholes when their songs are pretty much the only ones without cut scenes playing on the screens (with the exception of Kingdom Hearts for some reason).

Any recordings released yet? I tried (a friend desperately wanted to hear the Castlevania suite), but I'm pretty sure her recorder gave up its battery-ghost near the beginning of the show. Boo-urns.

Wow, I can't believe they used KH visuals...

SE has strict guidelines that visuals aren't to be used unless it's an all SE concert.

Oh yeah, there were KH visuals... but I shielded my eyes the entire piece. I didn't beat KH2 yet! ._.

And opps, I forgot to scan the program, I'll do that now. XP

It sounds like the Toronto concert was quite a treat. I would have loved to have seen the awesome Takenobu Mitsuyoshi singing! I'm glad that Castlevania is likely becoming part of the main concert program. I'm not sure if I agree with the decision of cutting Battlefield for B.L.A.C.K, given it was a good representation of European VGM, though understand it probably doesn't work well without Barrak (even though he was there this time). The Soule seems a bit overkill, though it's high-quality symphonic music, so I'm not complaining much. :)

I'm interested to see how PLAY! will cope now that Thomas Boecker has quietly bowed out. I'm not sure of his exact role, though believe he was actively involved in the musical side and used his sincere love for game music and experience with the Symphonic Game Music Concert series to diversify and refine the program. Jason Michael Paul Productions make all the money from PLAY!, which Thomas is and never was part of, though it seems the budget is often too tight to the point that musicians and special guests often miss out. I'm glad that Thomas will be continuing the Leipzig series and, presumably, eventually Merregnon 3. It's a shame he's leaving, but given the continued commerce vs. art/quality/decency controversy, I guess he didn't want to be associated with a series that hasn't entirely fulfilled its musical potential.

SeRaPH, do you ever learn? Your lordly founding director/violinist status continues to be undermined by your complete lack of restraint and professionalism. I read your blog earlier and was frankly appalled by some of your directly offensive personal comments. Besides, you've made your point clear enough, so there's no need to restort to posts that verge on spam.

I wonder where the next concerts will be held? I am going to keep attending until I meet Uematsu :D!

I'm still hoping it comes to montreal... Toronto aint that far away..

Just pulled my pictures off my camera from the Toronto show. I got three pictures of Uematsu, and this was the best one. I'm still disappointed that I didn't get an autograph, but at least I got SOMETHING.

http://barhaven.casualvillain.com/St...es/Uematsu.jpg

2.jpg
(http://www.gamingforce.com/forums/at...g?d=1159907065)

Song #17... Someone may want to inform the Play folks that One Winged Angel is from Final Fantasy VII and not VIII.

:)


T.T.

anoter reason to love t. t. he is always so helpful. :) play should hire you now!!!
your show is so much better with all teh orginal arrangements. YOU ARE THE BEST!!!