CD launch event review


On Thursday 23rd March 2006 the CD launch event for the new ten track CD “Shine On” from the Welsh singer Melanie De’ Vall took place at the Interkulturelle Bühne in Frankfurt, Germany.
 
The sold out event began at 19.00 with a champagne welcome in the bar and at 20.00
Melanie De’ Vall took to the stage with the first track from the new CD, “The Roving Man”.
 
From Melanie’s designer costume, to the custom built stage and lighting rig and sound system, the show was an exercise in pure entertainment from start to finish.
 
The crowd danced and sang along to such New Orleans jazz/blues titles as: “Ellie May”, Jim Beam” and “Hey Momma”, to the country/rock orientated “”Running Free” and “Rock & Roll” and Melanie’s vocal performances on the ballads “I Need You So” and “The Man With Child’s Eyes” left them crying in the aisles.
 
The title track of the album “Shine On” at which point the musicians and choir who performed on the CD joined Melanie onstage had the whole audience swaying and singing and the final track, the heart wrenching “The Rain” insinuated itself into many a heart that evening.
 
To stop at that point was not an option as the crowd was clamouring for more so Melanie came back on stage for five encores during which she delivered a show stopping rendition of “Proud Mary” ala Tina Turner, “The Midnight Hour”, a version of which must have had Wilson Picket rocking in his grave and “Everybody” Blues Brothers style which went a stage further in reinforcing the phenomenal vocal range and talent of this rising star.
 
The after show party in the bar went on to the early hours with many a smiling face wending its weary if not exactly in a straight line way home.
 
A night to remember and for those who missed it, a film of the event is currently being edited for release in the not too distant future.