Liam Rudden: It's such a perfect week, I'm glad I spent it with Spock

Published on Friday 15 May 2009 10:00

EVERY now and then a plan comes together. Everything falls into place and there are no disappointments. Last weekend was a bit like that.

It started at the Edinburgh Playhouse, where The Orchestra were well and truly on fire. The Orchestra consists of former members of the Electric Light Orchestra and ELO Part II and rule number one is: Don't call them ELO. Founding member Jeff Lynne would not be amused as he holds the rights to that name.

As a kid I loved the ELO. They could do no wrong. Then they disappeared, mired in the aforementioned rights battle. Thanks to the dedication of Mik Kaminski they finally returned, in a sense, as The Orchestra.

The first date on their 2009 tour, Saturday's gig was tinged with sadness as it was the first since the sudden death of vocalist and bass player, Kelly Groucoutt. A tribute then, it turned out to be an emotional roller-coaster of a concert.

Highlights included Kaminski whipping the audience up into a clapping frenzy with a rare rendition of his 1979 Violinski hit, Clog Dance and, of course, all the old favourites, from Livin' Thing to Sweet Talking Woman, Mr Blue Sky to Telephone Line, my own favourite.

Bringing some additional kudos to the line-up, ex-Styx member Glen Burtnik stepped in to play bass and provide his own distinctive vocals.

While diehard ELO fans might find what I'm about to write sacrilege, hearing The Orchestra perform these classic hits live, knocks listening to the original recordings into a cocked hat. Sometimes the original just isn't good enough anymore.

The following night I finally managed to put aside my aversion to Tom Hanks and watch The Da Vinci Code – the follow-up, Angels and Demons hits cinema screens this week.

The Da Vinci Code is heavily influenced by the theories expounded in the controversial 1982 book, The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail, by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, and Henry Lincoln - the main premise being that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and they had a child creating a royal bloodline, the Holy Grail.

The movie version provided an evening of good old-fashioned hokum. Conspiracy theorists tempted to believe it, however, be warned, Lincoln knows how to write a good yarn.

In the 60s he penned episodes of The Avengers, Emergency Ward 10 and was the man who was responsible for Patrick Troughton's Doctor Who battling Yetis in the London Underground.

The highlight of my week, however, came on Monday at Cineworld. Now, I've never been a Trekkie, but the new Star Trek film is a must-see. There's something very emotional about seeing Leonard Nimoy reprise the role of Spock as a frail old man.

This new re-imaging of the franchise is very close in feel to Paul Verhoeven's 1997 movie Starship Troopers. Older sci-fi fans who remember the 80s fantasy series Otherworld might just experience a sense of deja vu, too, but only if they remember the episode Zone Troopers Build Men. Starting to sound like a geek now . . .

Which brings me nicely to this weekend's Eurovision Song Contest. I'll be heading down to Kitsch on Bernard Street to watch the annual songfest on the big screen

In the meantime here are my 2009 Eurovision tips: Norway go down the Dexy's Come On Eileen route this year with Fairytale, by folky fiddler Alexander Rybak. Can't really see why, but it's hot favourite.

Then there's Sweden's entry, La Voix, with soprano Malena Ernam. If you remember the operatic sequence towards the end of the movie The Fifth Element you'll get the picture.

The winner? Well, if it's not Finland with Lose Control there's just no (pop) justice in the world.