| The new Thomas Anders turned out to be very similar to the old one On Sunday, the former vocalist of the main foreign pop duo for our country, Modern Talking, performed at the State Kremlin Palace. In general, Anders’ solo incarnation is not new to us: Modern Talking, which our entire multinational homeland went crazy about in the 80s, broke up several times. But two years ago the duo broke up completely, and now its vocalist, handsome dark-haired Thomas Anders, writes solo albums and tours alone.
Most members of popular groups face the same problem when starting their solo careers. It can be very difficult for them to change the attitude towards themselves as an appendage of a disintegrated team and establish themselves as an independent creative unit. Thomas Anders came out of the situation gracefully - in his concert programs he successfully combines the songs of Modern Talking (composed by the second half of the duo - Dieter Bohlen) with his own, especially since they are not so far from each other stylistically. So for the ordinary public, who do not memorize the songs of their idols, Anders’ transition from Modern Talking to solo work could go unnoticed.
“This is the seventh time I’ve been here! - Anders remarked, not without pride, as he walked onto the stage. “I know all the entrances and exits in this room!” He brought with him a stage podium to the Kremlin, on which sat a drummer and two keyboard players, lighting and a buxom backing vocalist. Anders started the concert with two songs from his recently released solo disc This Time - Tonight Is The Night and Independent Girl, followed by the hit Modern Talking - Atlantis Is Calling. As soon as Anders approached the edge of the stage for a second, fans of different ages rushed towards him from all sides along the aisles, ignoring security. In addition to traditional flowers, they gave the idol teddy bears (the bears growled “I love you!!!”), chocolates and other trinkets, from which one can draw conclusions about their psychological age. Advanced fans told Anders in English how “sweet” he is and how much they “love him.” The presentation of gifts and autographs took so much time that the audience whistled dissatisfiedly, and Thomas Anders was forced to apologize to the ladies languishing in front of the stage: “Sorry, I love you all, but they pay me for singing...” In his free time From signing autographs to singing, Anders boasted of his popularity around the world and called each of his songs “beautiful.”
The program was designed in such a way as to show the public almost the entire new album, from time to time warming it up with old hits. In the first half of the show they alternated in equal proportions. Anders' new songs - King Of Love, Nothing's Gonna Stop Me Now, Live Your Dream, Paradise - turned out to be more lyrical, complex and interesting than the predictable hits of Modern Talking, like a railway schedule. Breaking away from the rigid commercial framework established by Dieter Bohlen and writing for himself, Anders gave himself free reign as a vocalist and arranger. However, if he managed to get out of the deep rut created by Modern Talking, it was not far off - despite some stylistic liberties, in his solo work he remains in the mainstream of commercial Europop. So the concert turned out to be integral and organic, and the audience did not feel the slight dissonance between old and new in the songs.
The closer the show came to an end, the more Modern Talking hits were played per unit of time. Anders did not waste time on trifles and used the heaviest artillery, with which teenagers all over Eastern Europe fell in love - You Can Win If You Want, We Take The Chance, Maria, No Face (No Name, No Number), Sexy Sexy Lover. Moving from his own lyrics to the rhythmic disco of Modern Talking, Anders gradually increased the tempo of the show. The same age as perestroika - the textbook songs Brother Louie and Cheri Cheri Lady - Anders saved for dessert. Fans expressed their admiration by high-pitched squeals, stomping and dancing in the aisles.
When Anders said “bye-bye” to everyone for the first time and disappeared backstage, the audience howled at various female voices, and not even a minute passed before these groans brought the handsome brunette back to the audience. He walked across the stage imposingly, like a leopard, sang You're My Heart, You're My Soul and the song Night To Remember from his new disc and said goodbye again, this time for good. And to prevent the fans from screaming, the lights were turned on in the hall. Svyatoslav BIRYULIN |
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