Meeting Fans With A View To A... Well... A Big Load of Props
Bond Collectors' Weekends
Gainesville, Florida USAPosts: 1,902MI6 Agent
What a Bond Weekend! 3 nights of 3 memorabilia tables at 3 concerts in 3 cities as the Florida Orchestra's featured exhibitor for their JAMES BOND POPS CONCERT SERIES. I packed my "Bonda" (a Honda filled with props) and showed off a prop and more from each of the 24 Bond films (yes, I said 24, see my props list) along with dozens of rare book titles, stills, toys and posters, for the enjoyment of over 5,000 guests in attendance. The tables were full all weekend with fans waiting on line for their turn to see OO7 goodies and ask questions. The best!
Among the more popular items were a DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER display and the OCTOPUSSY FABERGE EGG. And some special visitors greeted the public and shot photos or Walther PPK's with me:
*Bond screenwriter, Mike France! (GOLDENEYE, THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH, Hulk, Cliffhanger, Fantastic Four)
*Super-fans Richard and Leslie Skillman, anchors of the upcoming OO7 event OPERATION: EURO2010!
*BONDLIST'ers and other fans playing with props and testing me with trivia!
*An officer who protected Sir Roger Moore and appeared onscreen in LIVE AND LET DIE, and a THUNDERBALL crewman who held killer sharks with his hands to protect Sir Sean Connery (see OO7 Magazine's Issue 48: "A Diver's Tale")!
*Ushers in uniform and musicians in black tie, clowning on breaks from duty to pose with guns and posters!
*Guest conductor Carl Davis Carl Davis, who loved the look of the exhibit and ended his shows on stage with his personal invitation to see the memorabilia!
Meeting you with a view to Bond props was great. So were my chats each day with the gracious Maestro and his lovely featured soloist, and meeting the orchestra director and musicians, including the guitarist who rendered Vic Flick's original licks and picks for the fans. When out from behind the tables, I enjoyed Bond for about 6 concert hours. And what concerts they were!
Mr. Davis arrived in Tampa from London early Friday afternoon, leaving time for just one rehearsal before the marvelous opening night. Saturday night's music was just as good, with standing ovations given even before intermission. And a syncopated light show accompanied Sunday's series finale. Standing in the conductor's box, Mr. Davis mopped his brow in a playful "Whew!" at hearing the amazing Mary Carewe belt unending "kiss, kill and bang notes" to shouts of "bravo!" and "encore!"
The arrangements from 20 different Bond films featured instrumentals from OHMSS, THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS, GOLDFINGER and other favorites, peppered with Ms. Carewe's stunning covers from Shirley Bassey to Chris Cornell. Like you, I know the Bond tracks by heart, but it was all fresh again this weekend.
And Davis and Carewe added movie trivia, costumes and lots of on stage flair to the shows.
The 75-piece orchestra was terrific, too, and as they told me, they had a ball playing Bond. I give the highest possible recommendation to purchase music online at Carl Davis Collection and/or to visit the next two Bond concerts at Wolf Trap and the Albert Hall featuring Honor Blackman.
Remember, Carl Davis has now conducted Bond more often in concerts for the public than Nic Raine and John Barry put together. These concerts and his Bond albums are "must hear" events! DO NOT MISS THESE INCREDIBLE PERFORMANCES!
Read this article for more concert details and a charming review online.
Thanks go to the many websites who supported the events this weekend including CommanderBond.net, Absolutely James Bond, and many more.
Matt Sherman is a top "Bondologist" who has appeared internationally on television and in print, and has led Bond and espionage fan events and locations tours across the U.S. and overseas. Sherman's extensive OO7 and Ian Fleming memorabilia collection features numerous rare books and unique acquisitions from the film stars, authors and screenwriters of Bond on location.
Sherman's exploits have appeared in Ripley's Believe It Or Not, VH-1's Totally Obsessed!, and on HGTV, TNN, The Learning Channel, C-SPAN and more.
He has contributed to numerous books and publications about the Bond phenomenon and to interactive CDs and DVDs.
Among the more popular items were a DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER display and the OCTOPUSSY FABERGE EGG. And some special visitors greeted the public and shot photos or Walther PPK's with me:
*Bond screenwriter, Mike France! (GOLDENEYE, THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH, Hulk, Cliffhanger, Fantastic Four)
*Super-fans Richard and Leslie Skillman, anchors of the upcoming OO7 event OPERATION: EURO2010!
*BONDLIST'ers and other fans playing with props and testing me with trivia!
*An officer who protected Sir Roger Moore and appeared onscreen in LIVE AND LET DIE, and a THUNDERBALL crewman who held killer sharks with his hands to protect Sir Sean Connery (see OO7 Magazine's Issue 48: "A Diver's Tale")!
*Ushers in uniform and musicians in black tie, clowning on breaks from duty to pose with guns and posters!
*Guest conductor Carl Davis Carl Davis, who loved the look of the exhibit and ended his shows on stage with his personal invitation to see the memorabilia!
Meeting you with a view to Bond props was great. So were my chats each day with the gracious Maestro and his lovely featured soloist, and meeting the orchestra director and musicians, including the guitarist who rendered Vic Flick's original licks and picks for the fans. When out from behind the tables, I enjoyed Bond for about 6 concert hours. And what concerts they were!
Mr. Davis arrived in Tampa from London early Friday afternoon, leaving time for just one rehearsal before the marvelous opening night. Saturday night's music was just as good, with standing ovations given even before intermission. And a syncopated light show accompanied Sunday's series finale. Standing in the conductor's box, Mr. Davis mopped his brow in a playful "Whew!" at hearing the amazing Mary Carewe belt unending "kiss, kill and bang notes" to shouts of "bravo!" and "encore!"
The arrangements from 20 different Bond films featured instrumentals from OHMSS, THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS, GOLDFINGER and other favorites, peppered with Ms. Carewe's stunning covers from Shirley Bassey to Chris Cornell. Like you, I know the Bond tracks by heart, but it was all fresh again this weekend.
And Davis and Carewe added movie trivia, costumes and lots of on stage flair to the shows.
The 75-piece orchestra was terrific, too, and as they told me, they had a ball playing Bond. I give the highest possible recommendation to purchase music online at Carl Davis Collection and/or to visit the next two Bond concerts at Wolf Trap and the Albert Hall featuring Honor Blackman.
Remember, Carl Davis has now conducted Bond more often in concerts for the public than Nic Raine and John Barry put together. These concerts and his Bond albums are "must hear" events! DO NOT MISS THESE INCREDIBLE PERFORMANCES!
Read this article for more concert details and a charming review online.
Thanks go to the many websites who supported the events this weekend including CommanderBond.net, Absolutely James Bond, and many more.
Matt Sherman is a top "Bondologist" who has appeared internationally on television and in print, and has led Bond and espionage fan events and locations tours across the U.S. and overseas. Sherman's extensive OO7 and Ian Fleming memorabilia collection features numerous rare books and unique acquisitions from the film stars, authors and screenwriters of Bond on location.
Sherman's exploits have appeared in Ripley's Believe It Or Not, VH-1's Totally Obsessed!, and on HGTV, TNN, The Learning Channel, C-SPAN and more.
He has contributed to numerous books and publications about the Bond phenomenon and to interactive CDs and DVDs.
Seven (007) James Bond Tours! Mission: Mexico!
Comments
Tie-In Interview With Bond Composer David Arnold - http://www.ajb007.co.uk/topic/35292/interview-with-bond-composer-david-arnold/
Tie-In Interview With Bond Guitarist Vic Flick - http://www.ajb007.co.uk/topic/35291/interview-with-bond-guitarist-vic-flick/
Vive le droit à la libre expression! Je suis Charlie!
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Vive le droit à la libre expression! Je suis Charlie!
www.helpforheroes.org.uk
www.cancerresearchuk.org