Jarvis Cocker + Goldfrapp and Portishead Members to Perform at “Thunderbirds” Tribute Concert
In Honor of 50th Anniversary of Classic 1960s Science Fiction Puppet Show Created by Gerry Anderson
Nov 19, 2015 Jarvis Cocker Photography by Sophie Etchart
Jarvis Cocker and members of Goldfrapp and Portishead have teamed up for a tribute concert to honor the iconic 1960s British children’s show Thunderbirds. Thunderbirds debuted in 1965 and featured a mix of intricate models and puppets to tell the science fiction tale of International Rescue, a family team of futuristic rescue workers in 2065 who utilized various cool rockets and airplanes to avert disasters. The show was created by Gerry Anderson (along with his then wife Sylvia Anderson) and was a staple of British TV up through the ‘80s and has maintained a cult following, despite a forgettable flop of a live action movie adaptation in 2004. Thunderbirds was also spoofed by the 2004 movie Team America World Police. An updated version of the show, Thunderbirds Are Go, aired in the U.K. this year.
In honor of the show’s 50th anniversary on December 1st Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker has teamed up with Will Gregory of Goldfrapp, Adrian Utley of Portishead, and British conductor Charles Hazelwood for a one-off concert at Colton Hall in Bristol, England to celebrate the music of the show and some of Gerry Anderson’s other shows (such as Stingray and Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons). This “All Star Collective,” as they’re being dubbed, will be accompanied by the British Paraorchestra, “the world’s only professional ensemble of disabled musicians.” Barry Gray was the original composer of the Thunderbirds theme and he died in 1984 (and Gerry Anderson passed away in 2012).
Hazelwood commented on the concert in a press release: “We will be bringing back to life all the iconic hits of composer Barry Gray, in the 50th anniversary year of the launch of Thunderbirds. Expect high octane, big band-fuelled live renditions from this hit TV series, alongside timeless classics from shows including Stingray and Captain Scarlett. We even have Gray’s original Ondes Martinot, the old-school futuristic electronic instrument, which is the sound of the Mysterons.
“Jarvis shares our passion for this music, and is as delighted as we are about putting it back on the map. He joins my All Star Collective and members of the British Paraorchestra in a unique musical adventure. From Stingray to Dangerous Game via ‘I wish I was a Spaceman’ and Supercar, these are pocket rocket British classics.”
Tickets are £20 and on sale now here. Below are the original opening titles to both Thunderbirds and Stingray.
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