Ladies and gentlemen,
fortune triumphs again in my musical life! In fact, returning of a Deep Purple’s concert that took place in Rome in 2003 (you can see my report/review and photos here), I have participated in that of our darlings Uriah Heep on 29th April 2005. But if my fortune triumphs, it’s also true that my madness increases: try to tell someone that you have crossed 2000 km to go to see "a" rock band live… the immediate reaction of your interlocutor will be rather of dismay! This is really what has happened to me…! But we proceed with order.
I and my three "companions" (my father - "old" fan of Uriah Heep, as well as healthy carrier of the "heepian gene" with which I remained affected in "incurable" way - and two friends of the place, who have with exemplary availability "assisted" us in foreign earth also not being of the heepsters) we’ve reached Berna at about 4:30 p.m. and, just parked the car in an immense expanse of green, the dilemma started: to bring the television camera with us or not??? It’s well-known, in fact, that is forbidden to film in this kind of shows and that the Swiss are precise super - inspectors, therefore they’d be able of to examine you such as a perquisition… not even if we’re terrorists!!! Then, after various discussions, we decided to leave the television camera in car (convinced that they’d have seized it) and to risk bringing us the camera (under my insistence).
Just entered in the Bea Night (place in which the evening would be consumed), there are informed on the streets of access to the room and, despite the official entrance would have been at 6:00, we pushed alone our way there for knowing a while the environment before it crowded of people. It was so that suddenly we’re found ourselves in the fatidical room there: I’ve looked toward the stage and, with a note of incredulity because of the emotion, I understood that there above there were Uriah Heep that were trying!!!
Well, also being happy, I’ve started to be in despair because, if we had not left the television camera in car, we’d have been able them to film! I’ve exhorted my father so that he went to pick it up, but in vain, because we feared some provision from the Swiss "inspectors" (for example that, seeing someone with the television camera, they’d have thrown out him). So we’ve gone off some photos in extremis from far. After 15-20 minutes they’ve "ordered" everybody to go out and we necessarily have "obeyed."
Well, strolling about here and there, we’ve gone to see where the gate was for standing in line, that wasn’t "populated" because it was still soon. We’re making considerations of this kind when suddenly I’ve perceived in distance Trevor Bolder… Taken once more by a sort of incredulity, I continually sayed: "Are they?! Are they?! ". Yes; they’re really.
After this amazing impact, I’ve noticed that Our Musicians have entered in a bar/restaurant; we’ve approached so there (it passed by a small secondary gate) and once we came in that point… HEAR, HEAR: I’ve seen Uriah Heep sat to three tables with their technical assistants!!! I was one metre from them!!! Oh God! Who knows that upsurge will have taken my blood pressure! I’ve started to put me in nervousness and almost to immobilize me… my three companions, that were surely more rational than me at that time, urged me to enter in the bar and to go to them. After this my attack of "hysteria and paralysis", we’ve entered: to the first table there was after all Lee Kerslake. My father, understanding that I was embarrassed, has touched him on the arm to attract his attention; I’ve shaken his hand, asked the autograph and, gives him paper and pen, he has written "Uriah Heep" and then his name. Later I’ve asked immediately him a photo and he has answered me: "After to eat, after mangiare… ". Then we’re moved there to the following tables for the autographes (in the second there was Trevor Bolder, in the third Phil Lanzon, in the fourth Bernie Shaw and Mick Box; I’ve noticed that, when I’ve drawn near, Bolder, Lanzon and Shaw were rather cold; rather I seemed that Lanzon looked us with the crooked eyes…). So the waiter has served them flat launchings (I’ve seen a salad and spaghetti) and I was enjoying them for the whole time of the dinner, because I’ve taken a seat to another table, that was about 3 metres from them. Box was more precisely who I saw better, because he came really in front of me; I’m sure that he has noticed my shirt out commerce, because it was made by hand (I myself had sewn it for that occasion). When they finished to eat (after about 30 minutes), Lanzon has gone out for first (I’ve remained impressed by his physique: he’s tall and thin), followed by Bolder and Shaw, that are all immediately dispersed. Shortly after Box and Kerslake have gone out, also then we’ve lifted there and we’ve stopped Lee to make the promised photo. He hasn’t made any resistance, rather he has called Mick and they’ve put on in laying. Box has told me to put me in the middle of them; then I’m embraced them to me, while we all and three in a friendly way smiled. Then they’ve reached the others and they’ve been climbed on a small van; besides when they’ve departed, Box has made us a sign of greet from the car window!… Very well! I was already more satisfied!
Then we’ve gone out of that place (whose gate had been closed meantime to the public) and there we’re united to the mass that the line did. After 15 minutes around, we’ve entered in the place without the "inspectors searched us"… oddly! We’re positioned in the nearest zone to the stage so there and precisely on the left side.
At 8:30 p.m. our superstars have appeared on the scene: it has been an indescribable emotion (I had then of forehead, "in straight line" Box!)… The songs they’ve performed are the followings (I don't write them in the correct play order):
1. July Morning
2. So Tired
3. Free Me
4. Cry Freedom
5. Words In The Distance
6. Sunrise
7. Gypsy
8. Look At Yourself
9. Lady In Black
and others two that I didn't know.
I now give to shortly analyze every member of the group according to the impressions that I’ve had:
- Lee was funny with his cuffs; in some passages, when they did detachments, he lifted an arm in air: a beautiful sign, index of concentration and unity with the band;
- Phil (with a blouse that had drawn on the breast an enormous red daisy wheel) has been a little disappointing, because he had two keyboards Roland, that reproduced the sound of the piano and the organ, vertically covered with a black sheet. According to me he has done to put it on purpose for deceiving us that the he had a Hammond! Moreover he hasn’t made show of its cleverness; yet for some aspects I esteem him more than Ken Hensley… Another detail that I perfectly remember is that he looked me while both I and he were singing "July Morning";
- Trevor nothing special; he was also the usual one; I remember that in the long final part of "July Morning" he has put on to the center and he played lifting the bass on his head, just as he has for example done in the "Magic Night 2003";
- Bernie was well dressed: his famous gilet scaled type, a pair of decorated jeans and cut of art and - thing that has struck me - his black microphone – stand as inlayed with white sketches… really refined! As it regards his performance, he has confirmed his vocal qualities and the wish to want to involve the spectators;
- Mick has really conquered me. As I repeat, he was perfectly in front of me and therefore he was who I could observe better. He wore the usual black shirt with some red sketches to strips on the sleeves and he brought a gold necklace with the crucifix. He behaved as a confident friend of infancy… he always laughed, except when he was assembled to make some solo… he made that gestures (his typical) with the hands and the arms, that I’d dare to define magic… he sent "ethereal" kisses and he smiled… once he has also given a kiss to his guitar… he sometimes lifted the right arm to the air and played only with the left hand (also this is a topos of Box)… He often enough looked me (they aren’t hallucinations), infact that suddenly he has taken a plectrum (the first one of the evening), he has looked me and has thrown it to me!!! Yes, really to me, and I’m sure of it; infact the plectrum has arrived to my feet and then he has remained (at least leastly) struck by my shirt, apart the fact that we’re done there a little before the photos together!
Besides also him (besides Lanzon and, perhaps, to Shaw) has noticed that I knew to memory all the songs. In fact during the concert I’ve undertaken to fully live it and to acclaim them; for this I’ve sung all the passages and clapped the hands up to ever make not to become her warm as. Particularly beautiful moments there have been also when they’ve performed "Free Me" with our share (of the public) in the refrain; and the same for "Lady In Black", that they’ve played at the end after having faked to have gone away. After Lee has launched a striped wand of white and black color (I’ve immediately thought: "He’s kind, but also some stingy… why to launch only a wand??? "), whilr Bolder has thrown his tablecloth toward the middle of the crowd and Box instead has continued "to sow" plectra. Besides Mick has been the last to go out of the stage; before definitely going away he has talked to the microphone. Of what he has said I remember only this: "God bless ya!" and then he has fought his hand on his heart, thing that he has repeatedly done during the concert.
After this exact time of good heepian music, Manfred Mann's Earthband and Procol Harum are exhibited, that don't interest us in this center. I say only that the first ones are seemed me some scarce ones, while the good seconds and - notable thing - they had an original Hammond B3 (with leslie obviously), that magistrally filled alone the place… Dear Phil, wouldn’t have owed make to me/us this affront introducing you with two "miserable" keyboards!!!
When everything is ended toward midnight and I was on the car to return to Basilea, where I lodged, I looked gratified the nighttime sky and then, always having long live in the mind the image of Mick that smiled, pointed out its heart and, even it looked me, and remembering philosopher Immanuel Kant's famous sentence, I’ve thought: "The starry sky above of me, Uriah Heep inside of me."
Conclusion: like to Rome in 2003 for Deep Purple, this time I’ve had also an impudent fortune; if everything has gone excellently here in Switzerland, that’s the country of the control and the precision for excellence, then anywhere I’ll go in the future to assist to concerts, I’ll depart furnished of all the possible technological means and… KO the pessimism! Uriah Heep are very near myths to the people, therefore in front of their greatness of musicians and humility of men is due to also fold up for some aspects the iron supervision of the Swiss!
A last thing irrelevant for you connects heepsters, but for me important is to thank Enzo Marcozzi, without the support of which I wouldn’t have been able to live these moments of immense joy: "Thanks, Enzo, even if every word that I can say won't be never you enough to reciprocate something that doesn't have price: to meet my superstars and to try, therefore, unique emotions."

P.S. I’m not superstitious, but it’s like if I’ve had a premonitory sign of this fortune; being moves myself to the foreign countries for the concert, on my jail cell certain indications of the telephone line are changed, and you know what has appeared me on the display??? The inscription "Sunrise", that if for the Swiss it’s a simple telephone company, for me it’s an immortal anthem.