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Bella Tromba and Kanye West

on August 23 2007, by Jo

August is usually a quiet time for musicians and after the frantic June and July Bella Tromba had we've all welcomed the break. However Friday did bring a very unusual and late call for the group…


Mid morning I had a call from a fixer wanting to book Bella Tromba for a session at Abbey Road Studios that very evening. Unfortunately Nicole, Jo and Vickie are all on well deserved holidays at the moment, but this seemed like too good an oppurtunity to turn down so I called in Bella Tromba deputies Katie Hodges and Heidi Sutcliffe.

The booking was for a rehearsal on Friday and gig on Monday for rapper and producer Kanye West. This was a really unusual and exciting gig for me, I've always harboured a desire to be a bit of a rock star (I know, I know, I picked the wrong instrument!) and this is probably the closest I will ever get.



The horn section was quite a last minute addition to the band, so when we arrived at the rehearsal on Friday there was no music for us, quite a scary experience. We wrote our own parts from a combination of the existing string and harp parts and certain 'stab' chords that Kanye specifically wanted. I've never worked like this before but it was good fun trying out different things, although a little scary once the man himself arrived a couple of hours into the rehearsal.


The gig on Monday was part of the Vodaphone TBA series, 'secret' concerts which are announced at the last minute with free tickets given to fans who have entered competitions. It was at the Methodist Central Hall in Westminster, an unlikely sounding venue for a rap gig!


When you see strings and brass accompanying bands they are often wearing black at the back of the stage, Kanye West likes to do things a little differently though…

The look for Monday's concert was part android, part dolly mixture with the band in plastic neon dresses with matching trainers made by Reebok especially for the concert. We spent hours in hair and make up having silver glittery masks painted on to our faces and our hair put into incredibly high ponytails with lots of long fake hair added. Not our usual Bella Tromba concert wear!


The concert was really spectacular, Kanye West really knows how to put on a show. I have to admit that it's not the sort of music I normally listen to but Kanye West is a very charismatic performer, a genuine musician and a perfectionist who knows exactly how he wants things to sound and look.


It was worth the strange looks I got as I sat on the tube after the concert covered in glitter with masses of fake hair!


Kanye West's Vodaphone TBA gig will be shown on Channel 4 on September 4th and again on September 8th.


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