The film was screened in Studio 1 on the stage that would soon be filled with musicians for the Gala finale. Toby Dye, the finalists and all of those involved in piecing together Epic can give themselves a standing ovation for an outstanding understanding of how we relate to art no matter what form it takes. The film was truly mesmerizing and uplifting as it carefully untangled and played all the strings in that heady and addictive web of emotions we feel when we experience our own personal soul-food. The first roar of the crowd as the lights go down at a concert provides the same adrenalin rush we experience when our football team storms onto the field to an explosion of chanting or that magic hush that rushes over the audience when the curtains open at the cinema and reveal a greatly anticipated movie. Epic captures the spirit of live experience. Alternating between the shaky footage from the point of view of the sweaty and excited crowd to the slow and deliberate motions of meticulous camera work, 21 stories blur seamlessly into one collective event whilst simultaneously shouting out their own individual and distinctive message. The film captures a spectrum of perspective ranging from the youngest, most excited fan to the most seasoned and undaunted photo-journalist in a way which does not blur or muffle the magnitude of their live story.
It must be said Abbey Road pulled out all the stops and hosted an incredibly enjoyable event with various interactive celebrations of music and its power to change people’s lives and tattoo their memories. With studios 1,2 and 3 transformed into our own personal playground, concert hall, auditorium and cinema there was little I or anybody else could do to contain their delight. If you’ve never visited a large recording studio before then you’re probably not aware that the rooms themselves aren’t merely ordinary rooms. Studio 1 at Abbey Road is roughly the size of a small air-craft hanger and because of the way sound travels and settles it’s impossible not to note that these large beautiful rooms were specifically chosen for their asymmetry, impressively lofty ceilings and often quirky design to provide the best arena to record music. Even the venue for the premiere of Epic hints heavily at just what a potent combination impressive aesthetic and powerful music can make. To name but one entertaining activity that some of the guests were treated to during the night was an opportunity to sing and record a Beatles medley in Studio 3 for half an hour. My arm candy and I didn’t half feel like rock stars with those headphones on, the cameras tracking all thirty faces, including Michelle Ryan’s, as we belted out ‘Hey Jude’ and ‘With a little help from my friends.’ Doubtless our vocal efforts will undergo some serious auto-tuning before that record ever surfaces but still… Pretty epic.