Radio Days
Very large crowds filled La Ronde on a pleasantly warm though somewhat breezy evening to watch last year’s Bronze Jupiter winners present a ten part display with more than 70% of the fireworks specially prepared by WECO. The theme of the display was a musical voyage round the radio dial.
Part 1 to the music Peter Gunn’s theme by the Blues Brothers. After some laser projections onto the Mirage water screen, the display got underway with crossed white ball candles and barrages of glitter mines and colour star mines. Then a flight of rockets bursting into tourbillons followed by more mines. Another flight of rockets, this time bursting into colour stars which developed into tourbillons. Next there was a very large multi-break shell which filled the sky with criss-crossing comets, followed by another even larger shell.
Several fountain set pieces were fired next. These were firing at an angle to the left, then small drivers pushed them over to fire at the same angle to the right, and then back to the left again. Above this, a barrage of titanium salutes and then a long waterfall string from the centre podium to the ground. Another salute barrage and this segment ended with a volley of bright white comet shells.
Part 2 to the music I feel good by the Soulcats. This began with several barrages of colour mines and crossette comets. Then some remarkable candles of what can be best described as crackling salutes. This produced the effect of a glittery crackling banging sphere of noise. Next, whistle candles with comet shells above and shells of tourbillons and blue stars. Then several set-piece wheels in pairs with the wheels shouting out stars occasionally. Above these, whistle candles and charcoal comet shells. Then white crossette comet candles, glitter comet candles and colour ball candles followed by a barrage of tourbillon mines. Above these, beautiful shells of a special type of toubillon which gave the impression of forming a scallop-shell in the sky. Then shells of blue stars and white comets with colour and tourbillon mines below. A flight of rockets with glittery white tails was followed with a deafening volley of screaming whistles with the segment coming to a close with more of the scallop-shell tourbillon shells.
Part 3 to the music Hope by the Weather Girls. This began with double X-shaped glittery fountains with wheels in the centre between the two ‘X’ shapes. Then bombettes and mines of brilliant ball stars followed by crossettes with some really nice glittery comet shells above whose comets ended up as fireflies. Next, bright white comet shells, followed by blue star and glitter comet shells, colour ball shells and a mixture of ball stars and comets. Suddenly, dazzling flash-pots erupted on the centre podium followed by tourbillon candles and more of the scallop-type shells, including a really large one which gave the impression of filling the air with something which looked like a large cauliflower! Then more of the glittery crackling salutes and a large barrage of white firefly shells brought this segment to a close.
Part 4 to the music Rock me Amadeus by VSOP. This began with lasers projected around the lake and then dazzling flash-pots with a barrage of titanium salutes above. Then another barrage, another set of dazzling flashpots and yet another barrage of titanium salutes. Next, fountains started on the centre podium and comet candles producing fan-shaped patterns behind this. Above this, shell after shell of shaped-bursts producing perfect five-pointed stars in deep blue stars. Then red-ring shells, rings in comets and double rings in colour stars and comets. Another barrage of titanium salutes, then another and another with colour candles lighting up on the ground and lots of colour shells above, some of them really large. Next, colour candles with really fast stars and above this, more of the scallop-type shells but with fireflies at the end. Then yellow comet candles and shells, tourbillons and bright white slow falling comet shells, again and again. The segment came a a breathtaking close with a huge multi-break of scallop-type shells filling the sky.
Part 5 to the music Runaround Sue by Racey. This began with several set pieces in the shape of Vs with really loud hissing fountains. Behind these, comet candles firing to the left and then to the right. Then some flights of rockets bursting into small stars in bright colours which fell slowly. Next, gold comet candles firing in fan shapes with more flights of rockets and blue star shells above. Then shells of fireflies in red, green, orange and white followed by bombettes bursting loudly into bright orange stars. Next, shells with pistils and some with go-getter comets, others with glitter comets and tourbillons. The segment was brought to a close with a volley of really large colour and comet shells.
Part 6 to the music Can’t Help Falling in Love by Elvis Presley. This began dramatically with several girandolas rising on a column of white sparks high into the air. Bursting out of these from shells, lots of bright small colour stars in blue and orange which fell slowly through the air. Then another flight of girandolas. Next, loud white fountains on the ground and red firefly shells above. On the ground now, comet candles in the shape of fans and then crackling candles. Above these shaped-burst shells in the form of four-leaf clovers. Then shells of crackle comets and shells of charcoal comets turning to white. Another flight of girandolas with some horizontal wheel set-pieces with vertical fountains on the ground. Above these, shells of small yellow stars and then shaped-burst shells where star-fish shapes were produced with each “arm” formed from a “bunch” of small comets. Finally, to end this segment, a volley of enormous colour and white comet shells.
Part 7 to the music Batman’s Theme by Erich Kunzel. This began with lasers and some small flares on the ground which grew into fountains. Then several amazing dazzling yellow flash-pots on the centre podium and then some devices producing bright yellow flames several feet long. Above this, several multi-break shells which burst into hundreds of titanium salutes. Then shells of colour star crossettes and another hugh barrage of titanium salutes. Next, the ground was covered in strobe-pots and flights of rockets with glitter tails took off behind, followed by more rockets with white tails. Finally, a set-piece line of fountains on the centre podium with a massive barrage of salutes above.
Part 8 to the music The Power of Love by Céline Dion. This five minute long segment began with a set-piece in the shape of a guitar which, unfortunately, leapt off its support as the last lance ignited and fell into the lake, where it could be seen still burning. A line of blue and charcoal candles followed with lots of yellowish silver comet shells and then shells of slow falling stars. Then four-leaf clover shells and shells in blue with glittery charcoal comets turning into a weeping willow effect. Next, more charcoal comet shells, this time turning into firefly stars. Next, crackling glittery comets of a silvery form with the same in shells and bombettes. Then bright orange ball candles with a titanium salute barrage above. This was repeated several times followed by charcoal, weeping willow and blue star shells. On the ground, fast candles of crackling comets and colour stars with a huge multi-break spider shell above. Then large weeping willow shells, followed by large ones with the fronds turning to silver, then the same in even large multi-break form followed by a single huge sky-filling one. After some blue star bombettes, the segment ended with a flight of girandolas.
Part 9 to the music Time to Say Goodbye by Brightman and Bocelli. This began with bright titanium fountains with dazzling white crossette comet candles and white comet shells above. Then multi-break white comet shells of slow falling stars, with red heart-shaped set pieces on the ground. Above these, red ring shells with silver pistils and then some multi-break comet spider shells.
Part 10 to the music Hymne à l’amour by Edith Piaf. Two large free swinging set pieces suspended from the centre podium opened this final segment with lots of shaped-burst shells in pink hearts above. On the ground, charcoal comet candles with very high paths and four-leaf clover shells above. Several nautic fountains fired up and moved around in the water whilst multi-break spider shells turning into fireflies burst above. Then gold glitter crossette shells, more weeping willows. The pace and scale increased until the whole sky was filled with thousands of weeping willow fronds giving the most incredible three-dimensional effect. If was like being in the centre of a glittering forest. By the end, the sky was completely filled and the whole audience surrounded by fronds.
This was an interesting display, much different to that of Austria last week. Great use of set-pieces, rockets and girandolas and a very different type of finale to that normally used set this display apart from the others. Some very nice shells as well and great colours were also memorable. The choice of music is bound to be popular with the judges too. Synchronization ranged from good to moderate and there were a few low breaks – and a shame about the set-piece that fell into the lake. My money is still on Austria though.