Photo: Karel Suster
In an extremely rare event, Renaldo performed to a live audience at the Mikulove Festival in the Czech Republic on 31st August. At the invitation of Uz Jsme Doma, he joined them as guest vocalist to sing a number of RATL songs together with several by UJD, as the headline act on the Saturday night. In front of an audience of 1000, it was only his second time on stage as Renaldo performing a prepared show. To all accounts it went down extremely well.
The RATL and Renaldo M songs performed were to special new arrangements created by Miroslav Wanek (Mirek), the leader of Uz Jsme Doma.
Brian / Renaldo has drafted some recollections of the project and his time in the Czech Republic preparing for the show:
Greetings, Renaldo here!
The idea of Uz Jsme Doma collaborating on a project with Renaldo & the Loaf was first mooted before Covid but, as things happen, it remained as just an idea until November 2023 when Mirek approached me about performing at a festival. I said I was happy to give it a go, as I’d very much enjoyed performing with David in Vienna.
In May this year, Mirek sent me a list of RATL songs he’d like to work on plus one selection from my solo album. Over the next 3 months a series of MIDI demos appeared of his arrangements. As UJD are often cited as being a progressive jazz/punk band, they were certainly different from anything David or I could have imagined. However, we both agreed they were very skilful new interpretations of the songs that were also respectful to the originals. The more I listened to them, the more excited I became to sing these versions and also to hear them played by a live band.
I arrived in Prague on the Monday night (26th Aug 2024), five days before the show. Mirek met me and we caught the train to Kutna Hora, a town close to Mirek’s house. On the Tuesday after a bit of sight seeing I travelled to Mirek’s studio.
In Mirek’s Studio
That day we ran through all the songs, looking at details and I was able to sing them for him. He also added extra vocals he wanted me to do on Uz Jsme Doma songs, some in Czech! It was a very successful practice.
The following day we travelled back to Prague for two days of rehearsals with the full band. The band, Adam (Trumpet), Pepa (Bass), Vojta (drums) and of course Mirek (guitar and keyboard) are all excellent musicians and can sight-read the music. Mirek had created manuscripts of the new RATL songs for the band which they had rehearsed for a week or so beforehand.
Standing in a closed rehearsal room surrounded by these musicians playing live was very much a new experience for me. I was stood facing the drummer – I took ear plugs but couldn’t hear myself properly for singing, thankfully I could leave them out as it wasn’t unbearably loud. Anyway, we ran through the songs several times as Mirek was discussing details with the others.
The rehearsal room
I did make a fundamental mistake, put it down to my inexperience, in that I sang each piece as though it was the actual performance, raising my voice beyond its normal level to be heard over the music. I had a microphone but still let rip – it was exciting but I succeeded in damaging my voice! By the end of the day my voice was very hoarse.
That day too, Czech National TV came and filmed us rehearsing and interviewed Mirek and me as a promo for the festival. By way of introducing who this guy Renaldo was, the broadcast included clips from a video of Improbable Legs and Blessing Song from my solo album. It was shown on the following Friday’s National Evening News apparently to an audience of some 1.2 million!
Czech TV interview
The next day my voice was still shot, so a trip to a pharmacy armed me with various remedies and medicines. I rested my voice that morning while the band rehearsed their stuff and gently added some gravelly guide vocals to the afternoon session. I was told to lay off any alcohol as that was bad for the vocal chords.
As you can imagine I was extremely stressed that I was due to perform only 2 days later without my usual voice. The meds were having some positive effect, but all too slowly….and I continued to rest my voice by hardly talking.
On the Friday morning Mirek and I travelled by train to Mikulov. The festival organisers were aware of my problem and offered to get me a doctor’s appointment if I wanted. However, it became clear the doctors could not prescribe me any wonder treatment and that I should just continue with the sprays, lozenges and tablets I had.
The amphitheatre
That evening we took in the first day of the festival. Set in a park, an amphitheatre surrounded the main stage with a tented second stage behind. So music was continuous, while one band sound-checked another was playing and the audience migrated from one to the other. The headline act on the Friday was the Japanese band Plastic Dogs – for want of a better description – a metal/jazz fusion band of two hugely talented guitarists, an equally talented drummer and fronted by an incredible female saxophonist. I’d not heard them before and although perhaps their music would not be something I would naturally gravitate to, I found their show exhilarating. So fast, so tight – it took my breath away.
Plastic Dogs
So, the next day was Saturday, the day of the performance. My voice was still unhappy. There was a showing of our documentary 23rd Century Giants at the local cinema – Czech subtitles had been added courtesy of Mirek. Some 60 people attended, which was good to see. Following that, I had a lovely lunch with Walter and Lisa Robotka who had travelled up from Vienna to see the show – but I was feeling generally unwell at this stage. A lot may have been down to the cumulative effect of several days of 30 degree heat combined with the overall stress. I have to say though, through all this, Mirek maintained an air of admirable calmness….and somehow I kept smiling for the photos.
Lisa, Walter, Mirek and me
During that afternoon I rested, sucking salt tablets which apparently are very good for the vocal chords and drinking lots of water. With just over 2 hours to soundcheck I went to the festival and sat in the dressing room quaffing pints of lemonade. I then gently tried a few vocals – the bass and mid-range were fine but the upper register notes were still a bit unpredictable. But I felt a sense of improvement.
At 8pm we went to soundcheck. When it came to my turn for vocals, after the obligatory ‘one, two, one, two’ they asked me to sing something. And firstly I managed to project out one long -held note. Bolstered by this I did multiple repeats of the first few lines from Optimism (an upper register vocal) and they sounded OK!
Ready for my soundcheck
I’ve absolutely no idea what happened….the ‘voice gods’ must have been smiling at me. Perhaps adrenaline can affect vocal chords but it meant I could get through the performance with, I would estimate, some 85% of my expected vocal range. I did temper a few bits so as not to overly strain my voice but I think, all told, I got away with it.
The sense of relief made the performance even more enjoyable for me – I felt so relaxed. Standing there with the band playing around me was something I will never forget – it was not perfect, there were a few hiccups, but that’s live for you. The audience of (I was told) 1000, did not appear to notice and seemed to really enjoy the show even though chunks of it were in English.
Official photo just before going on.
Photo: Karel Suster
On stage.
Photo: Walter Robotka
Photo: Karel Suster
Relaxed enough to take a selfie with the audience
Taking a bow.
Photo: Karel Suster
Happy Mirek and a relieved Renaldo.
Photo: Karel Suster
For the record here is the full set list….
- Cranny (UJD)
- Optimism (RATL)
- Halfway (UJD)
- Ow! Stew The Red Shoe (RATL)
- Bearded Cats (RATL)
- Water Sprite (UJD)
- Fear (UJD)
- Bathroom Song (RATL)
- Larvae (Spratts Medium + Medical Man) (RATL)
- Jassica (UJD)
- Trichophobe (Renaldo M)
- Encore: Jazz 1960 (UJD)
Understandably, after the show I made up for the alcohol abstinence and we had a fun few hours backstage imbibing.
Time to relax – a few shots of a mysterious green liquid
The next day Mirek and I travelled to Brno for some sightseeing – also that evening Uz Jsme Doma had another gig this time supported by Plastic Dogs.
On the Monday Mirek and I returned to Prague for a condensed tour of the city highlights including some excellent beer and food. That evening yet another open air Uz Jsme Doma gig with Plastic Dogs at the Cross Club which has a totally unique (steam punk?) setting, constructed from junk and recycled materials.
Have to say, hearing Plastic Dogs play for a second and third time cemented my admiration for them – I was totally absorbed into the music.
With Plastic Dogs at the Cross Club, Prague
And having said my goodbye’s to Mirek, Adam, Pepa and Vojta that evening, the following day I flew home.
The performance was recorded on 32 track digital and I’m told by Mirek, following a quick appraisal, that the recording is good with no cross talk between tracks. We will think about what to do with the audio later this year.
Did it really happen? Poster on Brno Station suggests it did!