Concert review - 1/9 2005

By Patrick Menzel (Neue Westfälishe)

"It was unbelievable"

Impressive comeback: Fans celebrate Marcia Barrett at her appearance in Blasheim

Lübbecke-Blasheim:

Her heart is still beating completely for the music – her life elixir – from which she gets her power. And the singer is fully enjoying that after a long break because of health problems. The stage air, the applause and the enthusiasm from her fans is exactly what the 58 year old needs. And Marcia Barrett has not forgotten her workmanship. When her voice from the legendary pop group Boney M. gets going, it hardly can’t be stopped as she proved very impressively Thursday evening with her appearance in "Festzelt Maier’s Deele".

"Hello Blasheim" it explodes through the loud speakers. And there she stands in strident light from the spot-light. For a moment it gets totally quiet under the tent canvas. "Is that Marcia Barrett?" is many wondering. Yes, it’s really her! And the well-known singer is delivering the proof right away. Naturally with her incomparable voice. How should it else be?

Most still know the front lady from Boney M. as a slim, nearly athletic live wire with long braids. She is still a live wire, but the tumour has left traces on the U.S-singer. Marcia Barrett has a though time behind her.

For over a year she was sitting in a wheelchair – paralysed, while she had to go through multiple chemo therapy sessions and at the same time had to realise how "old" friends and ex-band colleagues turned their back on her. "My ex-band colleagues didn’t even call. The only one who stood by me was my husband Marcus" says Marcia. When he wasn’t around, she was crying. Therefore it’s even more astonishing that the 58 year old has found her way back to the stage. Marcia Barrett uses the music as a remedy for her cure. Music is her medicine. From the music she gained the power to survive. She sings every day.

And that’s also what she is doing in "Festzelt Meier’s Deele". It only takes a few bars and a couple of well-known Boney M. hits as "Belfast", "Daddy Cool" and "Brown Girl In The Ring" and the famous spark was to be found among the greatest part of the audience. There was dancing – at least so much as the security allowed. The front of the stage was cordoned off. First when Marcia in person turned to the security and requested to let euphoric fans through, dancing was allowed.

Over and over again the attractive singer was in close contact with the audience. The 17 year old Natascha Huchzermeier had her dream come true when she went on the stage. "It was unbelievable" the girl said after her duet with the Boney M. star and that summarises the comeback of Marcia Barrett perfectly.