Rick Wakeman Plays for 150 'Music-Loving' Bears in Vietnam!
Rick Wakeman Plays for 150 'Music-Loving' Bears in Vietnam!
Prog legend Rick Wakeman performed a unique concert for 150 rescued moon bears in Vietnam! This incredible event aimed to raise awareness for bears still trapped in bile farms. Don't miss this heartwarming story!
Prog rock legend Rick Wakeman recently delighted a truly unique audience, performing a concert for over 150 rescued moon bears at Animals Asia’s sanctuary in Tam Dao National Park, Vietnam. The 77-year-old keyboardist described the experience as "incredibly honoured" and "the most extraordinary concert of my life."
Wakeman played two new compositions inspired by rescued moon bears named Dawn and Moon, alongside two existing bear-themed songs, "Cyril Wolverine" and "Rocky (The Legacy)." The concert, dubbed "Free The Final Bears," aimed to shine a light on the plight of 125 bears still suffering in bile farms across Vietnam, despite the government outlawing the cruel practice in 2005.
During the performance, Wakeman observed the bears' reactions keenly.
I was looking at the bears the whole time, I almost forgot what I was playing,
he recounted.
He noted that certain musical elements elicited more reactions, leading him to conclude, "if music affects humans, it affects bears too." Some bears, like Georges, even came closer to the piano, with 11 moon bears sitting in the grass directly in front of the stage as the gig progressed.
The former Yes musician lauded his furry audience, saying, "I'll never in my life get to play a concert to such a well-behaved audience. They were brilliant." He expressed his strong hope that the concert would bring crucial awareness to the urgent need to free the remaining captive bears, lamenting that "about four a month are dying in captivity."
Wakeman became involved with Animals Asia through friends, actor Peter Egan and Lesley Nicol, who introduced him to the
wonderful world of the moon bears and how appallingly they’d been abused and treated.
He is a guardian to Moon the bear, having previously cared for Cyril Wolverine, named after his late father.
This unique performance adds to Wakeman's history of unconventional gigs, which famously includes his 1975 "Myths And Legends Of King Arthur And The Knights Of The Round Table" concert on ice at Wembley Empire Pool. Later this year, he plans a tribute to Stephen Hawking in Spain, based on the scientist's teachings on black holes.
The mission continues to free the remaining bears. A petition urging the prime minister of Vietnam to assist Animals Asia in this vital effort is available for signing at Animalsasia.org/free.
