ANIMUS-CLUB-Kids chasing the colors of the rainbow and finding wonderful treasures at the interview with Ex-Genesis-Singer Ray Wilson!
It was a tremendous joy when the management of Ray Wilson gave us the okay in the middle of December 2013 to interview and meet the singer personally at his concert at the Rex Music-Theater at Bensheim. After the Hooters, our children had once again the opportunity to meet an international top-musician and to ask him questions about his life and his musical career. Because Ray Wilson had been a singer with GENESIS, one of the greatest and most popular rock bands in the world, we wanted to give also children from Nußloch, who were interested in music, the chance to be part of this event. So we raffled a free ticket for the show and the interview on our website. What the participants did not know, was, that we could give away not only one but three free tickets (!!!).
Since almost 200 users visited our website in the week of the raffle, we were very eager to find out which three children from Nußloch would seize this unique opportunity. However, to our great surprise all three winners didn’t come from Nussloch but from Walldorf (???). The three “storks” were completely happy as our first manager Alexander Höfer told them, that they could accompany us to Bensheim to interview this renowned artist.
“Do you want to ask your questions first or shall I play a song for you at the beginning?” asked the quiet and pleasant Scotsman the children and made a surprising offer, which they couldn’t refuse.
“Do you have any money with you?”… “No? – Oh, that’s bad luck”, continued Ray humorously … “You know, this is always the first and most important question in Rock’n’Roll” … Then the full-blooded musician presented to our children “Change”, one of his most beautiful songs and gave them a foretaste of what they would expect later in the show.
It was a breathtaking moment when the singer in the still deserted and silent musical theater of Bensheim started to sing this melancholy melody with his powerful smoky voice, so that the audience got goose bumps all over their skin. “Wow, this is great,” the children talked in whispers.
Following this great song, which officially accompanied the “World Nature Festival” in 2003, Ray, who is living in Poland for some years now, told them that he had been interviewed 
a few days ago by around 120 children of a Romanian school, and that our children were the first German children to interview him.
Like many professional musicians, Ray Wilson originally comes from a very musical family. His grandfather played the violin, his grandmother was a singer and his older brother Steve, who accompanied him on the tour, is playing the guitar and is singing too. At the age of 13, Ray began to busy himself with music, and one year later he had his first major stage appearance as a singer. Shortly afterwards, he self-educated himself to play the guitar Day by day he tried to play his favourite songs for many hours and learnt the relevant chords from a book. In addition to the guitar, which he plays by ear, Ray is also a little acquainted with the harmonica, the bass guitar, the piano and the violin.
Which song is the most difficult an complicated that you play on stage?
Probably when I was singing with GENESIS, probably one of their songs, because they do create sometimes quite complicated arrangements of songs. There is a song called DOMINO, which is a really good song, but you really have to got everything right. It starts with the singing on the right time, make sure tthat your are always in time with everything. HOME BY THE SEA is also one of the most complicated song I ever played.
Which song is your favourite to perform?
Oh, that’s a difficult question. I wrote a song called ANOTHER DAY, which I think is my favourite song to perform. It’s got a nice melody and guitar-chords, a little bit more interesting. I like the arrangement of the song, and I like what the lyrics say.
Who are your role models?
First of all my parents. Also my older brother. Steve played the guitar first, Steve was a singer first. So I always wanted to be better than him. But my parents have been very import for my career. My father used to drive the van to the concerts with all the equipment. My father especially was a big fan of going on concerts and he liked to go and see live music.
How did you come in contact with the members of Genesis?
The manager phoned me and asked me to meet them. I had to sing some songs in the studio. That’s how it happens. More information will follow in our interview-movie.
Lots of people say that you have a very similar voice to Peter Gabriel. What do you think about that and have you ever met Peter personally?
I never met him personally, no. I only see him in concert before. I think my voice is only really similar when I’m singing a song that he sang. If he sings one of my songs, I think it won’t be so similar.
One of the songs of the new record is called “Wait for better days”. What is the story behind that song?
I think, the basic meaning of this is, that, whenever anything bad happens in your life or anything difficult happens in your life, it’s important to remember, that it get’s good again, and became better again. And it doesn’t matter what it is, you always can keep pushing forward and keep focusing on what you want in your life. So WAIT FOR BETTER DAYS tries to be very positive in the lyrics, and say that things get good again, and won’t be bad forever.
What was the craziest thing that you’ve ever done in your life? … Yes, we are sure, that is something you really like to know, but for this answer you have to wait for our video movie.
Last but not least, the ANIMO likes to thank especially Ray Wilson and his personal assistant Miss Iwona Subutkowska, and Miss Margit Gehrisch from Music Theater Rex that they have allowed our children this wonderful and unique experience.
GENESIS CLASSIC TRIO
At 20.30 Ray entered the stage with his three accompanying musicians, and started his concert with the GENESIS-title “Follow you, follow me.”
After that Ray offered a very good cross section of the large Genesis back catalogue and his solo repertory. In turn to his own songs he not only presented the well-known classics such as “Carpet Crawlers, Ripples, That’s All, Invisible Touch Jesus He Knows Me, Not about us and Shipwrecked”, as well as the big hits “Another Day in Paradise and Take Me Home” by Phil Collins, “Another Cup of Coffee” by Mike & The Mechanics but also “Biko and Solsbury Hill” by Peter Gabriel in an entirely new and beautiful acoustic version.
In a top sound and in a pleasant volume, Ray also granted his excellent backing band a lot of artistic liberties. Therefore, the pianist Darek Tarczewski and the multi-instrumentalist Marcin Kajper, who played the saxophone, oboe, flute and bass guitar, had countless opportunities to present their large musical talent with many solos.
But Ray’s own compositions such as “Change, Goodbye Baby Blue,” and his number-one hit “Inside”, and especially the two tracks “The Actor” and the already previously mentioned “Another Day “, needn‘t hide behind the world-famous hits. By the way, their acoustic version was even more emotional and moving than the Genesis songs.
The Scot surprised the audience with two tracks, which never before had appeared on any studio-album. “The Airport Song” as well as the funny, cabaret-stile “Swing your back”, in which Ray’s voice sounded like that of Louis Armstrong. This evening also his brother Steve was allowed to present his skills as a singer with the wonderful cover “The One” by U2. So, on the way back home, a long time after this excellent concert show, the brilliant chorus of “Mama” still remained in the children’s ears.
SETLIST – Chasing Rainbows:
