[Dixielandjazz] God Save the King/Queen

[Dingo]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bill Haesler"

> Glen Page wrote (in part):
>> ...it was traditional, in fact mandatory almost, to preface any
>> performance, including a moving picture show with the playing of "God 
>> Save
>> The King" during which the respectful audience stood smartly to attention 
>> and
>> stopped chewing their gum.
>
> Dear Glen,
> In Australia (and I thought England) the 'anthem' was played at the end of 
> a performance.
> The cinemas were usually empty by the time the film credits had rolled.

<snip>

Aye, Bill, I can vouch for that ;~) In my Whoopee Band days, as part of the 
'rock routine' towards the end of a performance, the band would start 
playing our national anthem quite straight. It amused us poms that German 
audiences would often stand up in respect of it. Well, it was one of their 
tunes originally. What the audiences didn't know as they were standing there 
all solemn and respectful was that it was used as the intro to "Lady 
Madonna" with Bob Kerr leading often on a very hot soprano. Realising they'd 
been 'had' the audiences sat down again usually with a great deal of 
laughter, albeit some of it being of the embarrassed type.

While on a cultural note (?) I recall advising our drummer not to wear his 
Hitler mask on stage in Germany when doing the Marlene Dietrich routine. He 
took no notice and wore it. We never, IIRC, had one complaint about this 
........... in Germany. In Sweden tho' it was a different story and after 
complaints at a couple of gigs, the Hitler mask stayed in the props box. 
Given that Sweden was neutral during WW2 I never sussed that one out.
~~
John D
Suffolk, England.