Genesis Klassik: Cutting edge press conference with Ray Wilson

A normal press conference looks different. Usually you are invited into the foyer where you are served salmon canapés and beer or champagne, then the musician appears, plays a couple of songs perhaps and puts up with occasionally most uninformed questions by the journalists. In the end everybody is slightly irritated – the musician because of the questions, the press because they have not understood everything and the photographers because they have to get to the next location.

Ray Wilson is going to play at the time-honored Kulturpalast in Dresden in April [2011]. That is reason enough to invite the local press (and the German Genesis Fanclub / GNC) for a press conference to the Hilton hotel. The press conference really turned into a seasonal cooking event as it was mentioned in the invitation. Hilton chef Eckhard Kleinert soon asked everybody to put on aprons and soon Ray, his manager and some 15 journalists found themselves in the kitchen to prepare dumplings and venison. While Ray tore up bread or formed dumplings in the big pot lots of photos were taken, videos filmed and Ray was, of course, asked about this and that, and so was the chef. The atmosphere was very relaxed, Ray in high spirits and there were also some news:

• Ray is going to introduce further songs into the Genesis Klassik set that are „less mainstream“.
• The January show in Konin, Poland will be filmed for a Genesis Klassik DVD.
• When we last spoke with Ray in August we asked him whether he could imagine working with Steve Hackett. Ray told us that they have gotten in contact and they will discuss the options for a collaboration in January.
• The new Stiltskin album will be finished in January and February. Nir Z is not going to play the drums this time, but the McMillan brothers will be back. The rest of the band is the same, except for Scott Spence who could not find the time.
• When asked whether other (former) members of Genesis might join the Genesis Klassik project Ray said that one never knew what was going on with Genesis. He is glad about the success and the growing audiences for the Genesis Klassik shows. He also thought that the project may become interesting for other members of Genesis in the future.

More information and photos from the press conference can be found in this thread in the GNC forum..