The Playhouse website announced the concert thus: “THE SENSATIONAL 60’S EXPERIENCE. SEE MIKE D’ABO ON HIS FAREWELL TOUR. Join us for the musical phenomenon of 2024 with this festival of nostalgia. The show with the definite feelgood factor will transport you back to that magical decade that was the 1960’s. Whether you come to relive your childhood memories or you just simply want to see what your parents have been raving about for all these years this is the show to see. These legends of the 60’s will deliver to you a night never to be forgotten. You will find it impossible to remain in your seat as these incredible artistes fill your venue with nostalgic memories performing hit after hit.”
“Starring Dozy Beaky Mick and Tich, The Trems (Featuring Jeff Brown former member of The Tremeloes), The Fortunes, Mike d’Abo (Lead singer with Manfred Mann) and Vanity Fare. Full of timeless classics, hits include The Legend Of Xanadu, Silence is Golden, Storm In A Teacup, Mighty Quinn, Hitchin A Ride, plus many more. Step back in time to when pop music was at its very best”. Of course, I have seen a very similar 60s show at the same venue not so long ago. However, I really enjoy my trip back to the 1960s, plus this concert had the added attraction of witnessing Mike d’Abo (someone I have never seen before) on his farewell tour. I couldn’t resist. Mike was of course, the voice of the later incarnation of Manfred Mann, having replaced Paul Jones.
I return to my usual question at such concerts “When is a band no longer a band ?” Many of these bands contain no original members. So can they really call themselves by the original band name? Do they deserve to do so? I shall use some of the tour publicity material to help me answer my question.
First onstage was Vanity Fare. “Formed in 1966 (often misspelled Vanity Fair, due to the similarity of the novel and magazine title) are a British pop/rock group famously known for such hits as, I Live For The Sun, Early In The Morning and the worldwide classic, “Hitchin A Ride” which scored the band a number one on the Billboard 100 in the USA. The harmonies of Vanity Fare are renowned throughout the sixties scene which makes them one of the best vocal groups still touring today.” No original members here, but excellent renditions of “I Live For The Sun”, “Hitchin’ A ride” and “Sun, Sun, Sun, Sun”. Great start.
They were soon joined by the aforementioned Mike d’Abo who performed excellent renditions of the later Manfred Mann hits including “Mighty Quinn” and “Semi Detached Suburban Mr James”. He looked fantastic for an 80 years young guy and also his voice was strong and clear. A welcome addition to the normal programme. No question about authenticity here! This was the real guy through and through.
Next was The Fortunes. “Hailing from Birmingham England, the band first came into prominence in 1964 with their hit single Caroline, which was used as the signature tune for the influential Pirate Radio Station of the same name. Other classics include Storm In A Teacup, You’ve Got Your Troubles, Freedom Come Freedom Go. The Fortunes still continue to tour the world with shows in Australia, New Zealand and The USA incorporating a weeklong residency in the Fabulous Las Vegas.” I have seen this band a few times over the years, and they used to include original lead vocalist Rod Allen. After his sad passing, current singer Eddie Mooney took on the role of fronting the band and he does an excellent job too. So, no original members here. But a great job of some great songs: “You’ve Got Your Troubles”, “Freedom Come Freedom Go”, “Storm in a Teacup” and my favourite “Here It Comes Again”. Very enjoyable set.
Next came: The Trems (former members of The Tremeloes). This band features the remaining members of what was once the Tremoloes. Now containing no original members the band has shortened its name to the Trems. “Starting out as an English beat group founded in Dagenham Essex in 1958, originally called Brian Poole And The Tremeloes. The Tremeloes toured the world from 1963 through 1974. The Trems are still a massive draw in Europe as well as the UK today as much as they’ve ever been. They have the fantastic reputation as one of the most entertaining bands on tour today. Hits include, Even The Bad Times Are Good, Do You Love Me, Call Me Number One and their world-wide number one hit Silence Is Golden.”
This band could just as easily have called themselves the Tremoloes, as I remember seeing the singer/bass player Jeff Brown fronting the Tremoloes about 20 years ago when they still featured original drummer Dave Munden and guitarist Alan Blakley. I am pretty sure that Jeff Brown has been in the band since then. But then I have seen another version of the Tremoloes, Chesney Hawkes’ Tremoloes, having inherited the band from his dad Chip. I have subsequently discovered that there is also a further version of the Tremoloes featuring no original members, including former member Chip Hawkes’ son on drums and directed by Chip himself. Band heritage does get confusing, doesn’t it? Once again, they sounded great and played, from memory, “Even the Bad Times Are Good”, “Do You Love Me?”, “My Little Lady” and finished with their classic massive hit “Silence Is Golden”, all four members joining together at the front to sing the song a cappella. Wonderful.
Closing the show were: Dozy Beaky Mick & Titch. “Originally called Dave Dee And The Bostons formed in 1961. Changing their name to Dave Dee, Dozy Beaky Mick and Tich in 1964. In 1966 the band were in the charts for 50 weeks out of 52. In Germany alone in 1967, record sales outsold The Rolling Stones and The Beatles. Hits include Bend It, Zabadak and The Legend Of Xanadu plus many more. This fast-moving energetic set from DBMT will have you dancing and singing in the isles performing hit after hit after hit.” Well, when is a band no longer a band? In this case, lead singer and main man Dave Dee is sadly no longer with us and the only original member is Beaky. Do you know what, I am past caring! Bring on the great music. According to my very poor memory they performed “Zabadak”, “The Legend of Xanadu” (complete with whip),” Hold Tight” and finished with “Bend it”. They didn’t play my particular favourite “Last Night in Soho”. Their sound of the 60s was pretty authentic and they deserved their spot as headliners.
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Posted by SICKS6SIX on January 5, 2025 at 8:06 am
those were the days alright, Since then only punk in 77 has moved music in foward direction, we lived through popular musics best years, nothing has progressed music since these times, Sam Smith appearing on stage dressed as a giant orange penis or Taylor Swift inviting fans to feel her inner most “thoughts” has actually pushed music in a backwardly direction, modern music has nothing to offer anyone and this is why there is such a high demand for these groups who should be enjoying retirement, some of these people are now octogenarians and its bordering on cruelty to the aged making them sing, dance, and jump around on stage for an hour or two, On a less serious note, great bands, great times, if it is this good this time round it proves how amzing it was the first time when it was new, and no one had done anyhting like it beforehand, when you were a teenager paying L$£ ten bob to see them play at the local Odeon Cinema,
Posted by vintagerock on January 5, 2025 at 12:39 pm
Yes these bands bring back so many happy memories Peter
Posted by Prof_Alistair on January 5, 2025 at 11:05 pm
Happy New Year, Peter! Sounds like a good night. Saw DDDBM&T a couple of times on package tours in the mid-60s. They toured quite a lot with The Troggs and both were always good value.
Now, “When is a band no longer a band ?” I tend to approach this question as though the band were a football team. In my very early youth (early as in primary school), and as most of us did, I acquired a football team to support by virtue of that team being the one I went along to watch with my Dad. Since you ask, it was Darlington. Now I still support Darlington (and would go along to see the team play were it ever to appear somewhere near where I happened to be) even though there is absolutely no one currently associated with the club I first started supporting, the team no longer plays at the ground I used to go to watch them play at (tragically, its now a housing state), and the club has been expelled from the league for insolvency and gone through through a name change and then back to the original. However, despite all this, the team I support remains Darlington. So, the personnel can change, but as long as there’s some continuity from the original group, some overlap as personnel move in, through and out of the band, and as long as the spirit of the group remains the same, then the ‘band continues to be a band’.
I think ‘spirit’ may be the most important thing here, as two bands that I think actually aren’t the same band but continued with the same name are Fleetwood Mac (a very different spirit post-Rumours – maybe a little earlier?) and The Bee Gees (post-disco). Same name, some of the same people, but not the same bands.
Here endeth the lesson! Keep taking the music and have a great 2025!
Posted by Prof_Alistair on January 5, 2025 at 11:08 pm
Posted by vintagerock on January 6, 2025 at 1:08 pm
Hi Alistair Happy New Year! I agree with you about the spirit or soul of the band being paramount. Many bands have no original member, however the soul or spirit of the band continues. I am not sure I agree about the Fleetwood Mac or the Bee Gees. Firstly I believe that the spirit of the former band continues as long as Mick Fleetwood and John McVie remain. Also they still retain some of the spirit of the old band in that they continue to play “Oh Well” and have also played “The Green Manalishi” in the past. The Bee Gees certainly retained the spirit of the old band. I saw them play Wembley Stadium, they performed all the old hits: “Massachusetts”, “New York mining disaster” and so on. Best wishes Peter