“Bus stop, wet day, she’s there, I say “Please, share my umbrella”
Bus stop, bus goes, she stays, love grows under my umbrella” (Graham Gouldman, 1966, performed by The Hollies)
It was 1966. I was 9 years old and my parents took me to London for a week, to “see the sights”. It was so exciting to visit the capital as a youngster. We had a full, packed agenda of activities that my dad planned for us. Madame Tussauds, The Planetarium, London Zoo, Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, Ken Dodd and the Diddymen at the Palladium and a visit to the trendy, fab, gear (using the terminology of the time) clothes shops of Carnaby Street.
There were probably others I have forgotten. Running through my head were songs of the time: “She Loves You” by the Beatles, “Satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones, “Dedicated Follower of Fashion” by the Kinks and “Bus Stop” by The Hollies. I had just come across pop music and the groups (not bands in those days) of the day. It was the Beatles and “She Loves You” which really opened my mind to the new music and my favourite bands were as aforementioned the Beatles, the Stones, the Kinks and The Hollies. “Bus Stop” was my favourite song.
I have been lucky enough to see The Hollies many times over the years from the Alan Clarke days, through his replacement the Move’s the late Carl Wayne incarnation of the band and for the last 20 years “new boy” Peter Howarth as front man. They remain great to this day. The only original members remaining are drummer Bobby Elliott and guitarist Tony Hicks (a very underrated guitarist in my view). Bobby sits at the back providing the foundation for the music and Tony plays impeccable electric guitar, banjo (particularly on “Stop, Stop, Stop”) and electric sitar.
And yes he still looks as young as ever. The rest of the musicians include Ray Styles on bass, formerly of Mud, providing excellent accompaniment to the vocals, led by Peter Howarth who now has gelled to become an integral part of the band. With the Hollies it was always about the harmonies, great songs, and great vocals. And that still remains the case today.
So, another encounter with an old favourite who, as expected, delivered an evening of great hits. I knew every song and so many memories, including that visit to London, ran through my head. This group was the soundtrack of my youth and into the early 1970s.
As usual, the concert was in two parts each one comprising hit after hit.
They opened with “King Midas in Reverse” reminding me of seeing Graham Nash in the same venue just over a week before. And then we were off on a carousel (pun intended) of classic songs, each one a favourite. “Gasoline Alley Bred”, “Here I Go Again” and back to the start for “We’re Through” and “Stay”. They also included a more recent track “Weakness”. The first set closed with another catchy melody “Look Through Any Window”.
Time for a quick Jack Daniels and back to our seats at the rear of the hall for the second part of the concert. The opener was a lesser-known song, but another favourite of mine “The Day That Curly Billy Shot Down Crazy Sam McGee” followed by more classics “Yes I Will” and here it comes….the one and only “Bus Stop”. My evening was complete already. But the hits kept coming: “I’m Alive” (their only number 1 single), “The Baby” which was recorded during a period when Alan Clarke left the band for a short hiatus and was replaced by singer Mikael Rickfors, the Bruce Springsteen song “Sandy”, the tale about a belly dancer in a nightclub and a drunken evening which precedes “Stop, Stop, Stop” and then onwards to the closing songs “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother”, “The Air That I Breathe” and the closest The Hollies ever got to rock ‘n’ roll “Long Cool Woman in A Black Dress”. Another wonderful evening spent in the majestic Glasshouse venue with a group who resonated with my childhood and youth. Marvellous. Thanks to Jan for the photos.
Setlist: Set A: King Midas in Reverse / I Can’t Let Go; Jennifer Eccles; Sorry Suzanne; On a Carousel; Gasoline Alley Bred; Magic Woman Touch; Weakness; Here I Go Again; I Can’t Tell the Bottom From the Top; We’re Through; Just One Look; Stay; Look Through Any Window.
Set B: The Day That Curly Billy Shot Down Crazy Sam McGee; Yes I Will; Bus Stop; I’m Alive; The Baby; 4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy); The Very Last Day; Carrie Anne; Stop Stop Stop; He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother; The Air That I Breathe; Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress
Okay. So they come around a lot, and the songs are always quite similar. But never quite the same. There are always a few small changes, which never cease to delight me. After all they have so many great hits to choose from. Sure, I was just a kid at the time, but that’s exactly the point. 
This is no embarrassing 60s package show; rather it is a two-hour celebration of hits spread across two sets. They start off with “King Midas in Reverse”, the song that so disappointed Graham Nash when it wasn’t a hit, that it was one of the reasons for him eventually leaving the band. Still a great song today. Then off we go into a stream of hits; some sang individually, some mashed together as a medley: “I Can’t Let Go”, “Sorry Suzanne”, “Jennifer Eccles”, “On a Carousel”. This band really were great when at the top of their game in the 60s; and the hits still sound great today. The first set finished with one of my favourites, starting with a classic guitar intro from Tony Hicks: “Look through Any Window”.
Went to see the Hollies again last night at the Sage Gateshead. It’s great to see that they have reached their 50th anniversary. A Hollies concert is exactly that; a concert. It isn’t really a rock gig, and it wouldn’t be fair to class it along the lines of a 60s show, as it is much more than that. This is a band with a great back catalogue, who have continued as a band through several line ups and the loss of key members, in particular Graham Nash and Alan Clarke. New singer Peter Howarth has now been with the band eight years, and is as natural in the lead singer role as anyone could be. The Hollies were they in my childhood years throughout the 60s. I used to buy ex juke box singles from the pub over the road. Bus Stop was one and I played and played it on a little record player. The Hollies may not have the social (or musical) significance of the Stones, The Beatles or The Who, but they were a very important part of the 60s, particularly in the UK. I was in a cheap seat looking down on the stage again. As ever the band were 100% professional and presented us with an evening of classic 60s songs. Tony Hicks still looks great and displays some nifty fret work on his electric sitar during the intro to The Baby and some great banjo on the intro to Stop Stop Stop. Bobby, is the elder statesman on the band and keeps them on all track form the “engine room” (Peter’s term) at the back.
Another great show by a band who just keep on going. If I have one criticism it is that the set has remained largely unchanged for the past few years. However, the band have reinterpreted several of the songs, and given them something fresh. Look Through Any Window has been completely rearranged. King Midas in Reverse is sung by Steve Lauri, rather than Peter. Peter performs Can’t Tell the Bottom from the Top alone with an acoustic guitar and gives it new life (he is a really good guitar player). Last night Tony played an acoustic guitar on Bus Stop, and it sounded the best I have heard it for years. They have also added a couple of songs which were hits in Scandinavia, namely Stewball and Very Last Day. Set list: Set 1: The Day That Curly Billy Shot Down Crazy Sam Mcgee; I Can’t Let Go; Jennifer Eccles; Yes I Will; On A Carousel; Then, Now Always; Sandy; King Midas In Reverse; Very Last Day; Emotions; The Baby; Look Through Any Window. Set 2: I’m Alive; Sorry Suzanne; Bus Stop; Stewball; I Can’t Tell The Bottom From The Top (Acoustic); Listen To Me; Here I Go Again; Gasoline Alley Bred; Weakness; Just One Look; Stay; Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress; Carrie Anne; Stop Stop Stop; He Ain’t Heavy He’s My Brother; The Air That I Breathe; Let Love Pass.
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