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.
Another 60s show. No apologies this time. You know what, I enjoy the old hits and it doesn’t seem to matter anymore as to whether there are original members or not. I guess we return to my old question “When is a band not a band?”.
The bands on show here, as far as I can ascertain, contain only one original member between them all. But more on this later. I went along with carer Elaine and my old friend Norman and you know what? We all greatly enjoyed the “Sensational 60s Experience” and I knew every song! And this 60s concert even had a proper compere, just like a 60s package tour should. He looked great with lovely long blonde hair. I will use some of the tour blurb to describe each band and then will add my own comments on the lineup and the performance.
Opening the show were: “
“
Closing the first half were: “
Opening the second part of the show were: “
Closing the show were: “
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 
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.
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 
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.
Some time ago I promised myself I would never again go to a 60s show. Too cheesy. Too embarrassing. Too many people dancing around in an unbecoming manner! However this one tempted me for several reasons. Firstly it featured my hero PJ Proby. Secondly I always fancied seeing Marmalade. I have a vague memory of seeing them at Sunderland Top Rank in the early 70s when they were out of the charts and the place was empty. But it is very vague and I can’t be certain I was actually there! And yes I realise there is no original member in the band from their heyday when they had their big hits such as “Reflections of My Life” and “Lovin’ Things” but Sandy Newman has been a member of Marmalade since the mid-70s and featured on their last big hit “Falling Apart at the Seams”. And thirdly the show featured another hero of mine, Steve Ellis. Now Steve Ellis has sadly had to pull out of the tour due to ill-health. I hope he’s soon better. Still the line-up remained strong.
When I was a kid, around 11 or 12 years old I would go to the Saturday morning disco at Sunderland Top Rank. It was 1967 or 1968 and my heroes were Steve Marriott, Steve Ellis and Barry Ryan. I had a pair of black checky hipster trousers and a black plastic belt which was very wide and had two metal prongs as a fastener. You bought the belts at Woolworths as I recall. The hipster trousers were made of very rough material and were quite itchy to the skin. I also wore a Paisley shirt with button-down collar made by “Rave” which was the make of the day and you bought them at Binns. Of course, I also wore a vintage kipper tie. I felt I was a young mod and would parade around the walkway which circled the ballroom eating my iced drink, called a Slush. I would even dance sometimes! I often think those were some of my happiest days. One of the records I loved was “Lovin’ Things” by Marmalade. I used to gaze at young girls my own age but didn’t dare talk to any!
Elaine who was, for the evening, my guest rather than a carer. She was sitting separately from us as we bought her ticket later. However, she was able to come over and join us later on. 
which continued throughout his set. He sang a few of his hits including “Memphis Tennessee”, “Mama” and my favourite “The Crying Game” with its wonderful Wah Wah guitar. The guitarist did a reasonable version of the original guitar sounds and solos, which were performed by either Jimmy Page or Big Jim Sullivan (great session man who went on to become Tom Jones guitarist on his TV show). The truth of who played on the single seems to be lost in the depths of time. Whoever it was they did a wonderful job. Dave Berry is 80 years old and looks, and sounds, just fine. Excellent.
songs which still sound good today. Strangely the band also included the singer from Gerry’s Pacemakers! Then came my hero!
and stylish with longish white hair and full beard, he belted out his hits including “Somewhere”, “Hold Me” and “Maria”. PJ sat down for some of the performance but also managed some dancing with his saxophone player! The man is a hero of mine and continues to astound with his vocal histrionics and his melodramatic, but wonderful, rendition of classic ballads from musicals. Proby, and all the other acts before him, were backed by Gerry’s Pacemakers. Then things moved up a gear.
70s and featured on their last big hit record “Falling Apart at the Seams”. I first saw Sandy at the Grangemouth pop festival in 1972. He was second on the bill, after Billy Connolly, and fronting the Chris McLure Section. The stage cleared for Marmalade who are a truly professional act and moved the whole show up a notch. Great versions of classic songs followed: “Wait for Me Marianne”, “Lovin’ Things” (in my mind I was 12 again and back in the Top Rank Suite in my hipsters), “Rainbow”, “Reflections of My Life” and their cover of the Beatles song, which got them a big hit and up to number one in the charts “Ob La Di, Ob La Da”. An excellent close to the first half of the show, and a long time wish of mine fulfilled; to see Marmalade!
“Early in the Morning” (their biggest hit) and “I Live for the Sun”. This is an example of a band which doesn’t include any original members; however it does include some long-standing members who have been with the band for many years). They reopened the proceedings well and were good fun.
Barry Whitwam, who has been in the band since its inception. The band members have gradually retired over the years and Peter Noone left in the early 70s. Now the musicians who surround Barry have been with him for many years and did great versions of wonderful pop classics including “No Milk Today”, “Sunshine Girl” and “There’s a Kind of Hush”. Barry Whitwam came to the front and explained how the band had sold 80 million records and told the tale of how they once had the great privilege of meeting Elvis Presley. I have seen this version of the Hermits before and they always put on a great performance. You can’t go wrong with hits like that.
replaced by none other than his son, the “One and Only” 
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”.
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