The Hollies 2005, 2006 and 2007
After the sad loss of Carl Wayne, The Hollies were once again left without a lead singer, and with a somewhat uncertain future. The band decided to continue and Peter Howarth was announced as the replacement lead singer in October 2004. Unlike Carl Wayne, Peter was not a household name, having enjoyed a career as a session singer, work in theatre and as backing singer for Cliff Richard. 
Although I didn’t realise it at the time, I’d seen Peter in concert once or twice, most notably as one of the singers in The Who’s Quadrophenia show in Hyde Park. The first chance I got to see Peter Howarth perform with The Hollies was at a free concert one Summer Sunday afternoon in South Shields Bents Park in August 2005. I went with David to this gig which was a shortened set and very much a greatest hits show. Peter delivered the songs well and it was clear that The Hollies were very much back in business. 
The first full Hollies concert I saw with Peter Howarth was at Sunderland Empire in 2006. I then saw the band twice in 2007, at Harrogate Centre and at the Sage Gateshead. 
Peter has fitted well within the band, bringing his own personality to the performance. As well as an excellent singer he is also an accomplished guitarist, which has allowed The Hollies to experiment with new arrangements of some of the songs. In particular, Peter often performs a very different acoustic solo version of Can’t Tell the Bottom From the Top.
I’ve seen the Hollies a few times since 2007 at the Sage Gateshead, and have already written on those gigs. I continue to enjoy The Hollies in concert and can’t get enough of those old songs. Typical setlist from recent Hollies show: Here I Go Again; Just One Look; Stay; I Would Fly; Bus Stop; On A Carousel; The Baby; Sandy (Acoustic); Then Now Always (Dolphin Days); We’re Through; Blowin’ In The Wind; Long Cool Woman. Interval. I Can’t Let Go; Jennifer Eccles; Sorry Suzanne; Yes I Will; One Way Ticket; I’m Alive; Look Through Any Window; I Can’t Tell The Bottom From The Top (Acoustic Solo); Listen To Me-Hey Willy-Gasoline Alley Bred; Weakness; Lucille; Carrie Anne; Stop Stop Stop; The Air That I Breathe; Encores: He Ain’t Heavy; Let Love Pass. Thanks to John who sent me the old 60s programme pictured here. Now thats a concert I wish I had attended 🙂
Posts Tagged ‘music’
7 May
The Hollies 2005, 2006 and 2007
5 May
The Hollies Sunderland Empire 2001
The Hollies Sunderland Empire 2001
The Hollies decided to continue when Allan Clarke retired, and the replacement was announced as being Carl Wayne, the 60s pop star who had been front man in the Move, and had also been an actor in the midlands soap Crossroads. I wasn’t sure how well this would wrk at first, but had to go along to see the band and find out how Carl shaped up. The first chance we got to see the Hollies with Carl was when they visited the Sunderland Empire theatre in 2001. I went along with Marie, and as soon as Carl took to the stage with the Hollies it was clear that he was an excellent choice as lead vocalist and front man. He was an experienced professional and had the stage presence and professionalism to take on the role. His singing was also excellent and suited the Hollies songs. The set consisted of the usual hits, along with favourites Soldier Song, Butterfly, The Baby, and Too Young to be Married. Covers included Blowing in the Wind from the Hollies sing Dylan album which brought back memories of seeing the band play that track during a Hollies TV special in the 60s, Peggy Sue Got Married from their Buddy Holly album which featured the band singing and playing along with the voice of Buddy Holly, and Blackbird by the Beatles. 
The arrival of Carl Wayne in the band also allowed the band to extend their set further, including a couple of Move tracks Flowers in the Rain, and my favourite Blackberry Way. They went a step further (and possibly a step to far :)) and included Tiger Feet from bass player Ray Stiles’ old band Mud. A great show, the Hollies proving that they were very much still a great live active, and Carl Wayne acquitting himself well. Setlist: I’m Alive; Here I Go Again; Jennifer Eccles; Just One Look; On a Carousel; Soldier Song; Bus Stop; Flowers in The Rain; Butterfly; I Can’t Let Go; The Baby; Blowing In The Wind. Interval. Stay; Sorry Suzanne; Yes I Will; Look Through Any Window; Peggy Sue Got Married; Blackbird; We’re Through; Too Young to be Married; Carrie Anne; Stop Stop Stop; The Air That I Breathe; Blackberry Way; Tiger Feet; Long Cool Woman In a Black Dress. Encore: He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother; It’s In Every One Of Us. The last encore was It’s In Everyone Of Us, a David Pomeranz song which featured in the Dave Clark musical Time, and was recorded by the Hollies on their album 5317704 (hOLLIES upside down in digital number view). Ray, Carl and Tony performed the song a cappella with Bobby standing behind looking on, which was a great end to the set. The band have continued to end their set in a similar way with an a cappella version of the song Let Love Pass. “It’s in everyone of us, To be wise, Find your heart, Open up both your eyes, We can all know everything, Without ever knowing why, It’s in everyone of us, By and by and…”
4 May
The Hollies Sunderland Empire in the 90s
The Hollies Sunderland Empire in the 90s
The Hollies toured quite regularly in the 80s and 90s often calling at Sunderland Empire theatre. By 1991 the line up had stabilised to original members Allan Clarke (vocals), Tony Hicks (guitar) and Bobby Elliott (drums), alongside Alan Coates (vocals, guitar), Ray Stiles (ex-Mud, bass) and Ian Parker (keyboards). Stiles and Parker remain in the band to this day. The set during those days continued to focus on the many hits, alongside a few albums tracks and covers. Towards the end of the 90s it was widely reported that Allan Clarke’s wife was very ill with cancer, and he missed a few shows. John Miles stepped in at short notice and covered for Alan at a handful of shows (now that would have been interesting to see), and some shows were postponed and rescheduled. The Sunderland Empire show in 1999 was one gig which was affected. I received a call on the night of the show to tell me that it wasn’t happening. 
However it was rescheduled shortly afterwards. I went with David and I remember them playing After The Fox from the film of the same name, complete with Peter Sellers’ voice, which amused David. The Hollies continued to be professional and perfection itself in concert, playing all those great songs to sold out crowds. At the end of the tour Allan Clarke announced his retirement from the Hollies. It was generally felt that the band would find it difficult to continue without their lead vocalist. However, continue they did and in 2000 Alan was replaced by 60s star Carl Wayne of the Move. I saw the band a couple of times with Carl, and I’ll write on those gigs next. The Hollies setlist from 1999 was: Here I go again; Jennifer Eccles; Just one look; Sandy (Springsteen cover); Stay; After the fox; Bus stop; Running through the night (the B side of I’m Alive),
Not that way at all (the B side of Sorry Suzanne); Butterfly (this a beautiful sing from the album of the same name. I remember seeing Cilla Black sing this one on her TV show in the 60s!); Im alive, When I’m dead and gone; On a carousel; Interval.
I cant let go; Sorry Suzanne; Yes I will; King Midas in reverse; Were through; Peggy Sue got married (from their Buddy Holly album which was their latest at the time); Blackbird (a cover of the Beatles song)
; Look through any window; Carrie Anne; Stop Stop Stop; The air that I breathe; He Aint heavy; Maybe baby / Lets dance (rock n roll medley); Long cool woman.
3 May
The Hollies Middlesbrough Town Hall 1985
The Hollies Middlesbrough Town Hall 1985
The next time I saw the Hollies was at Middlesbrough Town Hall with my mate Dave. We had seats right up in the upper gallery. The place was packed and the band put on their usual top class show. As usual there was no support and two sets with an interval in the middle. The Hollies were having a bit of a resurgence in popularity, having hit the charts with the Holliedaze medley and completed a reunion tour of the USA with Graham Nash. 
A typical Hollies set in the 80s consisted of a selection of the hits: I Can’t Let Go; Just One Look; Bus Stop; On a Carousel; Look Through Any Window; Stop Stop Stop; Carrie Anne; Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress. They would also play some great album tracks such as the ballad Soldier’s Song (written by Mike Batt), Too Young to be Married (written and sung by guitarist Tony Hicks) and The Baby which was a single from the short period when Mikael Rickfors replaced Alan Clarke on vocals. The set would also feature a few covers including excellent versions of Springsteen’s Sandy and Prince’s Purple Rain. The last couple of songs would always be (of course) The Air That I Breathe and He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother. Great stuff.
2 May
The Hollies Newcastle Mayfair 1984
The Hollies Newcastle Mayfair 1984
I’ve been a big fan of the Hollies since I first heard those great singles in the 60s. Bus Stop was my favourite, but the band produced so many wonderful songs. Hollies Greatest Hits remains one of the album that I continue to play a lot to this day. It wasn’t until 1984, however, that I got to see them in concert. The Hollies played very few concerts in the UK in the 70s, and I certainly can’t remember them coming to the North East, so I was delighted when I spotted posters around Newcastle advertising the Mayfair gig. I went along with a friend to the Mayfair, looking forward to hearing all the old hits. In some ways The Mayfair was a strange venue for the Hollies to play, as it was usually host to heavy rock nights. For the Hollies the venue was transformed into a cabaret club, complete with older audience and chicken in the basket suppers. There was lots of dancing along to the hits (but not by us I am afraid 🙂 ). 
At the time of this gig the Hollies had just released a version of the Supremes Stop In the Name of Love, from the album What Goes Around, and the line-up featured original members Allan Clarke on vocals, Tony Hicks on guitar, and Bobby Elliott on drums, along with Alan Coates on guitar, Steve Stroud – bass, and Denis Haines on keyboards. The set featured all the hits, and the band were just great. Since that gig I have seen the Hollies lots of times, taking every opportunity I can to see them in concert. They never fail to impress me, their musicianship, harmonies and stage show are all just perfect, and they have such a rich back catalogue of songs to draw on. The programme pictured here is probably not from this gig, and is more likely to be from a later gig in the 80s or 90s. I have lots of Hollies programmes, and may not have managed to date them all correctly. I’ll blog more on the Hollies over the next few days.
1 May
Sensational Alex Harvey Band returns 2004
Sensational Alex Harvey Band returns 2004
I was in two minds about going to this gig and revisiting my memories of the great SAHB gigs I saw during the 70s. I’d seen a SAHB gig advertised at a pub in Felling and couldn’t quite believe the band had reformed without Alex. I didn’t go to that gig, but when I saw the band were touring in 2004 I couldn’t resist in the end. David was studying in Leeds at the time, and I’d already been to the Roscoe with him once to see the Groundhogs, so we decided to go along. The new band line up was the original SAHB band (Zal Cleminson guitar, Chris Glen bass, Hugh McKenna keyboards, and Ted McKenna drums), with the brave Max Maxwell on vocals and stepping into the big man’s shoes. 
The place was completely packed and the band got a great reception. Max did his own take on the songs, rather than trying to recreate Alex’s personna, which was probably the best way to approach it. Zal still had the make up. They played all the favourites that night. A live CD Zalvation: Live in the 21st Century was released a couple of years later, and includes the following tracks: Faith Healer; Midnight Moses; Swampsnake; Next; Isobel Goudie; Framed; Give My Compliments To The Chef; Man In The Jar; Hammer Song; Action Strasse; Vambo; Boston Tea Party; Delilah. The set that night was similar. It was good to see the old songs played again, and Max did a great job. But for me the night was tinged with sadness for the great man for wasn’t there and yet was as much there as any of us. PS note the typo on the ticket 🙂
30 Apr
SAHB without Alex Redcar Coatham Bowl 1977
SAHB without Alex Redcar Coatham Bowl 1977
In early 1977 Alex Harvey was busy producing an album Alex Harvey Presents: The Loch Ness Monster. The album is spoken word, apart from a very short track at the end, and features Alex interviewing locals and an eye witness about Nessy. The album is now very rare and quite sought after. While he was bust tracking down Nessy the rest of the band decided to record their own album and went on tour to promote. Several of the tracks on the album were instrumentals, and on those tracks which had vocals they were handled bu Hugh McKenna, Ted McKenna and Zal. Alex does not appear on the album, but he is pictured on the back tied up and gagged while the other four members sing into a microphone. A group of us went to Redcar on a Sunday night to see SAHB (without Alex), as they were billed. The gig was good and featured tracks from Fourplay. I remember hoping they would play some SAHB songs, but I guess I knew that wasn’t going to happen. Set list: Smouldering; Chase it into the night; Jungle Rub Out; Big Boy; Outer Boogie; Love You for a Lifetime; Young and Rich (a Tubes number); Stay (a Bowie number); Pick it up and kick it; Too much American Pie; Theme from King Kong. Encore: Zal’s Riff.
29 Apr
The New Alex Harvey Band Newcastle City Hall 1980
The New Alex Harvey Band Newcastle City Hall 1980
The last time I saw Alex Harvey in concert was at Newcastle City Hall in January 1980. Alex left SAHB in 1977, after their performance at the Reading Festival. He released a solo album, The Mafia Stole my Guitar, in 1979. This gig was announced at relatively short notice, with very little publicity. I went with Marie, unsure as to what to expect. The concert was very poorly attended with the crowd filling only the front section of the stalls. There can’t have been more than 200 people there. I read that at a gig at his home venue Glasgow Apollo the night before, they were giving tickers away in the street to try to fill the venue. Alex was dressed in a white jacket, black shirt and white tie; very much the gangster image. His band featured Matthew Cang on guitar, Simon Charterton on drums, Tommy Eyre (who had been a member of SAHB in the last days) on keyboards, Gordon Seller on bass and veteran sax and horns player Don Weller. The set was a mix of tracks from the new album and a few old favourites (Midnight Moses, Framed, Delilah I think) plus a couple of covers: Shaking All Over, and Just a Gigolo feature on the album, but I also recall Alex playing a couple of other older standards. As a performance it was ok, but I had the grandeur and madness of SAHB in my mind, and I’m afraid this didn’t compare to Alex’s past glories. A couple of years later Alex sadly passed away as a result of a heart attack after a gig in Belgium. He was 47. We will never see the like of Alex again. He was larger than life, crazy, without fear, and for a few short years SAHB were the best live act on the circuit, and were one of the bands who laid the foundations for the punk revolution which was to follow. Vambo Rool.
28 Apr
Sensational Alex Harvey Band on tour 1976
Sensational Alex Harvey Band on tour 1976
SAHB toured again in May 1976. I have a programme for the tour, which I think must have come from The Who concert that I attended at Charlton at the end of May 1976. SAHB shared the bill, headlined by The Who, with Little Feat, The Outlaws and Roger Chapman’s Streetwalkers. I’ll blog on that event when I come to cover The Who. I also have a vague memory of sneaking into the City Hall to see the encore of a SAHB gig at Newcastle City Hall that year. The band played two nights at the City Hall in early May as part of the tour, with support from Pat Travers. I didn’t buy a ticket (big mistake, in hindsight) as I knew I was going to see them at Charlton at the end of the month. I’d been out in Newcastle, and wandered along to the City Hall with a couple of mates. The gig was coming to an end and the doors were open to let people out. We wandered into the Hall and caught the band playing Delilah and The Faith Healer. The programme for the 1976 tour comes in the form of a comic book, complete with a free banger (see below) just like the ones that came free with our comics in the 60s. The cast was: The Teacher: Alex Harvey; The Actor: Zal Cleminson; The Punk: CHris Glen; The Buffer: Ted McKenna; The Professor: Hugh McKenna; Dr Killjoy: As himself. The story is Vambo v Dr Killjoy with, SAHB as superheroes saving the word through Vambo Rool! The story starts: “England is under the oppressive rule of Dr Killjoy – Sinister head of the Ministry of Boredom! His rule has ground the will from the people.” Vambo coming to the rescue…
Vambo, featured in the song Vambo Marble Eye, was a teenage punk and super hero of the future. When performing the song Alex would spray paint an imitation brick wall with the slogan ‘Vambo Rool.’ Alex and band were one of the best live bands around at the time, and certainly went down well with the Charlton crowd. I saw Alex and the guys once more after this tour, at the (very very muddy) Reading Festival 1977, which was their last live performance. Alex was reportedly not so well by that stage of their career, and it wasn’t their best gig, but still a strong point of the festival. I did see Alex once more in concert in 1980 and I’ll blog on that gig tomorrow. Typical setlist from the 1976 tour: Love Story, School’s Out, Tomahawk Kid, Isobel Goudie, Dance to you Daddy, Amos Moses, Framed, Midnight Moses, Vambo Marble Eye. Encore: Delilah, The Faith Healer.
27 Apr
Sensational Alex Harvey Band Newcastle City Hall 1975
Sensational Alex Harvey Band Newcastle City Hall 1975
By the time of this gig SAHB had released four albums: Framed (1972); Next (1973); The Impossible Dream (1974) and Tomorrow Belongs to Me (1975). The band were at the top of their game and were selling out concert halls up and down the country. SAHB had graduated from playing the clubs to playing venues like the City Hall, but their show remained as crazy and intimate as ever. Seeing SAHB was very much a show, with Alex as Master of Ceremonies. The 1975 programme explains it well: “He [Alex[ class it simply a 1975 song-and-dance act, yet it inevitably comes off as something of a morality play. The show is often surreal, difficult to follow, but there emerges, beyond Harvey’s unadorned, solid presence (which suggest sailor, lion tamer, master of ceremonies) beyond the more defined roles (paperback detective, leather-jacketed, graffiti-scrawling, framed prisoner) and in paradoxical contrast to the blazing cynicism he projects, a clear and present appeal to sanity, to escape from the repression and yes, to respect for freedom. His warning: ‘Don’t pish in the water supply'”. 
Beneath all the show and bravado, Alex was a bit of a philosopher, and came over as an authentic, moralistic guy, a teacher, a role model, the older brother. He would tell us (in hos own words, also from the programme): “Dear Boys and Girls, As we start on our British tour – be good, don’t smash any windows or throw any rubbish. We look forward to seeing you because we love you and that’s why we don’t want you to get into any trouble, Love Alex xxxx”. So what we experienced in these concerts was part vaudeville, part morality lesson, part theatre, part madness, part proto-punk (and setting the scene for what was to come) and some great rock n roll music. We have never seen the like since and perhaps never will again. Yes it was that unique and ahead of its time. Setlist from 1975 (from Glasgow Apollo site): Faith Healer; Action Strasse; Tomahawk Kid; Give My Compliments To The chef; Delilah; The Tale Of The Giant Stone Eater; Vambo; Midnight Moses; Dance To The Music; Tomorrow Belongs To Me; Gang Bang; Framed
Vintagerock's Weblog. 