Review: Gun – Hombres

Originally published on 5D Blog:

Gun at Montrose Town Hall on Thursday 25th April 2024

Gun have a new album called Hombres, this is their 9th studio album. This event is on of a series of album launches arranged by Assai Record Stores, from whom I bought the package of a signed CD and the ticket. What a celebration it was, as the album has already reached number one in the Scottish UK album charts, and is in the top 10 for the UK charts! An amazing achievement for this marvellous band. Although they have been going since the late 80s this is the first time that have had such a good response to one of their albums. Judging from the joy and sheer emotion on stage last night, they are eternally grateful to all their fans for this long awaited acknowledgement!

Gun Hombres album launch in Montrose — Gun in Montrose

It was not your usual concert: there was no support act, we were told what time the band were coming on stage, and there was no bar. Just a merchandise stall and a room full of fans. I had taken my son, and his friend from school, with me for the evening. This friend had never been to a concert before and it has to be said that this was a nice way to first experience live music. It was not a huge arena tour with too many people and all the shenanigans that goes on with such events. I was not sure what he would make of it but was given a thumbs up very early on, and he assured me afterwards that he had loved it. We did hang around at the end and the band members were really patient, posing for photos with the boys and Paul even ran off back to the stage to find two drum sticks for them – and didn’t object when he was then presented with a Sharpie and asked to sign them! What amazing mementos of a special night and I’m sure they will be treasured, especially as the friend does actually play drums.

The setlist was a little shorter than a normal concert but I had thought it was just going to be the new album, so was happy to get some old songs mixed in. We started with Lucky Guy from the new album, the older songs were All Fired Up, Steal Your Fire and the encore was Shame.

There was quite a lot of chat in between the songs. Dante explained how much this album meant to them, that some of the songs were written in lockdown, and here they were with a hit record! It was also a special gig for Ruaraidh (Roo) the guitarist as he grew up in Montrose and we were told about when he did not even make the top seven of a talent show at school! Things have certainly come full circle and it was lovely to find out at the end that the band had actually been into the school during the day and some of the kids had been invited along to sound check earlier in the evening and were enjoying the concert and seeing where one of their fellow pupils had ended up in the spotlight. Roo did an amazing guitar solo, hopefully inspiring the next generation of rock band members.

One of the songs had featured in a Samuel L Jackson movie, and Dante explained that You Are What I Need was also supposed to be used in a scene where he gets drunk, but unfortunately it was cut from the actual movie. Dante thought this was quite unfortunate as it was a perfect song for this scene, and we all enjoyed it anyway. I might need to see the movie at some point.

Falling is Dante’s favourite song from this album, Jools wrote the chorus and verse in lockdown and took it to his house and he loved it so much he just wanted left alone to work on it. Many of the songs from this album were written during the pandemic when no one knew what would happen moving forward, or when bands would be able to tour again and share the live music experience with their fans, which somehow made this amazing evening even more enjoyable and special.

Further information .

Personal note: I took Owen and his school friend to this concert with me as Sonic PR were kind enough to give me two free tickets when I offered to review it with the ticket I bought. The friend had never been to a concert before and when asked what music he liked said Frank Sinatra. Bit different! He loved it though and we had a great night.

At the end I suggested we hang around in case the band members came out and we were able to get a photo with each of them, which was brilliant. When we asked Paul for a photo he insisted on going and getting a pair of drumsticks for the boys so we asked him to sign them – what a memento to go home with from your first gig!!

Review: Eric Cantona

Originally published on 5D Blog:

Eric Cantona at P&J Live, Aberdeen on Saturday 13th April 2024

When the “Cantona sings Eric” tour was announced, my Manchester United loving son immediately asked to go. This is one of the team’s legendary players coming to our town. The fact it was a concert was intriguing – can he sing? What does he play? Rumours that he is actually a very talented musician and plays lots of instruments were heard, someone said he had been on television but mumbled and his diction was not great. We decided to go along with an open mind and see what happened.

This concert is the first which has been held in Conference Suite 2 of the P&J Live, which is a smaller room upstairs. We calculated there were about 300 seats laid out and were thrilled to find we were really not far from where the instruments were all sitting on the stage. It is always nice to get up close and personal with musicians.

Eric Cantona supported by Concrete Kid at P&J Live — Conference Suite 2 concert layout

The support was a man, with headphones and an antenna, called Concrete Kid. He told us we could call him Joe and that his antenna brings the band to the speakers so we could hear it too. There was him, a guitar and lots of pedals he played with his feet. He did some very enjoyable songs including Summer Pearl, The Colour Green (the lighting changed to green for this one) and The Rebirth. Song For The Lonely is about when you are a parent and get to enjoy one of those rare moments when you are in the house alone in the evening and everyone is asleep and no one is asking questions. We got to sing along with Glorious Sun, he taught us the lyric “set sail to the glorious sun” and trusted us to do it twice in each chorus. He does swear a lot in person, and even in some of the songs, but his Glaswegian accent does not come through in his singing. He has some gorgeous lyrics, I totally recommend you looking him up on streaming platforms and giving him a follow on Instagram, where he describes himself as a psychedelic cowboy.

Julien Perraudeau the pianist, and Jeff Assy, a cellist, take to the stage to start with and play some atmospheric music before the man himself takes to the microphone. The stage set up is simple, the grand piano to the left, the cello to the right with Eric in the middle spotlight.

He comes on in a casual black suit, then adds a hat, and soon removes the jacket. I wonder if the red Cat boots are a nod to his past team. Certainly some of the audience are football fans with shouts of “ooh aah Cantona”, “Cantona is God” and “we love you Eric”. There was a very happy lady in the second row when he replied “I love you too”.

There is a playlist on Spotify of “Cantona sings Eric – First Tour Ever (Live)” if you would like to have a taste of what we heard. There was very little chat between songs and usually it was some of the lyrics of the upcoming song, or telling us about a song, such as the one in Spanish being about leaving a lady he loved. One song was written a few months ago but unfortunately the situation is the same, or worse, in Palestine. This invoked some chanting of “free Palestine”. His songs about love did not sound very different to those about war, they mostly have a “tortured soul” vibe: atmospheric and sung with so much feeling and emotion. Eric’s hands moved with the lyrics, fist punching the air on occasion, totally living his lyrics.

The set list for the evening includes 19 songs, but we did not get the encore. It did seem fitting to finish after You’ll Never See Me Again, and my son was thrilled to get pointed at as he filmed Eric singing I Want To See You. That was sent to his Dad and Grandda straight away! The Friends We Lost brought a lump to my throat, as who has not lost friends recently. The lyric that jumped out at me was “Laugh and drink with the vampires, The friends we lost”. Eric Cantona’s lyrics are thought provoking and obviously he has always had his own way of articulating things. Anyone who heard his UEFA Champions League draw speech in 2019 will be aware of this already. Widely labelled “bizarre”, the speech finished with: “Only accidents, crimes, wars, will still kill us but unfortunately, crimes and wars, will multiply. I love football.”

I can confirm that Eric did not play any instruments himself, although he did whistle during Of The Sun. Some of his lyrics were hard to hear properly, partly due to the lovely French accent and partly due to singing in three different languages, sometimes it was the sheer emotion smothering the words. However, even if this had not been a football god singing to us, we agreed that it was a unique and enjoyable experience. Obviously some people were only there to be in the same room as Cantona, but looking at it as a musical performance, it was really good. Julian and Jeff are very talented musicians and the trio work well together, totally coordinated and complementing each other. We would have been disappointed if this great man had come out and covered some pop songs, this was the creative side of Eric Cantona.

There are still many dates ahead of them in this tour, and I hope everyone enjoys it as much as we did.

Future tickets.

Review: Lulu

Originally published on 5D Blog featuring photography by Dod Morrison Photography:

Champagne for Lulu at Music Hall, Aberdeen on Sunday 7th April 2024

Champagne for Lulu tour with Rachael Sage and Will Wilde — Lulu’s champagne

Advertised as “with special guests” we started the evening with Rachael Sage, a singer/songwriter from New York. She played brightly coloured guitars and a keyboard adorned with flamboyant scarves, in a brightly coloured outfit topped off with a floral headband. She was accompanied by Will Wilde on harmonica, apparently they wrote Sleep When I’m Tired together in lockdown – her in New York and him in Brighton! Rachael has a very unique sound, as well as looks, which includes clicking her fingers right by the microphone on occasion, and one song was her singing along to just claps. Her song Alive was dedicated to anyone going through challenging times, she wrote it to celebrate being in remission for cancer, 5 years and counting!

Lulu bounded onto the stage, after some footage of her career showed on the big screen, to the hit song Shout. She then introduced her little sister Edwina and they performed Heatwave, before Edwina moved to the backing singer microphone to one side. We then got the start of Lulu’s story of her life, from growing up in Glasgow, to being in a Sidney Poitier movie aged 16, to marrying a Bee Gee, to working with Elton John. She told us of so many pinch yourself moments in her life and how lucky she was, although she never mentioned how talented she is.

The Champagne for Lulu tour is to be her last tour, at 75 years of age, with a 60 year career of singing she thinks its time for saying goodbye to the road. She earned the champagne though, what a career and what a show! Each song was hand picked for a particular reason that she wanted to share it with her fans on this last hurrah. The production of the show was amazing, three of the songs saw her dueting with singers of the past – them on the big screen and her in front of it in full bouncy 3D! We had footage from the TV show An Audience With Lulu when she sang with Maurice Gibb of the Bee Gees, after their divorce. She sang along, sat at the side watching the clip with us. There was similar for The Man Who Sold The World with footage of David Bowie on stage singing, and she brought it to life for us. The videographer had both live Lulu and recorded Bowie on the big screen singing away to each other, it was rather surreal. A proper pinch yourself moment for some of us in the audience, or hairs on the back of your neck at least. The third was Tina Turner with I Don’t Wanna Fight, which she used at the end of her autobiographical movie. This was a world wide hit and happened after Lulu’s song writer brother assured her she could write her own songs – totally proving his point!

Other clips were shown on the back screen, we had Eurovision footage whilst Lulu sang her winning song Boom Bang A Bang from 1969 and there was a most splendid James Bond montage whilst she sang The Man With A Golden Gun. There were also gorgeous light effects with pretty patterns on the roof, not just focusing on the stage. It was quite an immersive experience.

There were many moving moments through the night as Lulu talked, and sang, us through her life story. She loves performing and sharing moments with an audience, and this was not just idle words, you could see it and feel it in her and the audience responded in the most amazing way. There were a few times she needed a moment to compose herself and we just clapped and cheered until she was ready to carry on, pulling her through and willing her on to the next hit! Her sister also helped a few times with some of the singing – the show must go on!

There was another special guest at the end of the first half when Nathan Evans treated us to a wee sea shanty, followed by a duet with Lulu for Scotland Is A Place Called Home. He was really quite brilliant too. Unfortunately Ronan Keating and Take That did not turn up but their songs were included. We’ve Got Tonight was performed with Lulu’s musical director and keyboard player singing Ronan’s part. When we got to Relight My Fire, the audience was on their feet dancing along, videoing clips and just having the time of their life – just like Lulu said she wanted to do with her final tour.

By the end of the night everyone was on their feet, applauding forever, loving this “wee lass from Scotland” with all our hearts. What a life she has had and what a night she gave us. A truly memorable experience that is one to Shout about, because Oh Me Oh My that girl deserves all the champagne she can get!

Further information.

Personal note: I did not want to go and see Lulu, I thought she had an annoying squeaky voice, but Dod told me we had to get passes and so I applied. I take it all back, as I said in my review, she was amazing. We all had a wonderful, amazing night and it was such an honour to meet her afterwards. Poor gal must have been knackered after 2 hour long sets but she still chatted, posed, took our selfies and we each got something signed. A true professional and now firmly in my heart. I LOVE LULU!!!

Review: CCR

Originally published on 5D Blog:

Clearwater Creedence Revival at Music Hall, Aberdeen on Sunday 31st March 2024

Advertised as the “Bayou Country” 40th Anniversary Tour with very special guests we were interested to find the support band were Man of the World: the Music of Peter Green. I enjoy Fleetwood Mac songs so was happy listening to some of their songs by these 4 talented musicians, including Remi Harris on the guitar. The lead singer played the bongo drums, a tambourine and the harmonica during their set. Oh Well and Shake Your Money Maker were especially enjoyable.

There was quite a break before the tribute band to world acclaimed rock group Creedence Clearwater Revival took to the stage. Despite some technical issues with the sound, the careful named Clearwater Creedence Revival gave an outstanding performance of some of those much loved songs. It started with Proud Mary and included Run Through the Jungle, Who’ll Stop the Rain, Cotton Fields and Down On The Corner. Graham Pollock on guitar took the microphone at one point to sing his favourite John Foggerty song Almost Saturday Night, and told us he was normally a butcher!

Lead vocals are by the formidable character of Peter Barton (previously of The Animals), with Alan Sagar on bass, whilst Geoff Hammond plays the drums. During the instrumental of the band’s version of Marvin Gaye’s Heard It Through the Grapevine Geoff played the balcony, a speaker and anything else he could hit with sticks! Utter genius of a drummer!

The audience was varied, from some young lads to many of the older generation. There were some people there with their parents, there were couples, several groups, and many were drinking happily. Unfortunately the ensuing trips to the bar and loo were rather distracting for those of us who wanted to just sit and watch the band. I’ve never seen such an active audience in a seated concert!

There was very much a party atmosphere and everyone was there to enjoy the music come what may. The set ended with the amazing Fortune Son and Have You Ever Seen the Rain, by which time we were all on our feet dancing and clapping. As someone born too late to see the original band I am grateful for the opportunity to experience their songs live by these brilliant musicians who pay homage to their twisted namesake in the best way possible!

Further information: https://www.manoftheworldmusic.com/ and https://www.aberdeenperformingarts.com/whats-on/clearwater-creedence-revival-bayou-country-40th-anniversary-tour-very-special-guests/

Review: The Blockheads

Originally published on 5D Blog:

The Blockheads at the Lemon Tree, Aberdeen on Sunday 10th March 2024

Photos on 5D by J N Photography Aberdeen.

Sons of Descent were the support band, and were 3 well dressed gentlemen from Edinburgh. They were perhaps “an acquired taste” with a very electronica sound and some rather blunt lyrics. The set included songs: Look at the Sky, Your Lips Were Warm and Access is Denied – if their names are the most repeated phases. I actually quite enjoyed the latter and maybe would acquire a taste for them if I spent more time listening to them. I did almost buy their Know My Name t-shirt as it was rather cool, and only £5, they made a point of telling us about their very cheap merchandise…special deal of two for a tenner apparently…

The Blockheads supported by Sons of Descent — Sons of Descent

There’s always some songs that you think would be great to hear live and Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick is one that’s always been in my head as a prime suspect. Unfortunately I missed seeing the original line up with Ian Dury singing before he passed away 20 years ago but tonight was my chance to experience it live, with the rest of the band. My friend thought that Ian’s son was the new singer but it turned out to be Mike Bennett, who did a fantastic job, with great vocals. He had quite a stage presence and got the crowd going with yells of Oy Oy!

The band came on doing an instrumental and were captivating from the start. Dave the saxophonist was absolutely amazing – even playing two saxophones at once at one point. I do have a soft spot for a sax but he was outstanding. We had various hits from through the years such as Wake Up and Make Love With Me, Billericay Dickie, Reasons to be Cheerful (part 3!) and the controversial (banned by the BBC) Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll. It was an energetic and highly enjoyable set by some very talented musicians. There seemed to be a good camaraderie between the original members and Mike, although Ian has been gone for over 20 years unbelievably so he has had time to settle in!

I sang along to a few songs, jiggled around for most of the set and was joyous for the whole of Hit Me! It did not disappoint at all, although it was followed by a lullaby sounding Sleep Francis that had me worrying about driving home! Understandably they did not leave us on that quiet note, the whole place went mental when we were asked if there were any Blockheads in, by that part of the set we were ALL Blockheads. The last song was an amazing amount of energy and enthusiasm across the whole room and the applause was plentiful!

Further information.

Review: Nathan Carter

Originally published on 5D Blog:

Nathan Carter at the Music Hall on Thursday 7th March 2024

Photography on 5D by Dod Morrison Photography .

Advertised as Nathan Carter and his band, this concert is booked for two nights in the Music Hall which is other unusual for a singer. I was intrigued to see what this show would bring and we were not disappointed, the band are fantastic with five very talented musicians, and Nathan’s voice is quite something! He played accordion for many of the songs, whilst dancing around, and treated us to a few songs on the piano as well (in the second half he even had a sparkly jacket to coordinate with the piano!).

Born in Liverpool to Irish descent, Nathan performs a mixture of traditional Irish songs, some Country and Western music, and because he was in Scotland we got Caledonia and some other Scottish songs. There really was something for everyone, including Ronan Keating’s Say Nothing At All and the encore included Walk the Moon’s Shut Up and Dance. Such a brilliant feel good party song, everyone was on their feet and left with huge smiles. Music often hits an emotional note and this concert was no different Nathan spoke about his Nan, who is with him on tour, and then an instrumental was Lord of the Dance, which was played at my Nanny’s funeral and brought a wee lump to my throat. He also did the very moving Dear Elizabeth which he wrote based on a 200 year old letter from his ancestor Jack. My favourite song was definitely the last song before the interval, but I will leave you to discover what that is when you catch the tour! It really demonstrated his vocal range and just took your breath away.

Nathan Carter with Frankie — Nathan Carter’s stage set up

The production was very well done, they had the traditional “big band” idea of having the supporting musicians up on a stage behind the singer’s head. We even had a guitarist standing on the piano at one point to give us a solo in the spotlight! The lights were always on the person or people playing, and were very well done with pretty patterns on the roof, and different colours to suit the songs. The crew obviously knew what they were doing just as well as Nathan Carter and his band members.

Behind Nathan were big light up letters of his first name, in the modern fashion, so we could not forget that we were watching Nathan! When each musician had a solo they came down to the same level as Nathan, at one point I commented to my friend that the fiddler must get his steps in over the evening because he was up and down the stairs like a yoyo! I think once he actually missed his cue, the camaraderie between the band members was visible and you could see that they were having a laugh as they performed.

There were a few funny moments, such as when one of the song lyrics mentioned old people and the spotlight went on to the guitarist who is obviously a little older than the other members of the band. Nathan himself is incredibly fresh faced and young looking, although we did resist buying a cardboard cut out of him, or the calendar where he is in bed on the front cover! Certainly a lot of people had made purchases from the very varied merchandise stall, with several people sporting the pink cowboy hats with his initials on the front! We did grab a selfie with his lorry, which is definitely a first in my concert addicted life!

The tour continues to various other dates in Scotland and England and it’s definitely a night out worth experiencing – great fun, great energy and it was not just the three-year-old girl (who was at her first concert and got a shout out from Nathan himself) that left with a smile on her face. She and her father were on the front row and he was holding her up in his arms for the encore, when we were all on our feet, and her little face showed she was having the time of her life!

You could do too, if you get tickets now!

Further information.

Review: Rick Astley

Originally published on 5D Blog:

Rick Astley at OVO Hydro in Glasgow on Tuesday 27th February 2024

When your son is keen to go to a concert for “that one song” it’s hard not to be dubious about the cost of the tickets. However when it’s Rick Astley (whom you have loved since the 80s) and the support acts are The Lottery Winners (who I have been wanting to see for ages) and Belinda Carlisle (who, let’s face it, everybody loves – especially my husband apparently) it becomes an easier decision.

The Are We There Yet? tour was only hitting Glasgow in Scotland, so it meant a family road trip and a day off work and school. This, of course, added to the attraction, especially for the younger member of the family. OVO Hydro is such a spectacular venue we were all happy to go back there for another evening of fun, and even managed to get tickets in our preferred area – on the second level, close to the front – so you get a good clear view over everyone’s head. This is important when one of you is a little shorter than the others and his young ears also prefer not to be too close to the incredibly loud speakers.

Rick Astley supported by Belinda Carlisle and The Lottery Winners at OVO Hydro — Family selfie with the stage behind

The Lottery Winners were first up, the lead singer is quite a character and a bit of a comedian so their set was a lot of fun. He asked us to treat him like a rockstar and scream and shout when he came on stage, which admittedly only worked to a certain level as a lot of people had not bothered to come that early – more fool them. During the interval I commented to my boys that I would love a system where people who were keen to see a lesser known support band could use the empty seats down the front to fill the space before the seat’s bookers arrived. Highly impractical but would add to the experience for those of us that never want to miss “the next big thing”, and for the band, who currently look out on empty seats!

Thom Rylance explained to us that he suffers AC/DC… oh no he meant ADHD, and that he wishes his younger self could know that he would get to play the Hydro, even if he was not the headliner, yet. He then sang us his Letter to Myself, which he penned to his teenage self to let him know some of the life lessons he has since learnt. He told us about their album Anxiety Replacement Therapy doing well in the charts, and paying for his go pro style video which he used during the next song. We got taught to sing along to Much Better which was a really feel good song and we sang along to the chorus with big grins.

Next up was the stunning and amazing Belinda Carlisle. Unfortunately she has already danced too much on the tour and needs a knee operation so was trying to sit on a stool. She obviously loves dancing though, so I just hope her doctor wasn’t in the audience to see how little she sat on the stool! She still gave an amazing performance, every song was a hit that we all knew and loved. We were all singing along joyously, watching her shimmer and shine on the stage. Her set was: We Want The Same Thing, Big Big Love (her latest song and well worth checking out), I Get Weak, Circle in the Sand, Summer Rain, Live Your Life Be Free, Leave a Light On and ended with the epic Heaven is a Place on Earth.

The production on this tour was quite something else, with big screens at the back and special effects showing the artists and their musicians from different angles as the show went on. There were not any pyrotechnics or crazy flashy lights but your eyes were drawn to the stage at all times, except during Cry For Help when we all lit up our phone torches and made a magically sparkly room full of lights. One very lovely touch that he did have, which I have not seen before, was a lady signing everything he said and sang. I actually found myself watching her some of the time, although I cannot read sign language. Accessibility is important these days and although I am sure deaf people would have felt the beat it is lovely to think they could also enjoy the stories and the lyrics.

Rick Astley took to the stage amid a crescendo of screaming and clapping. He had quite a line up of musicians with him, who also turned out to be very talented, each with their own speciality. He took us for a journey through some of his newer songs, some of his older songs and yes at the very very end we were “there yet” and did get the classic Never Gonna Give You Up! It was worth waiting for, and the run up to it was equally as enjoyable, although I didn’t know the words of his newer songs to sing along. It was only when double checking a set list online to write this that I realised that the “real love” that I heard was actually Maria Love! He did know I was there after all, another song about myself to add to a very self centred playlist that includes Blondie and Santana.

One of my favourite songs is She Wants to Dance with Me which, unfortunately for me, was hijacked part way through by the two backing singers and merged into Juice. As fabulous as Andrea Grant and Dawn Joseph are, they were not who I had gone to see perform that song, but it gave a unique mix version. We did get two covers: As it Was by Harry Styles and Highway to Hell, the AC/DC song that Rick has become well-known for doing. He did explain that he keeps trying to find different cover songs that suit his current lineup, but they keep going back to this one and I certainly wasn’t complaining! It was much better seeing it live than watching it on Youtube. He also told us that his daughter is getting married to Paul from Glasgow soon, and we all gave Paul a very loud cheer, poor chap!

Rick said that most of his songs have been written for his wife and that he realised after writing it that Driving Me Crazy could be taken in a different way than he had written and intended it to be taken. It is a fabulous song and I am sure Mrs Astley took it the right way as she will know him better than any of us screaming fans in the audience! Each of the musicians got a chance to do a solo and get a name check. We had Simon Merry on drums, Adam Evans on guitar, Rob Taggart on keyboards and Julian Cox on bass, not forgetting Jim Knight, Barnaby Dickinson and George Hogg in the brass trio. They each had a go on one of the spotlight stages at the side of the main stage at some point too so the audience down the front got a better look at them! All very carefully choreographed.

At the end of the concert my son commented that he knew more of Belinda’s songs then Rick Astley’s but he had enjoyed both of the sets. He even got his phone out to take a little video during the last song, which is high praise indeed from a hooded teenager.

Part of me thinks this should not have been advertised as Belinda supporting Rick, they are both amazing singers who many of us have loved since the 80s and grown up listening to their songs. However I do not think anyone will grudge Rick Astley taking the leading light. He has proven that he is more than “that one song” and demonstrated what a fabulous musician and singer he is. Did any of us know he could play drums before his Glastonbury performance last year, but apparently his Dad got him a drum kit as a child, presumably the guitar actually came later. Rick Astley put on an amazing performance, it was a fabulous show. We all went away singing, with huge smiles on our faces and memories that will never die. What more can you ask for?

Further information including future tour dates .

Review: Four Seasons Show

Originally published on 5D Blog:

The Best of Frankie Valli with Gareth Gates at Music Hall, Aberdeen on Saturday 20th January 2024

From the publicity for this event I presumed it was Gareth Gates as the star of the show performing Frankie Valli songs. However the Four Seasons Show is far more than that, it is four very talented singers – from the Jersey Boys musical – performing Four Seasons songs, with Gareth Gates covering some of the ones that do not feature Frankie Valli’s falsetto parts. We were treated to Jordan Calloway, Luke Race, Tristan Ward and Damion Scarcella – who really could hit those high notes! Tristan covered the lower end of the scale and the four of them were fabulous together. Such a camaraderie, they really seemed to be having fun on stage, and made for some perfect harmonies.

Four Seasons Show featuring Gareth Gates at Music Hall — Four Seasons Show with Gareth Gates

Obviously adding a well known name from the television brings in a bigger audience, and maybe bypasses some people’s aversion to “tribute bands” and Gareth Gates is a marvellous singer. He did treat us to Unchained Melody, as one of the songs he was best remembered for. The duet that he and Damion Scarcella did of Fallen Angels brought tears to my eyes, and not just because they explained that was a song the Frankie Valli character in Jersey Boys sings after talking about losing his beloved daughter.

The five singers each took a turn in the spotlight, each telling us a different part of the Four Seasons story as they moved through an extensive set list of all their amazing songs. A number of times I found myself thinking “I love this song…oh this is them too?!” They nicely tied some of the stories into Gareth Gate’s participation as well. At one point we were told he would sing us a song if someone could answer a simple question about him, when was he born? One keen fan got this right and there was discussion of movies from the 80s (no I am not giving you the answer in case you go to see the show!) They mentioned one of my favourites Back to the Future and then he sang the song that features in the school dance Earth Angel. We also got Grease, and Big Girls Don’t Cry as seen in Dirty Dancing, the band’s songs were popular for movies in the 80s!

Having seen the Jersey Boys previously I am aware of the story of the band and how they started singing a cappella under a street light and progressed from there to fame and glory. This show also gives some of the stories behind the song lyrics, such as Bob Gaudio having a poor girl begging at his car stopped at traffic lights. He only had a fifty dollar note and a one dollar so gave her the fifty and her entire face lit up, this lead to him going straight to the studio and writing Rag Doll. Frankie Valli apparently commented he would have just given her the smaller note and this popular song would never have happened.

There were also 4 talented musicians performing each song live behind the singers, including fabulous Viki Calver on keyboard with a sparkly dress to match the singers snappy tuxedos (including a few costume changes: black, yellow, blue and white!). Some of us spoke to Viki when she was loading her keyboard into the car, with Adam Chinery and his guitar, to drive south. The next night they were down to Wolverhampton, then back to Ayr next week, more dates in England and then Glasgow a week later. There are a lot of miles being covered for this tour, and if you get the chance to catch it please do take the opportunity. You will not replace it. I doubt there are any people who do not know Four Seasons songs, my friend and I were singing along to a few – and delighting in the enjoyment of the chap over the aisle from us who was literally dancing ecstatically in his seat.

I think we were all relieved when we got the chance to dance in the aisles towards the end, it was an absolutely feel good evening that left everyone smiling joyfully. The fact that the singers were all happy to pose for pictures with the few fans that waited for them to come out was also much appreciated, we have grown up with all these marvellous songs so they feel very much part of our lives, even if these were not the original chaps to sing them – they are well worthy of the magnificence!

Further information: https://fourseasonsshow.com/

Review: Skerryvore

Originally published on 5D Blog with Skerryvore photos by JN Photography Aberdeen:

Skerryvore at Music Hall, Aberdeen on Saturday 30th December 2023

Intrigued by the support band as previous nights had Manran or The Eves, both of which I am a fan of, I was delighted to get there and find it was Nati Dreddd. I have been following her on Facebook for a while, but not had the chance to experience live before, having missed her recent Older tour. This loan singer gave us a lovely some really nice songs, mostly of her own material, including 5 More Minutes, This Town and Stay. Her set included a rather interesting cover, which was slightly unexpected considering the rest of her material, but certainly raised some smiles across the room and yes we did sing along to I’m Horny! Nati was accompanied by Kieran on drums and Ben on keyboard and did a great job of warming up the audience.

Nati Dredd supporting Skerryvore — Nati Dreddd

Skerryvore came on stage following flashing lights and a ticking countdown of anticipation and excitement. Although I knew I had seen Skerryvore before I was surprised on checking back and finding that it was as long ago as 2010! At the now defunct music festival T in the Park my friend and I had gone into a ceilidh tent to dry out and try to warm up, only to find Skerryvore definitely livening up the crowd.

What a vibe! What a fun time you have watching this band. It contains some very talented guys who cannot only play the bagpipes, which alluded me as a youngster, but play other instruments as well – whilst jumping up and down and totally getting the crowd going. The fiddle player Craig Espie is amazing, although I take credit for not maiming the people behind us that were talking about tamagotchi during his amazing solo. If you just want to talk please stay in the pub or wait until the gig is over, this is definitely one of my pet hates, but especially when its during a quieter instrumental when the chatter can overcome the actual music that we all go to concerts for.

Skerryvore at the Music Hall — Skerryvore in the Music Hall

This band is a unique mix of the rocky electric guitar, massive drums, and the shiny base guitar of a rock band mixed with very traditional instruments of our country: the bagpipes, fiddle and accordion. One minute we are bouncing about like crazy, the next listening wistfully to the thoughtful lyrics. Alec Dalglish writes the lyrics as well as playing lead guitar and is a force to be reckoned with. Sometimes he seems quite insignificant in-between the unmissable pipers Martin Gillespie and Scott Wood but he really is essential, there was a lovely moment when he was in a central spotlight doing a wee solo and it was just captivating. When introducing the song Good Times Never Die he suggested we all remembered anyone we had lost during 2023 and dedicated the song to their special friend Bruce Guthro from Runrig who passed away in September. In Live Forever we were all singing along to the “forever” and “together”s even if we did not know the other words. I especially enjoyed Happy To Be Home and Take My Hand. I love dancing with my husband and slipped my hand into his during this song and had one of those special moments when you just feel totally in tune with your partner and know everything is well. The power of music never ceases to amaze and overwhelm me.

There was a young boy up in the balcony who got a shout out as it was his first concert, every time I glanced up he was bouncing away on a knee from the party he was with, looking utterly ecstatic. At the end Fraser West was careful to throw one of his drum sticks up to them which is a wonderful momento of your first concert, and what a great choice of bands to experience. This was their last live concert of the year and they very nearly took the roof off the Music Hall with their tremendous sound, and the very enthusiastic appreciation shown by the audience. At one point the band ended a song that we had been encouraged to sing along to the “oo”s and the crowd just kept going, unwilling for the joy to end – until the band started back up again and we got another round of it! I think they were as happy as we were to keep it going, just a joyous moment!

An earlier incarnation of Skerryvore was called “Brois,” a Tiree Gaelic word which translated to “a complete cock up”. After spending an evening with them it is safe to confirm they were utterly correct to change their name to the name of a lighthouse as it is far more indicative of the bright stars that they are.

Further information on Nati Dreddd and Skerryvore

Review: The View

Originally published on 5D Blog with photos by JN Photography.

The View at P&J Live, Aberdeen on Saturday 16th December 2023

For this tour the headliners have carefully chosen some emerging artists to support them, which is a wonderful chance for these newer acts to get the chance to reach a bigger audience. The first support of the evening in Aberdeen was Ben Walker, a young and enthusiastic lad from Montrose. His songs included Just A Boy, which was written in the pub near his home when he went back after university; his latest song Sixteen, and Great Escape, which was only written last week. He said they would only play part of it as the band had not had long to learn it but they did a great job, you really would not have known it was that new! Ben is playing his first headline gig in the new year and starting big at the auspicious King Tuts, which should be well worth a trip to Glasgow!

Ben Walker supporting The View in P&J Live, Hall C — Ben Walker, and his Hitlist t-shirt

Next was Daytime TV, we know that as they told us four times during the set as well as it being clearly on the front of their drum kit! They treated us to Up All Night, Block Out The Noise, Zombie and their new single Waves. They are very pleased this song is getting played on Radio One, and see themselves as “striding into being super famous”. They finished their set with Little Pictures, and encouraged everyone to go to the merchandise stall afterwards for t-shirts, vinyl and to make friends with them. If I had not claimed a premium spot at the front barrier I would have too! It would have been a great photo as they are rather unique dressers with quite a cool 80s vibe, (although I personally cannot stand white socks with black shoes!) The lead singer Will was in a sharp suit and shades, although he too was showing off his socks with cropped trousers, at least they were black! Certainly a band worth watching out for.

Daytime TV supporting The View in Hall C of P&J Live — Daytime TV

Disclaimer: I wrote the above about the support bands before The View came on stage, and before we knew that Kyle Falconer, their lead singer, was wearing long white socks with black shorts! I stick to my dislike of white socks, but there really is something to be admired about having the confidence to come out like that; with his very pale Scottish legs, he is the epitome of rockstarness! Yes he is now a dad and the band has been reported as all being a little bit more sensible for this tour. However The View are still everything you want from a rock band: energetic, enthusiastic and loud; with Kyle being a very bouncy force to be reckoned with!

The View in Hall C of P&J Live — The View

The View played a great set with many much loved classics alongside some of the new material, all performed with vigour and joy! The band were having as much fun as the rest of us and their enthusiasm came through in the performance. The set included How Long, Underneath the Lights, Tragic Magic, Anfield Row, and Face for the Radio. Kieren Webster the bass player took centre stage to sing a couple of songs including Realisation. Peter Reilly even started off Happy Birthday Phoebe for his girlfriend, which obviously we all eagerly joined in with. I especially enjoyed the song with the lyric “if you’re allergic to mornings wake up in the afternoon” and Kyle’s suggestion that surely that is what we all wish we could do, if only our workplaces would accept that as an excuse! Obviously their hit song Same Jeans was also fabulous to see live again. Unfortunately Kyle had some technical issues during it but his roadies handled it really well, and the crowd kept the singing going so there wasn’t any interruption of the set. Just another example of the love in a room that keeps things going with a live music experience. The kind of thing you just don’t get sitting on your sofa listening to Spotify! We were there, we lived that unique live version of that song, which makes it special to those in the room.

This concert was the first all standing event in Hall C of the P&J Live venue. I feel quite honoured to being at this historic event, and certainly must say it was a successful one! There were some great, Scottish, bands. The room worked really well, sound was great with good acoustics, and it didn’t take nearly as long to get out of the car park as it does when it is a big arena gig! The staff were friendly and helpful, ushering us in and out, and we even got free glasses of water down the front when the bouncing all got a bit too much for some of us! Two people did have to get taken out by security at the front barrier, I was glad I was on the not so bouncy side and so could just enjoy the music without being shoved around. Whatever the problem was, it dealt with quickly and effectively, so the rest of us were able to carry on having a great night!

Another body did go over the barrier, but this was at the end of the night. It was a young lad that was picked out of the crowd by Kyle for having been completely rocking out the entire night. He was invited to go backstage with his dad and get a setlist and meet the band! I saw his face as he headed round the back and that definitely made his year! A wonderful experience for a youngster, helping encourage the future generations to love live music as much as I do.

Further information: Ben Walker, Daytime TV and The View