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hollies Post subject: 2013


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Concert Reviews from 2013

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PostPosted:Fri Feb 08, 2013 19:58 pm
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hollies Post subject: Sydney State Theatre, Australia, 07/02/13 by Malcolm Rowney


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Before a sell out crowd at the Sydney’s prestigious State Theatre, the Hollies gave a consummate performance with a tremendously receptive and enthusiastic crowd. This was particularly exemplified with the spontaneous singing along to ‘Jennifer Eccles’ and at Peter’s urging in ‘Long Cool Woman’.

The Hollies had previously played at this venue in 1987 and this was my fifth Hollies concert after 1975, 1976, 1984 (twice). The State Theatre is a heritage listed venue and features Gothic, Italian and Art deco designs. It was opened in 1929 and its crowd capacity is 2,775. Tony and Peter both made complimentary remarks about the venue in their audience chats.

The pace of the show was judged to perfection with nary a dull moment as the band changed it up throughout the night with different permutations. These took the form of - full band (opening with a powerful rocker in ‘Curly Billy’), solo singer with own acoustic guitar accompaniment (Peter in such fine voice with strength and nuance in equal measure and deft guitar playing in ‘I Can’t Tell The Bottom From The Top’) and guitar band (sans keyboards) with Ray joining at the front centre of the stage, in between Steve and Tony for the medley.

Mesmerising solo instrumental introductions on electric sitar and banjo by Tony stood out. His prowess as a guitarist is undiminished. Bobby’s precise time keeping and percussive colour provides a solid core that underpins the band together with Ray’s impressive bass work.

There were a couple of light-hearted moments during the performance. Following Peter’s exit from the stage as Steve and Ray sang ‘King Midas in Reverse’, a paper aeroplane flew from stage right. It floated behind Tony and in front of Ian coming to rest on the floor. On re-entering the stage, Peter appeared smiling, and retrieved the said plane.

On another occasion Ian was not required for the keyboards and so wandered out along the aisles playing a tambourine. Later, Ian was playing piano accordion in Stop, Stop, Stop and Peter was playing maracas while singing. At the conclusion of the song he lifted the maracas behind Ian’s head to simulate rabbit ears!

The harmony singing by Peter, Ray, Steve and Tony was a distinct pleasure to hear and their voices blended together synchronistically. Different lead vocals added variety with Tony to the fore with ‘Too Young To Be Married’ and ‘Then, Now And Always’. (Peter came back on stage at the end of this song singing the ending and sharing the microphone with Ray at back left.)

The sharing of one microphone harks back to the Sixties and on another occasion Ray, Tony and Steve all shared. Ian also shared with both Steve and Tony in ‘Stop, Stop Stop’.

The many hits flew thick and fast and were fantastic but for my part, it was great to hear album tracks such as ‘Then, Now And Always’ and ‘Weakness’ live as well together with older songs such as ‘Yes I Will’ and ‘Stewball’.

Alternate versions of ‘On A Carousel’ and ‘Look Through Any Window’ invited the audience to listen intently. In the latter song, the twin solo guitar work of Tony and Steve was explosive with alternating solos then together in harmony.

‘Let Love Pass’ concluded the night with exquisite vocalisation.

The musicianship of The Hollies is par excellence and has not dimmed over time but has strengthened with such polished individuals adding to the whole.

50 years touring – what an achievement.

Take a bow - Tony, Bobby, Peter, Ray, Steve and Ian. THE HOLLIES!

Malcolm Rowney

SET LIST

1st HALF
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 (DOLPHIN DAYS)
SANDY
KING MIDAS IN REVERSE
VERY LAST DAY
JUST ONE LOOK
STAY
TOO YOUNG TO BE MARRIED
LOOK THROUGH ANY WINDOW

2nd HALF
I’M ALIVE
SORRY SUZANNE
BUS STOP
STEWBALL
THE BABY
I CAN’T TELL THE BOTTOM FROM THE TOP
MEDLEY- LISTEN TO ME -HERE I GO AGAIN -GASOLINE ALLEY BRED
WEAKNESS
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
PostPosted:Fri Feb 08, 2013 20:05 pm

Last edited by hollies on Tue Feb 12, 2013 6:12 am; edited 3 times in total
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hollies Post subject: Sydney State Theatre, Australia, 07/02/2013 by Susie Hewitt


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As I live about 35 miles from Sydney's Central Business District where the State Theatre is I had to leave home quite early. I knew I would never find a park space anywhere near the theatre so I left the car in the car park at Penrith Station and got the 5.00pm train from Penrith to the city arriving at Town Hall station at 6.05pm. I went straight to the State Theatre but it was closed so I went and had dinner and when I went back at 6.45pm I waited for it to open (at 7.00pm). The doors to the Auditorium opened at 7.30 and the final half hour the concert seemed to take forever. I was in the middle section of the front row in The Dress Circle and had a wonderful view of the band.

There were 2 items for sale that I bought - A tour book with lovely photos of the band and there is also a section of the Hollies BBC performance from 1964. I also bought the Hollies live hits album which was recorded during their UK tour last year (so it says on the back page of the sleeve).

The concert began on time and the after a short musical introduction The Hollies came on stage and you can imagine the excitment I felt at that moment. They began with a good rock n roll song in the form of Curly Billy, then came I Can't Let Go, Jennifer Eccles and Yes I will.

More songs followed and they sang a song that Bobby wrote called Then Now Always, (Dolphin Days) which is about Tony and Bobby's time in The Dolphins and which Tony does lead vocals on. Tony also did lead vocals on Too Young To Be Married.

Peter performed a wonderful version of Sandy with backing from Tony, Ray and Ian. In the second set Peter got to have the stage to himself when he performed a beautiful accoustic version of I Can't Tell The Bottom From The Top.

Steve sang lead on King Midas In Reverse while Tony and Ray did backing vocals.

Tony Ray and Steve performed a medley of Listen To Me, Here I Go Again and Gasoline Alley Bred.

They began the second set with I'm Alive followed by Sorry Suzanne, Bus Stop and Stewball.

I loved Tony's long banjo intro before the band sang Stop Stop Stop.

They really had everyone rocking along with Long Cool Woman. Toward the end of the Concert Peter called Tony and Bobby Rock And Roll Legends (I agree 100%) and everyone gave them a big cheer and applause. Peter also said that The Hollies have been touring continuously every year for the last 50 years to which everyone cheered.

As well as all the hits They also performed 3 somgs from their Staying Power album, Emotions (in the first set) and Weakness and Let Love Pass in the second set.

Peter, Tony, Ray and Steve stood around the one microphone for Let Love Pass while Bobby stood behind them and Ian stayed at his Keyboard. Ian also came down to the front of the stage and played a Tambourine on a couple of songs and he also played his accordian on one song (I can't remember which one). I was a bit disappointed that Ray never sang Tiger Feet.

The Hollies also received 3 standing ovations after they performed He Ain't Heavy, again after The Air That I Breathe and at the end after performing Let Love Pass.

Peter gave a very big Thank you and said that we were a wonderful audience. All 6 guys then stood in a line on the stage and took their final bows and then left the stage.

I have now seen The Hollies 7 times since 1976 and hope to make it number 8 in the not too distant future.

Susie Hewett
PostPosted:Fri Feb 08, 2013 20:29 pm
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Anthony Post subject:
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Great reviews, wonderful set, so pleased Very last Day was kept in and really looking forward to hearing Tony sing the classic "Too Young To Be Married" My turn tonight.

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PostPosted:Fri Feb 08, 2013 21:52 pm
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Knut Post subject:
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Location: Oslo, Norway

From what I read I am a bit puzzled about Stewball. was it played! Seems we have a lot to look forward to in the UK and Norway!

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PostPosted:Fri Feb 08, 2013 22:09 pm
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sherb Post subject:



Joined: 20 Sep 2009
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Location: Sydney, Australia

Knut wrote:
From what I read I am a bit puzzled about Stewball. was it played! Seems we have a lot to look forward to in the UK and Norway!

They definitely played Stewball. I'd never heard it before (I don't have many of the 60s albums), but it was a song about a racehorse. Is that the one?
PostPosted:Sat Feb 09, 2013 9:15 am
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malco Post subject:
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Location: Corrimal (Wollongong), Australia

Sherb, That I did. Scribbled song titles down in the dark and wrote over something that I had already written down. Darn
PostPosted:Sat Feb 09, 2013 12:21 pm
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Susie Hewett Post subject:
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malco wrote:
Sherb, That I did. Scribbled song titles down in the dark and wrote over something that I had already written down. Darn


Hi Malco!

Before I went to The state Theatre I went to Woolwoths and bought a writing pad so I could write down the songs The Hollies performed but as it was too dark when they turned out the lights I didn't bother. So I wrote my review first thing Friday morning while it still had what happened at the concert fresh in my head. I also have a copy of the review for my Hollies scapbook.

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PostPosted:Sun Feb 10, 2013 2:14 am
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hollies Post subject: Melbourne Hamer Hall, Australia, 9/02/13 by Anthony Strelley


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The Hollies are back in Melbourne, on the way to Hamer Hall I picked up Christine and her daughter Jemima who were here from Adelaide for the show. Arrived and met up with more friends, had a coffee, then we all went in to find our seats. About 10 minutes before the start I met up with a couple of fans from Perth who had already been to the Sydney show two nights before.

Eight PM the Hollies walk on stage, it’s like a dream come true for me, Tony plays the intro to Curly Billy and we are underway, this is a great rockin' number to start off with, we are followed with I can’t let go, Jennifer Eccles with wolf Whistle intro, Yes I will and a great newer version of On a carousel.

Tony then introduces the next song written by Bobby about their time in the Dolphins pre Hollies, he said they would send off tapes to recording companies and they were always returned, I had never seen Tony sing lead so I was interested in hearing him and he didn't let me down, he has a real pleasant voice, the song tells a great story of the real early days of he and Bobby, great stuff.

Next it was Pete’s turn for a solo, he introduced it as written by Bruce Springsteen, Ray joined Pete and Tony front stage, only thing is Pete was having trouble with his guitar cord, he was all tangled underfoot with it and made a joke of it as he was trying to kick it away from under him, Pete accompanied himself on acoustic guitar, firstly what a brilliant guitar player he is and what a wonderful version, I hung on every word.

Now it was Steve’s turn for a solo, the lads sure share the leads about, shows what a talent these guys are, King Midas in Reverse, Ray returned to the front for this one too, I have really grown to love this song, Steve has a great voice and they all did the song proud.

I’m pleased they still had Very Last Day in the set, for me it’s a Hollies classic, it was introduced by Tony, he told us of how countries would lift songs off albums they felt would work in their country, well it certainly worked for me, brilliant.

Now Pete spoke of how they were going to play the next song in it’s original version, just the guitars and drums, Ian Parker was introduced as being the best Tamborine player in the world in his price range, Just One Look, this really got the crowd going, the concert had just gone up another notch, All of a sudden Ian was walking around the audience playing the Tamborine and waving to everyone, a real fun moment for all, they follow up with another real early number Stay, great rockin classics.

Now a magical moment for me, Tony started to play Too Young To Be Married, a real crowd favourite, great to see him play an acoustic guitar instead of electric, the audience were singing along, just wonderful stuff, this was a big number 1 here in Australia in the early ‘70. Tony played and sung brilliantly, I have always wanted to see him sing the lead to Too young to be married.

Another classic song followed, Look Through Any Window, what a great version, Steve and Tony’s guitar solos at the end were just fantastic.

Time for interval.

The Hollies returned to the stage and Pete asked if we had a drink because they sounded better after one, they start the second half with I’m Alive then a crowd favourite Sorry Suzanne, Bus Stop was introduced as the first big international hit the Hollies had, Stewball followed,
I was really impressed by the harmonies on this song.

Now it’s time for the sitar guitar for The Baby, great intro by Tony and a great version of this song, the lads are in great voice.

Pete then introduces Bobby as being the engine room of the band, called him captain Bob, then Bobby steps out to the front of the stage and introduces I Cant Tell The Bottom From The Top as the follow up to He Ain't Heavy, all the band have now left the stage apart from Pete and his guitar, he plays beautifully and he sings to match.

We are followed by a medley of the three songs sung by Steve, Ray and Tony, Listen To Me, Here I Go Again and Gasoline Alley Bred, great harmonies.

Peter returns for what is one of my favourite newer recordings by The Hollies, Weakness, to me this is up there with all The Hollies classic songs.

If you can believe it the show really goes to another level with Long Cool Woman, the crowd was clapping, singing along a real crowd pleasure, Carrie Anne follows and the place was going wild, everybody sung along, Ray was leaning on one of the large speakers to the front side of the stage conducting the audience, magical stuff.

Tony picked up his banjo, sadly he didn't play his long into, Ian played the piano accordion walking around the stage having a fun time, the group were having so much fun on stage as well as us in the audience.

Now for the big one, He Ain't Heavy, I was so impressed how Pete has made this his song, he showed how powerful his voice is with this Hollies world wide hit, just brilliant, a friend said after the show that’s the best version she had heard of that song, I think we all agreed.

Now for a love song “The Air That I Breathe” Pete and the band are in great voice, then sadly it’s the last song Let Love Pass, this is another newer number that I love.

What a great night, early in the show Tony asked when were they last here and a few yelled out 2001, he joked so we are not back by popular demand, I think he got that wrong, Pete also paid tribute to Bobby and Tony saying how they toured every year for the past 50 years.

Before the show I got myself the new live CD, as you can imagine I'm playing it non stop, apart from a couple of song it’s the same set as tonight's show, so for me it’s a wonderful reminder of a brilliant night out.

Looking forward to seeing The Hollies again later in the year on their home soil, thanks for a great night, Thanks lads you did yourselves proud again.

Anthony Strelley
PostPosted:Tue Feb 12, 2013 6:07 am

Last edited by hollies on Mon Feb 18, 2013 20:21 pm; edited 1 time in total
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hollies Post subject: Melbourne Hamer Hall, Australia, 9/02/13 by Christine Wilson


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I have just read Anthony’s wonderful review about the Melbourne concert. Now I would like to share with you my perspective. My review is longer, as for me it wasn't just the concert but a trip to another city.

BEFORE THE SHOW

Is it really 10 years since I went to England and belly-danced to Stop Stop Stop? So much has happened between then and now. The Hollies themselves experienced changes, and a lot has certainly happened to me since I said good-bye to fellow fans in Bournemouth, what with Jemima being born to me and Mike in May 2006. From that moment on, changes just kept coming. I thought I would never have the chance to see The Hollies again, but late last year when I was visiting the website, I discovered that the band were coming to Australia for their 50th anniversary!!

Of course I wanted to jump on a plane to Melbourne, but I had to stop and think. My priorities were different now. I no longer have as much disposable income, not only because my band line-up now has a third person, but also Mike was retiring. And with Jemima so young, I couldn't contemplate going interstate without her. I didn't know whether Mike would be interested in coming along, so it was either take Jemima with me or not go. And would she cope with a grown-up concert?

I finally popped the question to Mike. He said it was ok. He wasn't interested in the concert but would come for the trip. And as the Melbourne concert was on a Saturday, Jemima wouldn't miss any school. And so it was all arranged.

After all the business of Christmas, school holidays, back to school, the time suddenly drew near. Panic time – gotta pack the bags, gotta confirm with the hotel, confirm with the airline, contact Anthony. It had been a long time since I had planned a trip on an aeroplane, and the first time Jemima was to fly, so seeing The Hollies again wasn't the only thing I was nervous about.

The day to leave finally arrived. I managed to leave work early to get home in time for last-minute checks, change Krystal's water and birdseed, and finally wait for the taxi. Not to mention that Adelaide Airport has gone through a lot of refurbishment since I last flew, which is still ongoing, so changes were happening all around me. Then the stress of keeping Jemima amused until it was time to board.

Well, everything went to plan, Jemima liked being in the plane, didn't get scared of the noise. It wasn't long before we were in Melbourne. We got onto a skybus to the city immediately, but had to wait a while for the Hotel Transfer bus. By the time we got to the hotel, it was late, so I waited till the following morning to ring Anthony.

Unfortunately my other Melbourne friend Kathy was unable to attend. As I knew I’d be busy during the day, I had rung her before I left Adelaide to let her know what I was doing. It would have been great to have her presence at the concert.

After organising with Anthony time of meeting, Jemima and I were off to the Victoria Market, while Mike looked at coin shops. On the way Jemima was asking me about The Hollies – do they have children, are they friends, do they argue with each other, what are all of their songs – naturally the one she remembers the most is He Ain't Heavy.

Christine and Anthony

It was also Chinese New year, so there were some satin Chinese New Year teddy bears for sale in the stalls. Of course Jemima had to have one. She named it Mimi. Later Mimi would also be attending The Hollies concert. After saying No so many times when she wanted to buy every toy in sight, I finally said I would buy her clothes if she wanted something else. She chose a pale pink party dress. That dress would also be attending the concert. I had brought over a good dress for her to wear but she wanted to wear this one because it was bought in Melbourne.

After leaving the Market we visited a pet shop. Jemima wanted to look at the birds, as we purchased a budgie last year, Krystal. Jemima says Krystal was chirping like crazy before we left Adelaide because she wanted to go to The Hollies too. I’m afraid they don’t allow budgies. At this pet shop there were two Eclectus parrots, the most unusual birds I’d ever seen, very deep colours. One red and one green. The petshop owner said the red one was called Eccles. I informed Jemima that was a Hollies song.

In the afternoon, we caught the City Loop Tram to Hamer Hall, so we could get familiar with the venue. Even though we were going with Anthony, I still wanted to be able to find my way around, in case something happened and we missed each other. I even managed to find the stage door, but I realised I probably wouldn't be able to go there and meet them after the show because Jemima was likely to be tired.

Then it was back to the hotel to rest – and try to get Jemima to rest – then get changed and go downstairs to the foyer and wait for Anthony.

Anthony arrived, said a quick hello to Mike, then took us to his car, where his wife Lorraine was waiting. First time I met Lorraine, so that was a pleasure. We drove to the venue, and met up with friends of theirs for coffee. I had to leave the company a bit early because Jemima was getting restless – just as well I came to the Hall during the day, so I knew exactly where to go. Except I didn't know I had to catch a lift 4 flights down to get to our seats. Hamer Hall is like a giant cavern! How far underground must we go?

Finally settled in our seat and - ON WITH THE SHOW!!

The lights went down, and a familiar trumpet fanfare was played as the band members walked onto the stage. The drums and guitars started a rocking beat, and I thought, “Is this Long Cool Woman?” That was the first song they played at the 40th anniversary shows. But no, it was Curly Billy. That and a few other songs would be the first time I had heard them live.

When Jennifer Eccles started, I whispered to Jemima, “This is Eccles.” “Ah, the funny bird,” she said, only to find that the song isn't about a funny bird. I had to shush her when she kept asking “What’s this song called,” when a new one would start. She got a bit agitated when “Yes I Will” was playing because she thought that was a strange title. I should have told her it was called Beetroot. I remember some fans having a joke about that a long time ago.

And what a nice variety to hear songs sung in different ways. As Anthony mentioned, Sandy was performed with Peter playing acoustic guitar and the others coming to the front to do the harmonies, Carousel’s intro was made to sound like a proper merry-go-round, hearing Steve’s voice in King Midas, and a brand new song, Dolphin Days, that still has the old 60’s beat even though it was written in the 21st century.

And what a delight to hear Very Last Day. A song not so well known, but I knew because I happen to have the album it is on. And what a thrill to see Ian walking down the aisle with his tambourine during Just One Look – one within his price range, so Peter says. He wasn't far from us when he walked down the side aisle. He waved to the audience in our direction. I wondered if he saw and recognized me, after 10 years – or saw a perplexed little girl. Bus Stop led to Stay – another song I had not heard live before.

Jemima was getting a little restless again, and saying, “When’s the interval?” Oh dear, doesn't she like the songs? When interval did finally come, of course she had to tease Mum. “I only like King Midas.” I said, “I thought you didn't like King Midas so much. You liked other songs.” “ I've changed my mind. I don’t like the other songs, I only like King Midas.” Oh dear.

Another catastrophe was that when we were back in the auditorium and Part 2 was about to start, Jemima wanted to go to the toilet and do number 2. Oh of all the inconvenient times. But what could I do? We had to rush out, leave Mimi in her seat trusting that nobody would steal her, and get in the bathroom. I think Jemima realised that Mum was a tad annoyed, so was quick. When we got back in, the band had only just gotten back on stage, and Peter said, “Hello again,” so we didn't miss anything.

The first song in Part 2 was one of my all-time favourites, I'm Alive. Jemima seemed to get more into the music now, but kept trying to stop me from clapping after each song – strange things kids do.

At the beginning of The Baby, Tony’s sitar riff sounded very similar to a riff that Mark Knopfler would do. Almost as if it were telepathy, as if he knew who my other favourite band were – two for the price of one. I had a chuckle to myself that the song was about Jemima. I fell pregnant in September, which is the spring in the Southern Hemisphere, so Jemima must be the Baby that came from the passion of the spring.

And so lovely to see Bobby come to the front of the stage and talk to the audience as he introduced Peter doing a solo on Can’t Tell the Bottom from the Top. So good to see more of Bobby than behind the drums, and of course what a beautiful version of that song Peter did on his lonesome with his acoustic guitar.

And, as mentioned by others, we were also treated to one of their new songs Weakness and other old favourites - the medley by Ray, Steve and Tony, Carrie Anne and Stop Stop Stop accompanied by maracas. Stop Stop Stop saw Ian come to the front again with his piano-accordion. And of course that song for me brings back memories, thoughts of long ago. That song had become my trademark in England when the band asked me to belly-dance for them at each concert How I longed to get up and do it on this night, but I had Jemima on my lap, so all I could do was shimmy in my seat.

By then Jemima was curled up on top of me, starting to doze as it would have been late for her. Then when Long Cool Woman started, she suddenly leapt up and began to clap. LCW gets anyone’s adrenalin going. She instantly recognized He Ain't Heavy. She kept saying “I know this one,” and I had to hush her up. Reminiscing of England, I managed to do a little sway in my seat with her in my lap.

At the end of this song, the band waved to the cheering audience, who were now standing and waving back. Then before they began Air That I Breathe, Peter said, “If you have your loved one with you, hold them as you listen to this next song.” Well I had my loved one on my lap. (The other loved one was watching TV back in the hotel).

Then I noticed Jemima was crying on my shoulder. I asked her what was wrong, and she said, “They didn't wave to me.” I tried to convince her that they did – they waved to everyone. I didn't know whether to be upset or rejoice. Of all the things I thought she might have a tantrum about, she cries because she thinks The Hollies didn't wave to her. I've converted her. The Hollies truly have a six-year-old fan! She was less upset about not being waved to by Jimmy Giggle. (For people outside Australia, Jimmy Giggle is a presenter of children’s programs on TV).

Instead of finishing the show with It’s In Every One of Us, the boys sang a newer song Let Love Pass – and instead of acappella, they were accompanied by Ian’s keyboard. A nice change to end the magical evening. Jemima had stopped crying – sort of. When they were waving to everyone before leaving stage, each time one of the waved in our direction I said to her, “Look, he’s waving to you now,” and thrust her head in his direction. A few times I lifted her so she could do a good wave – which is difficult as she is big for her age and quite heavy.

I watched my beloved band wander off the stage one by one, wishing I could go to the stage door, but as I knew beforehand, I had a tired little girl with me. She complained that she wished she was taller so they could see her better. I said, “You will be one day. You’ll one day be taller than me.” And it was quite funny, as soon as the light were up and people were wandering out, the loudspeaker played La Mer by Charles Trenet, and Jemima thought it sounded funny and started laughing.

As we were leaving the auditorium, a lady looked down at Jemima and asked, “Is that a news Hollies fans?” I answered, “Well – er – I think so, I think she liked the show.” And of course with everyone coming out, the foyer was so crowded in this deep coliseum that we couldn't find the lift so had to plough up four flights of escalators to get to ground level. But this meant I managed to find Anthony and Lorraine and their friends in the crowd, so we could all go up together.

Once outside, while we ladies waited for Anthony to get the car, we watched a one-man-band performing in this outdoor pub by the theatre, where the bar was an old tram. He was walking all around the place and Jemima wanted to follow him, so I had to hold her back. But he came towards us and winked at Jemima. She thinks he’s Ian Parker’s brother.

As soon as Anthony arrived with the car, we all piled in and it was back to the hotel. We said good-bye to Lorraine and Anthony, and wandered up to our hotel room, where Mike was in bed watching TV. Yes, still awake waiting for us. And yes, Jemima’s adrenalin was high, her first grown-up concert, so it took some time for her to go to sleep.

AFTER THE SHOW

And she was still high the following morning but tired. During breakfast in the buffet she complained she was full, even though she had hardly touched her breakfast. Which made me a bit cross, but I had to realise she was recovering from a new experience. And what an experience it was!! Too tired to eat her breakfast but not too tired to sing King Midas in the middle of the buffet. And she kept asking me about the songs. “What’s Long Cool Woman about? Why did he sing Stop Stop Stop to the people? Why did you used to dance to that?” And finally, “Have we got Dolphin Days on a CD?” I informed her that Dolphin Days wasn't on the old CDs at home but it was on the new one that I had bought at the concert.

Soon it was business as usual – sky bus back to the airport, get on the plane, return to Adelaide, make sure Krystal’s ok. School and work tomorrow. But the magic was still going. In bed after I finished reading to Jemima, she held up her toy cats and pretended they were singing Jennifer Eccles. Then she told a story of how her cats jumped on the stage in the concert and sang “Meow meow” in Hollies tunes, with Peter saying, “What does all that mean?” And she did a good imitation of Peter’s voice.

When I took her to school, she was carrying the bag of little koalas from the Victoria Market that she was giving out to all her classmates, but also wanted to bring my Hollies program and CD. The other kids stared at the program and said, “Wow, who are they? What do they sound like? Did you see them in Melbourne?” I wonder what the kids will want to listen to next time Jemima brings a friend home to play. Will I be creating a new generation of Hollies fans?

Well, another unforgettable chapter in my life, The Hollies golden anniversary concert, which I was blessed to see! Will there be a 60th anniversary? Hopefully Jemima will keep the legacy going.



Christine, Anthony and Jemima
PostPosted:Mon Feb 18, 2013 20:07 pm
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hollies Post subject: Harrogate Royal Hall, Saturday 16th March 2013 By Ray Taylor


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Location: Nottingham, England

The Hollies kick off their two- month nationwide tour in the ornate, spacious and gilt-edged surroundings of Harrogate’s Royal Hall – and they treat a sell-out full house of adoring fans to a gilt-edged performance. The Hollies are a British institution with a distinctive hallmark sound that has not wavered during their fifty years of recording and performing around the world. They have recently been honoured by the prestigious American Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame and have been bracketed with the Beatles and the Stones as helping to shape the world of Rock and Pop as we know it today.

The current six-piece band include two founder members – Tony Hicks on lead guitar and vocals and Bobby Elliott on drums. It is phenomenal to think that these two originally started playing together in 1961. Two other long time members are Ray Stiles on bass guitar and vocals and Ian Parker on keyboards (and tambourine!). The two more “recent” members (since 2004) are Steve Lauri on guitar and vocals and Peter Howarth as lead vocalist and guitar.

Howarth and Hicks do the majority of the links and introductions which are always interesting and informative. The first half consists of a 13-song set and the second even better at 16! The audience are treated to a fantastic show that includes all the famous hits with some more recent material taken from their last few albums. People regularly get out of their seats and rock in the aisles to Jennifer Eccles, On A Carousel, Just One Look, Stay, I’m Alive, Sorry Suzanne, Bus Stop, Carrie Anne, Gasoline Alley Bread, Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress, Stop Stop Stop, He Ain’t Heavy and The Air That I Breathe. These last two are the climactic finale and brilliantly rendered by the band with Howarth giving it his absolute all.

One of the highlights of the evening is the skill demonstrated by Hicks on a variety of guitars that also included a sitar type instrument and a banjo. He is on a par with some of the great rock guitarists such as Harrison and Clapton. To see such a legend perform with such dexterity and artistry is truly amazing and it is a privilege to be there to witness it. From start to finish the whole show is a resounding success and sends the audience away no doubt eager to listen to the songs all over again on their way home. If this show is coming to a venue near you don’t miss it!

On tour until 19 April 2013

By Ray Taylor - Courtesy of Public Reviews
PostPosted:Tue Mar 26, 2013 9:23 am

Last edited by hollies on Tue Mar 26, 2013 9:48 am; edited 4 times in total
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hollies Post subject: Salford Lowry, Friday 22nd March, 2013, By Paul Downham


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Posts: 793
Location: Nottingham, England

Introduced into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame almost 2 years ago to the very date of this concert The Hollies are back in the North West where they began in the early 1960s.

The current line up led by Peter Howarth with Steve Lauri, Ian Parker, Ray Stiles, Bobby Elliot and Tony Hicks show no sign of slowing down despite 50 years on the road. Their ability to get a crowd on their feet was effortlessly demonstrated in front of a near capacity Lyric Theatre.

With a fanfare opening The Hollies, named after Buddy Holly, took to the stage in matching shirts and ties and launched into hit after hit with little chat in-between. When you have a catalogue of music as good as this then why waste time chatting?

Hits including Jennifer Eccles, On a Carousel, King Midas in Reverse, Just One Look and Stay all had the audience singing along and tapping their feet in appreciation of this musical master class.

The standout performances of the night are without question given by the two original band members Bobby Elliot and Tony Hicks. Bobby’s energy on the drums would be hard matched by someone half his age and Tony demonstrates he is a master with the guitar; a number of solo moments during the concert drew spontaneous applause throughout. His solo piece on the sitar during The Baby was worth the admission price alone.

A faster pace was adapted to the proceedings for the second half accompanied by a costume change with The Hollies adopting a more relaxed casual look. Bus Stop, Carrie Anne and Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress all feature with the latter drawing an impromptu sing off with Peter Howarth pitching the right and left hand sides of the crowd against each other.

The whole evening built up to what was described as The Hollies anthem, He Ain’t Heavy, He’s my Brother. A standing ovation that lasted for over 2 minutes followed the song before the evening drew to a close with The Air That I Breathe.

The Hollies, who had more hits than The Beatles boast that they have toured every year without exception for the past half a century. On the basis of tonight they have another 50 years to look forward to!

By Paul Downham - Courtesy of Public Reviews
PostPosted:Tue Mar 26, 2013 9:27 am
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hollies Post subject: Bromley Churchill Theatre, Sunday 24th March, 2013


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Location: Nottingham, England

What better way to forget about the freezing weather outside than to spend an evening in the company of The Hollies as they continue their Spring tour of the UK?

Unable to access my glasses during the show, I did not take notes, so this review will not be as detailed as some. Nevertheless, I hope it will conjure up the flavour of what was a remarkably upbeat evening bearing in mind the weather and the gruelling journey the band had had to undergo – Gateshead to Bromley is quite a trek, some 300 miles.

The music started with The Day That Curly Billy Shot Down Crazy Sam McGee which set the mood for the evening.

What followed was a trip down memory lane with many of the band’s greatest hits – Sorry Suzanne, Bus Stop, Stay, Long Cool Woman, Jennifer Eccles and Stop, Stop, Stop to name but a few.

But as well as the tried and tested version of the hits, the current line-up offers different versions of some of the classics.

The acoustic versions of Sandy and I Can’t Tell the Bottom From the Top allowed Peter Howarth to demonstrate his skill as an instrumentalist as well as a wonderful singer.

And the medley of Listen To Me, Here I Go Again and Gasoline Alley with Steve, Ray and Tony highlighted the tight harmonies enjoyed throughout the evening.

Steve’s lead vocals on King Midas were stunning.

Tony, as ever, treated us to a virtuoso performance on his various guitars, and Ian was a triumph on keyboards, not forgetting the tambourine!

And then of course there’s Bobby who seems to have unlimited energy on the drums – what a true star.

As always, the sound quality and lighting were great, and helped to ensure that the evening went smoothly.

I was delighted to hear a live version of Too Young To Be Married, one of my all time favourites.

Other less well-known songs included in the set-list were Stewball and Very Last Day.

And there were some of the band’s newer offerings which have become firm favourites – Weakness, Dolphin Days and the lovely Let Love Pass.

Of course no Hollies concert would be complete without He Ain’t Heavy and The Air That I Breathe, both of which were performed beautifully.

The evening demonstrated why the band has been going for so many years. Not only are the songs memorable, but all the band members clearly love playing live, and their enthusiasm is infectious.

It seems that this was the first time the band had played in Bromley. The show was a sell-out, and I’m sure those who attended would be delighted to welcome The Hollies back again for another heart-warming evening.

By Catherine Stafford

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Hollies Forum
PostPosted:Fri Mar 29, 2013 17:51 pm
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hollies Post subject: G Live, Guildford, 7th November 2013


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Location: Nottingham, England

HOLLIES EVERGREEN TUNES IN GUILDFORD

Walking along London Road in Guildford the G-Live theatre soon appeared in the distance. With expectations high I was on my way to another performance by my favourite pop group The Hollies. What would the band have in store for us this evening?

As per usual upon entering the venue, straight to the merchandising; would there be any new collectors' items available? Indeed, a new tour book as well as the new cd Hollies Live Hits (subtitled: We Got The Tunes). The recordings for this album were made during the UK concert tour in 2012. The album has been mixed and produced by Paul Hicks. For further details, just purchase the latest tour book!

The refurbished G-live theatre has been opened in 2011 as the replacement of the well known Civic Hall. The spacious lobby is equipped with excellent bars and catering facilities. The concert hall offers seating for 1031 visitors and has good acoustics. A much appreciated benefit is the ample leg room between the rows.

On the dot of eight o'clock the lights in the hall dimmed, the signature tune started; the concert commenced. On the stage one thing was immediately visible in the spotlights. Here was a band with a truly professional presence. Their uniform attire alone emphasised the visible confirmation.
But especially the renditions of the many hits from their 50 years catalogue during the concert! This affirmed The Hollies slogan 'We got the tunes' in every respect!

Nearly all the tracks of the above mentioned new live-cd were part of the programme this evening.
Moreover beautiful renditions of songs like 'Here I Go Again', 'Too young to be married' and 'Weakness'.

During the concert I kept wondering frequently; 'Why are The Hollies after 50 years still in high demand and remain such a cherished pop group?' I shall attempt to offer my answer.

First of all there is the extensive and successful repertoire. From 1963 until the mid seventies The Hollies had even more chart hits than the Beatles....... they clocked up 18 top-10 singles. 'Long Cool Woman' was number 1 in the US charts in 1972 and 'The air that I breathe' topped the UK charts in 1974. But the Hollies anthem 'He ain't heavy, he's my brother' (1969) commands a truly unique status in pop history. Twice in number 1 position in the UK charts: in 1988 as 'advertising-tune for a beer brand'; and as the 2012 Christmas number 1 sung by the Justice Collective. The raised funds of the latter version are in aid of the victims of the Hillsborough disaster (19..). (Q: this disaster struck in which year?)

Secondly the personal input and performance of the individual band members.
Drummer Bobby Elliot – aka 'Captain Bob' – is in charge of tempo and rhythm of the songs. Co-writer with Mark Nelson on the autobiographical song 'Dolphin Days' about the Hollies birth-place: the land of millstone grit. Worldwide often associated with other drumming greats such as Cozy Powell and Phil Collins.

The guitar-banjo intros and intermezzo's of Tony Hicks are unsurpassed. They add embellishments to the songs like 'Stop stop stop' and 'The Baby'. But also Tony's mark Knopfler-type solo during 'Look through any window' is now renowned. During 'Dolphin Days' and 'Too young to be married' Tony's leading vocal qualities come to the fore.

'He gives the song a whole different spin' says Bob about the acoustic interpretation of 'Here I go again' and 'Sandy' by lead singer Peter Howarth. He also communicates well with the audience and elicits their enthusiasm. This was visible and audible during the songs 'Carrie Anne' and 'Long cool woman'.

Keyboard player Ian Parker is responsible for the many refreshed arrangements of the Hollies repertoire. Thus the songs are enriched with a contemporary sound – for example 'Just one look'.

The Hollies are fortunate too in having a musical heavyweight like Ray Styles in their line up.
As bass player and vocalist he is blessed with a wealth of experience in the world of pop music (a. o. his period with rock group Mud). Furthermore Ray is known as a proficient music producer with a refined feel for the total composition of a song.

Steve Lauri's vocal input with hits as 'Hey Willy' and 'King Midas in reverse'; including his guitar skills complement the group's dynamics.

The qualities highlighted above and in combination with the ' solid, timeless hits' are the attractions for the public. Thus at the end of the concert in Guildford The Hollies received a standing ovation from their grateful fans.

So what's on the Hollies tour programme for 2014? So far Nuremberg in Germany, an extensive concert tour 'down under' in Australia and New Zealand and end September to Norway once more. And perhaps an autumn UK Tour?? As fans we're certainly looking forward to that.....!

Andre Rosendaal
in conjunction with Bieneke Barwick

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Best wishes, Rob

Hollies Forum
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