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The Hollies Forum Index » Write On » "Draggin my...Keyboards" !
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Gee Post subject: "Draggin my...Keyboards" !
Rythym Guitar


Rythym Guitar
Joined: 16 Jan 2007
Posts: 486

The following story is TRUE.....
(Bobby & Tony will probably "remember" this particular concert...)

I had travelled down to Portsmouth Guildhall to watch my umpteenth Hollies concert.....
it was back in the Mid Eighties with the superb Clarke / Hicks / Coates / Elliott line up with then keyboardist Denis Haines and I think Steve Stroud on Bass (possibly Ray Stiles)....
The band had duly delivered a stunning first half set, during which they had..."luckily", already sung both "Soldier's Song" and "Draggin' my Heels"...with Denis's fine keyboards "featured" so effectively......then, as the group took to the stage for the Second half of the show poor Denis climbed up onto his plynth on which his keyboards were set up, put out his hands onto the keys...and the whole thing just collapsed plummeting about six feet to the stage floor !...

Everyone was stunned...yet Tony Hicks reacted brilliantly :"Hello...first "cock up" tonight...! " he casually remarked ! The audience all laughed...Allan Clarke chipped in: "He's tryin' to steal the spotlight...!"

Roadies rushed onstage and fixed things up while Tony casually carried on:
"As you can see Denis's synth' has had a bit of a bash...so what we'll do is just rearrange the show a little...you won't miss anything at all, and we will now do an "acoustic spot" that would have come a bit later on in the show....."

Allan, Tony,and Alan Coates then donned acoustic guitars and did the "unplugged" CSN Style medley...while Bobby, Denis and Steve helped th Roadies to set the keyboards back up...the audience were very impressed how the show NEVER stopped at all....Sadly the synth' was wrecked (I felt so sorry for Denis Haines...they are a bit expensive ! )

Allan Clarke & Bobby Elliott also really "pulled out all the stops" that night too !


As we filed out of the Hall I heard a girl say to her friend :"Wern't they good ?, they didn't let it upset them a bit...".
PostPosted:Thu Feb 08, 2007 16:43 pm

Last edited by Gee on Thu May 27, 2010 12:54 pm; edited 1 time in total
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DistantLight Post subject:
Rythym Guitar


Rythym Guitar
Joined: 10 Apr 2004
Posts: 371
Location: Germany

The synth getting broken in concert and he had to continue on the acoustic piano? Sounds like the best thing that could have happened! Very Happy

Interesting story!
PostPosted:Thu Feb 08, 2007 18:37 pm
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Susie Hewett Post subject:
Lead Guitar


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Joined: 17 Jan 2004
Posts: 652
Location: Australia

Poor Denis, that would have been embarrassing Embarassed and a shock for him but I am very proud of him for carrying on and not getting upset (like others might do), shows he was/is a real professional and a showman. I know it wasn't funny at the time but if Denis looks back on it now he will probably have a bit of a laugh. Smile

Most other bands would probably stop the show if something happened but not The Hollies who carried on regardless and didn't diappoint anyone who was there to see their brilliant show (as Geoff put it). Very Happy

Susie

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Long live The Hollies, may they reign supreme for many more years to come.
PostPosted:Sat Feb 10, 2007 1:14 am
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Anthony Post subject:
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Lead Guitar
Joined: 17 Jan 2004
Posts: 996
Location: Melbourne Australia

Shows the old saying is true "The show must go on" Well done Hollies, funny when things like this happen it makes that a special concert, a night to remember.
Funny many years ago Cliff Richard had an open air concert in Darwin, well it almost got rained out, in the end Cliff came on stage with a guitar and just did the concert like that, I didn't see the show but heard from relations it ended up being a brilliant show, the point is sometimes it's better when things don't go the way they should.

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Every member of the Hollies has played his part, 50 great years and still going.
http://www.myspace.com/pinocchioman visit me and say hi
PostPosted:Sun Feb 11, 2007 13:34 pm
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