Read Chris Farrell's  Diary of a Week in Oz with The Hollies  HERE

Preview of the Mission Estate Concert  24/11/2000
Preview of the Millbrook Concert By Meaghan Miller  6/12/2000
Interview With Bobby Elliott By Sue Fea  29/01/200
Interview with Tony Hicks By Carmine Pascuzzi  29/01/2001
Review of The Millbrook Concert, By Peter Graham  03/02/2001	Click on this icon throughout this page to be taken to New Zealand Newspaper reports - Then search for "HOLLIES"
Review of The Millbrook Concert,  03/02/2001
Review of The Millbrook Concert,  Courtesy Otago Daily Times  03/02/2001
Review Of The Melbourne Concert,  By Peter McDonald  05/02/2001
Review of the Canterbury Concert,  By Ray Lawrence   07/02/2001
Review of The Mission Estate Concert,  Courtesy NZ Herald  10/02/2001
Review of The Mission Estate Concert by Gary Stone  10/02/2001
Review of The Mission Estate Concert by Warren Houston  10/02/2001
Review of The Mission Estate Concert by Kevin Hodgson   10/02/2001

10 FEBRUARY 2001

Mission Estate Winery Concert  -  Hollies bask in Hawkes Bay warmth,  By Kevin Hodgson

The Mission Concert 2001 turned on a great evening with a crowd of 24000 plus with temperatures of up to 29c with the lack of wind and cloud, umbrellas were well needed before the sun went down behind the hills of the Mission Estate for there 8th Concert.

And as the sun went down the hills of the Mission did not cool because it was Hollies Time.

And what a time it was Carl Wayne opened up with SHOUT to  HERE WE GO AGAIN it was a concert were there was no siting back on your deck chairs it was up dancing and every one of the 24000 plus wanted to be your dancing partner.

Being in my late 40s I now seen a number of English bands and the Hollies will have to be by far the best and will be the talk of the town for a long time.

Kevin Hodgson

10 FEBRUARY 2001

Mission Estate Winery Concert,  Napier New Zealand,  By Warren Houston

10 FEBRUARY 2001

Mission Estate Winery Concert,  Napier New Zealand,  By Gary Stone

Prelude

The gates to the venue had opened earlier that day at 2.00pm, 6 hours before the start of what was going to be one of “the” concerts. The crowd had surged into the Mission grounds, a natural Amphitheatre, to stake out their piece of ground, to soak up the atmosphere which is a Mission Concert and to wait.

The day was perfect, a still, cloudless 25^oC (78^oF) summers day. Umbrellas and the few shade trees were the order of the day and everyone tried to keep their fluid levels up in an attempt to ward off dehydration  -  if you know what I mean.

The Liquor store owners were very likely heading for Motor Vehicle and Real Estate dealers the following day such would have been their “takings” from the weekend.

The Gig

The first note has just been struck “I’m Alive” yet it was never heard as the excited and expectant crowd of over 25,000 drowned out any sound emanating from the stage.

In unison they voiced their collective excitement in one deafening roar of approval.

After 13 years The Hollies were here!

The anticipation and excited tension broken, we settled a little to enjoy one of the worlds super groups.

Carl asked “…have you come to hear the hits “?  The answer, a resounding and booming “YES”

And so it started, was followed by, and ended all too soon with hit after hit after hit. They played them all including AUS & NZ No1 single “Too Young To Be Married”

During one of the little monologues, Tony was interrupted by an on stage presence. The Manager of EMI (NZ) had a wee surprise for the lads.  The Hollies “Greatest Hits” CD had reached Number One in New Zealand and had gone Platinum !  The presentation was made, and handed around the others and the “party” seemed to reach new level somehow.

On numerous occasions during the night Carl invited everyone to join in with the chorus lines. I think they may have been blown away with the response which was full voiced, in perfect pitch and bloody loud. The kind of stuff that brings a tear to the eye, your heart race and the hair on the back of your neck stand to attention.

The type of noise that would rival a Man. United goal in extra time to win an FA Cup final.

Well, you get the idea.

People I spoke to later that weren’t as lucky as myself, and didn’t get to the concert, told me they could hear the crowd singing clearly and with great volume from their houses 3-4 miles away and that at times it completely drowned out the music and vocals from The Hollies.

Towards the end, The Hollies introduced themselves to the crowd and performed the usual and appreciated solo. Two thunderous cheers were reserved for – you guessed it,  Tony Hicks and Bobby Elliott.

Carl asked again “Have we left anything out “?  He Ain’t Heavy was the reply. We all knew which one they’d left till last. We’d counted them, ticked them off one by one, we all knew.

Summary

The Hollies never missed a beat, never missed a cue and had the entire audience captured by the total show and sound that only The Hollies can deliver.

The Hits were there, the dynamic Hollies sound was there and the crowd loved every second of it. We fell in love with The Hollies all over again not that they were or will be very far away from our hearts. Judging by the car stereo systems, and home Hi Fi’s that were playing Hollies hits all day Sunday

Congratulations on a truly special night and after 9 years of magnificent international super stars appearing at The Mission it’s great to hear  huge numbers of people leaving the show proclaiming The Hollies as the best yet.

But then again …………. Was there any doubt ?

10 FEBRUARY 2001

Mission Estate Concert, Napier New Zealand, 10^th February 2001    Courtesy NZ Herald

The Mission valley was turned into a sea of umbrellas. Picture: Duncan Brown. Hollies bask in Bay warmth 12.02.2001 - Roger Moroney The Mission Concert 2001 turned on a heat wave before unleashing a 60s soundwave for the more than 20,000 people who turned a green hillside into a multi-coloured landscape on Saturday. Umbrellas were as necessary an accessory as the chilly bin and wine opener as temperatures soared during the afternoon. While the official Napier temperature was 24.5deg, a temperature gauge at the site revealed 29 — although the lack of predicted cloud, light winds and sardine-like conditions made it feel more like 30-plus. Brian Galloway, spokesman for International Management Group, said it was the hottest Mission Concert he could recall, but the heat failed to sap the energy of the “Missionaries” who began arriving at the gates as early as 10.30am to make a run for the prime spots on the hill. And it failed to sap their enthusiasm for a pop music party — just the same as the 60s and 70s when albums by Lulu and The Hollies were guaranteed pleasers on a Saturday night at someone’s house while the parents were out. But this time it was the parents who were in, and from the opening notes of Shout from the little Scots dynamo the years were shed and vocal chords and dancing hips again tested. It was one of the largest crowds seen at the venue, with figures of up to 25,000 being talked about. At 3pm, five hours before Lulu hit the stage, the hillside was already a packed sea of colour as the summer crowd frolicked in anticipation — although for some that long hot afternoon and the liquid refreshments it encouraged would later prove too much. By 5pm latecomers were forced to head for the high ground, or the steep slopes to the right of the stage. Those rutted slopes, coupled with discarded bottles and cans on the ground, led to the more serious of the 19 casualties which required hospital treatment. The 16 St John Ambulance personnel, along with 16 first aid staff, were kept busy dealing with a string of fractures and sprains, burns from light-stick chemicals, cuts, back injuries and general sickness. One person was rushed to hospital with chest pains. Twenty-five other people were treated at the site for ailments including sunburn. Lulu received a rapturous response when she appeared, and for many she turned out to be the star of the night. “She sounded like Lulu,” one missionary said. “The Hollies didn’t sound like the Hollies.” Without the distinctive voice of Allan Clarke, the band, particularly vocalist Carl Wayne, was always going to have to work hard to reproduce the dozens of hits the 70s band had. But they easily won the crowd over and soon had everyone on their feet. At times it was like a very polished karaoke night — the festive crowd singing along to hit after hit. Singer Carl Wayne was “blown away” by the response. The singing and the waving of light sticks made it feel like they were in a huge theatre, he said. Guitarist and original member Tony Hicks said he had seen a lot of crowds and performed at hundreds of concerts — but the Mission was something else. “It was tops,” was the band’s consensus. They rocked, rolled, threw in a couple of ballads and covers, and gave four encores before leaving the stage. For the large team of police on duty, intoxication was the prime culprit for action they had to take. Several scuffles and minor fights were reported, while several drunken groups, including teenagers, were spoken to and warned. One man was ejected from the site after trying to get in over a fence. “But for the number of people there it was pretty good, no major problems,” a police spokesman said. Police were today busy trying to reunite people with lost property. Cameras, cell phones, several bags and wallets, clothing, more than a dozen sets of keys, sunglasses and wristwatches were recovered. Yesterday’s clean-up also resulted in 20 fruit bins being filled with empty wine bottles and about 30 woolsacks filled with empty cans. It took about 50 people 10 hours to clean the site. After spending a quiet day in Napier, the Hollies and Lulu flew out about 6pm last night.   ©Copyright 2000 NZ Herald

07 FEBRUARY 2001

Review of the Canterbury Concert by Ray Lawrence

G'day Mate From Sydney, Australia -  Canterbury Hurlstone Park RSL Club.

 I have been a Hollies fan for 20 years and my dream of seeing The Hollies has now been fulfilled.

For years my brother and I had said that if they ever come to Australia we would go and see them, we didn’t expect to be driving over 320km to Sydney to see them but they certainly made it worthwhile and lived up to all our expectations.

They played to a capacity crowd of around 700 or more in a very comfortable Canterbury Hurlstone Park RSL Club.

We walked into the hall and saw the stage with "The Hollies" name written on a classic Bobby Elliott drum set, we had finally made it to see them.

They came on stage at 8.15pm and open with I'm Alive and the hits kept on coming, Here I Go Again, Jennifer Eccles, Bus Stop and Soldiers Song a truly epic song that I hadn’t heard before about war and the pain that it causes, absolutely brilliant. After each song Tony Hicks would direct the next one and chat about the good old days with the band and a mention Graham Nash brought cheers from the crowd.

Carl Wayne dedicated  'The Moves'  No 1 hit, Flowers In The Rain to his good friend, the late Ricky May. Carl has such a strong voice and one can see why he fitted into The Hollies so easily.

Carl left the stage to get changed quickly and came out with leather pants to plenty of cat whistles, so he soaked it and gave a side view and a back view with everyone laughing. Such a great entertainer,  that spark was their all night, even some one down the front was dancing and he tried to get who ever it was onto the stage but they wouldn't get up, so he then said "get your gear off".   He had the audience in stitches with laughter.

Allan Coates sang an unforgettable rendition of  On A Carousel with Tony Hicks. I thought that the harmonies together on this song really stood out for me. I certainly think that they sounded so much like the full members were present.

Tony Hicks is such a pro on Guitar and his young looks are amazing (I hope I look that good when I am his Age).  The band continue on with Look Through Any Window and Sorry Suzanne.

Tony then explained to the audience how the band had a Number 1 hit with Too Young To Be Married in Australia only and that it was quite bizarre. They didn’t let the crowd down with this song, some people were up dancing.  I looked around everyone was singing and Carl encouraged them to do so by pointing the mic to the audience.

The music changed then direction and they played Bob Dylans' (who comes here in March) song Blowin' In The Wind closely followed by Carrie Anne.  Tony talked about carting a Banjo all the way from U.K for just one song then proceeded to warm it up before leading straight into Stop! Stop! Stop and then came The Air That I Breathe.

All night long, Bobby Elliott gave an instrumental performance on the drums second to none.  At one stage I closed my eyes and just listened to the master, remembering all the songs that I have with so much drumming in them,  songs like I Can’t Tell The Bottom From The Top, Look Through Any Window, Gasoline Alley Bred, Here I Go Again.

One of my favourites was next,  Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress with Carl pumping the song out.  Totally Awesome

The audience wanted more and they returned with another one of my favourites He Ain’t Heavy…….  The audience rose to their feet to give the band a standing ovation.

I was very lucky to get some autographs at the beginning of the night on my ticket and also on an email from Rob.

When we left it was around 9.45pm and there were people getting autographs and having a chat with the boys.

I must thank Rob for his updates and information put out on his great web site without which we wouldn’t have known that The Hollies were over here.

5 FEBRUARY 2001

Well I'm a very happy 50 yr old Hollies fan. The 5th time I've seen the band and definitely one of the best.  The last time was in 1983, the day of the Ash Wednesday bushfires, smoke all over the city.

A full house at Crown Casino, about 1000,  had a great night of music and fun thanks to the wonderful 'Hollies'.  The show started at 8.10pm and finished at about 10pm.

I can't recall the exact order of songs but I'll try: Opening intro -  lots of blue lights - 1st song - I'm Alive they're back!

Carl Wayne - brilliant.  Here I go Again, Jennifer Eccles, Soldiers Song - unforgettable wonderful harmonies, The Hollies are happy to be in Melbourne again.

More hits - Just One Look, I Can't Let Go, Look Through Any Window, Bus Stop, and then 'The Moves'  No 1 hit, Flowers In The Rain with very nice rain effects.

Ray, Ian, Bobby and Allan Coates all compliment each other and the true Hollies sound is magical.

Next is my favourite - The Baby with Tony playing his sitar/guitar.  More hits follow - Sorry Suzanne, On A Carousel a good sing along on that one; Carrie Anne, Blackbird (acappella style with Ray, Tony and Alan Coates), Blowin' in The Wind ,Stop Stop Stop - with a lovely banjo solo by Tony (I thought it was going to be Open Up Your Eyes)  Lots of clapping and singing along.

Too Young To be Married, a No 1 in Aussie and NZ.

The finale featured the classic hits The Air That I Breathe,  Blackberry Way (Move), Long Cool Woman - long version with solos and intros, followed by He Ain't Heavy and finally a verse of It's In Everyone of Us.

All in all a fantastic Hollies show at their very best.  The Aussie crowd really had a great time.

Ray, Ian, Allan Coates, Bobby all had fine contributions as well.  During the show we got to know Carl Wayne who has great stage presence and is a real asset to The Hollies. Lots of jokes with Tony Hicks who insisted on being called Anthony well if Johnny Farnham is John Farnham he can be Anthony Hicks or Mr Hicks.

Apparently some musical gear was lost between the North and South island of NZ so they will go back and look for it next week. They told us about a new album and a live video is in the stages of production.

The sooner the better.

Peter McDonald, Australia

03 FEBRUARY 2001

Review of the Millbrook Resort Concert - Courtesy  Otago Daily Times

La la, Lulu . . . British pop singer Lulu gets into top gear at the British Invasion concert at Millbrook Resort, near Arrowtown, on Saturday, while at right Carl Wayne, of the Hollies, listens to the crowd yell one of the band's 1960s classics

 

By David Williams

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03 FEBRUARY 2001

Review of the Millbrook Resort Concert by Peter Graham

Driving over to Queenstown from Dunedin on the Friday evening before the concert, I couldn’t help but feel the same feelings of anticipation & excitement that I had felt on previous occasions when The Hollies came ‘down under’ in 1976 (when I was a young teenager), in 1983 (when the band seemed to me to be going through a rather protracted metamorphosis) & again in 1987. On all occasions they were just superb despite the odd personnel change.

But on this occasion there was a niggling sense of doubt because the great Allan Clarke was not going to be  “up front” where he always seemed to belong.  Although I knew The Hollies had a new lead singer in Carl Wayne ( I had been following the news & the  favorable reviews on Rob’s official web site & in Sheila’s UK fan club 'Carousel')  yet,  I couldn’t help but feel some mild trepidation of a possible mixed reception from  a Kiwi audience who may not have been aware of  Allan’s  recent retirement & the fact  that someone else  would be singing  those timeless classics.

I need not have worried, Carl was brilliant!

There must have been some anxiety back stage as well because by the second encore Tony, Bobby & co (full of smiles) gave Carl pats on the back & the odd hug, not just for his great performance, but the rousing reception they all got from the nearly 13,000 strong crowd.

The day dawned fine & warm but by the time Lulu came on stage around 4pm it was really quite hot & the crowd of mostly 40 to 50 “some-things” were ready to “party”. As soon as Lulu came on about 500 odd people rushed up to the front the stage. Not a bad reception I thought, but within a few opening bars of I’m Alive when the Hollies took to the stage, the crowd went wild with thousands (including yours truly) storming the front of the stage & remained there for the whole of the show. By now every one was on their feet cheering dancing and, much to Carl’s & Tony’s obvious delight, singing at the tops of their voices. Sometimes I struggled to even hear Alan’s & Tony’s splendid harmonies on the chorus’s as the crowd seemed to know all the words of just about chorus on every song in the set.

Because the show was billed as “The British Invasion”  & Lulu was double billed with the Hollies, the ‘set’ was a little abbreviated from what UK audiences have been treated to & it seemed to me, tailored somewhat more to a 60’s theme. Great, but apart from the obvious world wide smashes from the 1970’s, The Air That I Breathe, He Ain’t Heavy & Long Cool Woman, I did miss some of the 70’s & 80’s material especially given that the Hollies had a significant top 50 chart profile here in New Zealand from late 74 right up to early 1977 (with seven top 30 hits!). I also missed The Baby & Soldiers Song, two of my all time favorites in which the boys had been doing recently in their UK set. I was also hoping with Carl up front (or with Ray), they may have done Magic Woman Touch, a big hit here in 1973. (in fact, its been said that it was “the” song of ’73)

These were only minor disappointments. As hit after hit kept coming at a frantic pace. From I’m Alive

at the start through to Stop Stop Stop you could tell the lads were having a rollicking good time not only by the way they were playing & singing, but by the crowd’s reaction. I thought I was at a "teenyboppers" concert of thirty years ago. Carl had underwear thrown at him  & commented after about the fourth item that had been thrown on stage that there must have been “someone walking around with no clothes on”. Red roses were also flung at Tony & Carl although I am not sure if Tony noticed his. A 1940’s style woman’s hat ended up on Alan’s head where it remained for the whole show. Carl & Alan also displayed their soccer skills dispatching a beach ball that was been bounced around the audience & found itself on stage a few times. A trial for Manchester United could well be in order!!.

In the middle of that core set of 60’s classics there was Flowers In The Rain  which despite Carl being a little unsure if it was well known over here, went down a storm. (actually, it went to Number 1 in the charts in 1967!) Also there was Blowin’ In The Wind in which the lads belted out a great rendition!

After that there was nice version of Tony’s all time classic Too Young To Be Married (a number 1 in 1971) with Tony thanking us for making it such a big hit. In the middle of this part of the set, Ray along with Tony & Alan did a nice cover of  Blackbird.

Carrie Ann was in there, notable for Alan doing a superb lead vocal & a rather bemused Tony missing his cue for his solo lead vocal, but he managed to disguise it brilliantly.  Alan again did a superb lead vocal on Carousel, hasn’t he been able to fill the big shoes of Graham Nash & Terry Sylvester wonderfully over the last seventeen years or so!

To finish the set came the all time classic The Air That I Breathe (a song that Allan had made his own) which I thought Carl did rather well on & so did the crowd.

The first encore opened up with Carl doing a splendid rendition of Blackberry Way in which the crowd was again in fine voice (a top 10 hit in 1969 for his old band the Move).

Ray back on lead vocals for Tiger Feet followed, (number 8 for his old band, Mud in 1974) which went down well. The extended version of Long Cool Woman came next & sadly  I sensed things coming to an end. Again Carl put in a sterling performance on Allan’s all time rock standard. During this song each member of the band was introduced to rousing cheers.

The second encore of course featured He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother with Carl opening up on Harmonica (which was great) & the “Bungy Jumper” Ian Parker playing delicate piano. Again Carl did well in light of Allan’s past, almost hypnotic rendering of one of pop music’s all time classics.  Carl respectfully kept the song close to the original version.

The third encore comprised of an abbreviated version of the 1979 Five Three One Double Seven O Four album track,  It’s In Everyone Of Us. This was performed beautifully by Alan, Ray, Carl, Ian, & Tony around center mike with no backing. Bobby was well hidden at the back & when the boys had finished & the cheering died down a little they parted & Bobby, who had played brilliantly all evening (as he always does) came forward to pay tribute & say  the farewells.

I think the lads really enjoyed their all too brief time here as Tony made mention during the show that he thought this part of the world was close to being in  “heaven” & then went on to say “no, it is heaven!” Carl also said at the start of the show,  “if there’s a nicer place in the world then he wanted to  know where it was”.  I guess we South Islanders get a little blasé’ by the beauty of the southern lakes & alps. ( for me, scenery only matched on a recent visit to the Canadian Rockies a couple of years ago).  But to see The Hollies again after thirteen years (even without Allan) was a huge bonus as I had long thought 1987 was it!

By Peter Graham

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03 FEBRUARY 2001

Review of Millbrook Resort Concert - Courtesy The Southland Times
Hollies and Lulu deliver to the old faithful
The average age of those on and off stage at Millbrook Resort on Saturday would have been 50 but that didn't cramp anyone's style. At 52, British 1960s pop star Lulu still had far younger men in the 12,500-strong crowd snatching for the binoculars, while The Hollies lead singer Carl Wayne had a woman's black G-string and a phone number tossed to him on stage. The crowd got what it came for - perfect weather and as many smash hits as their 1960s pop icon idols could deliver. For Lulu fans it might as well have been 1969, the year she stole young hearts as an 18-year-old with her biggest hit To Sir With Love. The voice was as clear and strong and the body, clad in tight-fitting gold pants, looked better than ever. From the moment she hit the stage just after 4pm with Shake and Shout fans were on their feet dancing. The Boat That I Row and To Sir With Love brought back many memories. But Lulu threw in a few surprises, including New Zealand band Crowded House's Don't Dream It's Over and some songs from her 1991 album. For The Hollies, fresh from a spin on the Shotover River, performing at Millbrook was "heaven". They did all their big hits - The Air That I Breathe, He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother, Too Young to Be Married and finally, in one of several encores Long Cool Woman In a Black Dress, to the delight of the packed dance arena in front of the stage. New lead singer Wayne, who joined the band 12 months ago after Alan Clarke retired, threw in a No 1 hit from his former band The Move, Goodbye Blackberry Way. Wayne briefly wore a pair of white boxers tossed to him with a woman's cell phone number printed on them. After 1-1/2 hours the band gathered for a short unaccompanied "Hollies orchestral" song before farewelling the throng of satisfied thousands.	GROOVY: Sixties singing star Lulu points to an appreciative crowd at Millbrook, near Queenstown, on Saturday. BARRY HARCOURT/The Southland Times

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29 JANUARY 2001

Radio Interview with Tony Hicks - Courtesy meadiasearch.com.au

Spotlight: The Hollies - Here they go again By Carmine Pascuzzi

An interview in Australia with Tony Hicks  One of the legendary British groups that made their mark on pop music history is The Hollies. From their beginnings in 1963, they have established themselves with numerous hits and Australia was prominent in that assault. A string of hits such as “Just One Look”, “Look Through Any Window”, “Here I Go Again”, “On A Carousel”, “Bus Stop”, “Carrie Anne” and “Jennifer Eccles” made them one of the most popular bands at the time. Then, in 1969, the release of “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” topped charts all over the world. The Hollies continued to produce hits through the 1970s, with “Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress”, “The Air That I Breathe”, and a virtual Australian-only hit in “Too Young To Be Married”. The band has continued on in Britain where they still enjoy great popularity in playing clubs and theatres. It is amazing to think that The Hollies has survived almost forty years, albeit with a vastly different line-up to the earlier golden years. In recent months, Allan Clarke decided to leave the band due to his wife’s illness and ex-lead singer of The Move, Carl Wayne stepped in to join the band, and he has been very successful in putting a fresh touch to the old Hollies classics. Now, approximately thirteen years after their last visit to Australia, The Hollies return for three dates, including one at Melbourne’s Crown Showroom on Monday, February 5, 2001. They are also touring New Zealand before and after the Australian dates. Tony Hicks and Bobby Elliott remain as the original members of the band, and the six-man line-up promise a dazzling reminder of their hit songs in their new show. I spoke to Tony Hicks about touring Australia again, and the fact that the band are still playing and pleasing crowds. He was keen on knowing whether to bring an overcoat. I told him not to bother, although New Zealand may require one.   Q.                  It’s great to see The Hollies back in Australia, albeit for a rushed trip…  A.                  Yes, we managed to sandwich these dates in between a short tour of New Zealand which was planned for some time. It’s worked out as well as we could have done. It’s just been so hectic. Work! Work! Work! We have done many shows in the latter part of last year.  Q.                  I suppose the big thing that Hollies fans will notice is that Carl Wayne is your new lead singer. We all know the wonderful voice that Allan Clarke has shown – his being perhaps one of the best ever pop music voices. How has the transition been?  A.                  Yes, Allan left us because his wife became ill, so we decided to bring in Carl Wayne, ex-lead singer of The Move. You might remember that they had two big hits in Australia with “Flowers In The Rain” and “Blackberry Way”. He has proved to be a real bonus. We’ve done about 20-25 dates with Carl now, and I’m very impressed. He is a real performer – so enthusiastic about the whole thing, and he has brought a whole new dimension to it. It’s as though we’ve started again. He is very, very good. The transition has been very smooth. The crowds are still coming along and the reaction has been 100%. They understood the changeover and they’ve taken to Carl marvellously. He’s such a good performer because he can take hold of an audience and insists they have a good time. In a situation like that, the way you have to look at it, is that you can’t bring yourself back to where you were. You have to go beyond that. The reaction is clear that we’ve done that. It is a rebirth. It’s fabulous and we’re really enjoying it.  Q.                  Is the nostalgia movement still strong in Britain?  A.                  There isn’t too many of the original 60s/70s bands around – maybe in name only –with original members. There are many look-alikes and soundalikes. Often, they are second-rate. I don’t really approve of all that, but that is what’s happening. We try and keep away for that and we do our theatre dates on our own and let the others do their business.  Q.                  Are the young music fans getting into the 60s and 70s still – Beatles, Rolling Stones, Animals, Moody Blues, Herman’s Hermits, etc?  A.                  The young generation still does go for that, which amazes me to a certain extent. But yes that sort of 60s music has really taken over. All the names you mentioned are probably bigger draws than some of the current bands.  Q.                  You must have fond memories of those early years…  A.                  The first country that we headed for, in order to break the band, was America. We toured there for 2-3 months at a time, travelling around, staying at all the Holiday Inns. That paid dividends eventually. We didn’t actually come to Australia or New Zealand for several years. There were plenty of offers but we just didn’t seem to make it. I think it was about four years into our career when we went there and realised we’d missed some really good stuff over there. After that, we’ve been over quite regularly over a period of years through the 70s and 80s. We’ve been to Australia six or seven times after the initial visit. It’s always been pleasurable coming to Australia. It’s a lovely country. The first time we went there, we were very pleased with the ride. As for America, the last time we travelled there was also about 12-13 years ago and we got Graham Nash to join us. We even made an album with him and we really had a great month’s tour of America then.  Q.                  How is Graham after his bad accident last year?  A.                  Well, he had a very bad boating accident last year in Hawaii and broke both his legs. But he has now recovered and is absolutely fine, and has been touring with Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young in the last ten months.  Q.                  You were also on the same record label (Parlophone) as The Beatles… A.                  There were various record labels vying for our services, and it just turned out that Parlophone was the main one interested in us. It was great in those early days because nearly all of our recordings were done at the Abbey Road studios. So we would be in studio 3, the Beatles in studio 2, and we'’ be crossing over to listen to one another to see what was going on.  Q.                  What can we expect from the upcoming shows?  A.                  We know that people will obviously want to hear the hit songs. We’ll do pretty much every hit song that The Hollies recorded. S a real bonus, we’ll put in those songs that Carl (Wayne) recorded with The Move – “Blackberry Way” and “Flowers In The Rain”. It will be hits from start to finish, including “Too Young To Be Married”, which was a number 1 hit in Australia. That’s very special to Australia and we’ve had to re-learn it. There are something like thirty hit songs to choose from. We’ll be on stage for as long as they want us.  Q.                  Have you looked at releasing some previously unreleased Hollies material or recording new songs?  A.                  I don’t know about unreleased recordings, but with Carl giving us this fresh look, we feel good about getting in the studio and doing some new recordings, which our more dedicated followers have been longing for. That will be the next project.  Q.                  What has been the highlight of your career?  A.                  It was great when we had “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” as a number 1 hit everywhere. It even managed it twice, when we re-released it later in the 1980s as part of a special promotion. That too was a great thrill, to be going back to all the television shows in England and performing it for the second time around. It was interesting taking my son along then. He is a recording engineer at the Abbey Road studios in London. He has been working with Paul McCartney and George Harrison, and with the anthology project.  Q.                  For those not well versed in recent happenings, tell us about the other members of the band?  A.                  The other members of the band have been with us for almost twenty years, in fact. Ian Parker (keyboards) is from Scotland. He also plays with that wonderful Irish group Clannad. Alan Coates (guitars/vocals) and Ray Stiles (bass) complete the line-up. Ray has played with a band called Mud. Those who saw The Hollies the last time will remember the guys well.  Q.                  Do you have any views on the current British scene?  A.                  I haven’t followed it to a great extent. It does sound to me that, apart from the all-singing, all-dancing boy and girl bands, which I can’t get terribly excited about, a lot of the bands are beginning to sound like the 60s music. That is, guitar-based and drums, and just thrashing away. That side I rather like. Of course, you’ve had Oasis – a modern day version of what was going on in the 60s.  Q.                  Do young artists come to you for advice?  A.                  Occasionally it happens. I get the odd tape sent to me. I usually pass it on to my son who has the younger ears and he is a bit more attuned to what is going on.

Carmine Pascuzzi

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29 JANUARY 2001

Famed British pop group of the Swinging Sixties, The Hollies are still going strong
– and heading to New Zealand for two shows, as SUE FEA reports.

After almost 30 years together, playing for The Hollies is "still the best fun you can have with your clothes on," original drummer Bobby Elliott says.

The hit-makers of the 60s – who formed in England in 1963 – are back performing and thrilling crowds the world over.

"It's not a proper job. It still feels special when the show's flying and the band is gelling," Elliott said from Britain.

The euphoria of performing to thousands of hungry fans was indescribable. In almost 30 years, timeless Hollies' hits such as He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother and The Air That I Breathe had transcended generations. Neither the audiences nor the band had tired of them.

"Performing is like a feeling inside – it's like a sort of natural high," Elliott said.

The Hollies had scored countless gold hits during the years and proved their legendary status when He Ain't Heavy, the No 2 hit British single of 1969, reappeared as a No 1 hit single when re-released in Britain in 1989.

Traditionally classed as a 60s band, Elliott said The Hollies' biggest heydays had been in the 70s. Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress hit the top of the charts in 1972, followed by The Air That I Breathe two years later.

Their most traumatic moment was when original singer-songwriter and rhythm guitarist Graham Nash left the band in 1968 to form Crosby, Stills and Nash in the United States. Together with guitarist Tony Hicks, who still plays in the band, Nash had written many of the early songs and his high harmony trademark vocals had been an integral part of the band.

"The music press said The Hollies were finished but we went on to success," Elliott said.

For the 60s original members, Elliott, Hicks, lead singer Allan Clarke, who retired only a year ago, and Nash, the band was an exciting escape from the likelihood of a bleak future as factory apprentices in industrial England.

"Off we went in a van touring the UK making music – it was like a dream." The band leaves tomorrow for New Zealand where it will play at Millbrook Resort, Queenstown, on a double bill with another 60s icon, Lulu, on Saturday and at Mission Estate, Napier, on February 10.

Australia was next on the concert schedule before resuming its British tour with 30 more concerts until March or April.

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6 DECEMBER 2000

There will be a double billing at next February's Millbrook outdoor concert at Queenstown.

Tickets sales, already strong for The Hollies concert, were expected to hot up with confirmation Lulu had now signed, International Management Group (IMG) spokeswoman Jane Patterson said.

Lulu would also double-bill with The Hollies at the Mission concert in the North Island, which sold out this year within 35 minutes.

The line-up of two internationally renowned acts was something really special for Queenstown and the South Island, IMG arts and entertainment manager Brian Galloway said.

In past years a warm-up act had gone before the main act.

"This year is something different. It's a double bill so concert-goers will enjoy an evening of great music from two icon artists – they are both class acts," Mr Galloway said.

The concert is being held on a Saturday for the first time and there is no reserve seating.

The concert is on February 3.

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24 NOVEMBER 2000

British pop band The Hollies will be one of two headline acts for this summer's Mission Estate concert in Napier.

Concert promoter IMG (NZ) hoped to announce a second big act – of roughly equal stature to the Hollies – next week, spokesman Brian Galloway said yesterday. There is speculation that British singer Lulu will be the second act, though that could not be confirmed last night.

The Hollies, among the leaders in the 1960s "British invasion", will be the first act from their era to play at the annual Mission concert.

The concert, on Saturday, February 10, will also help mark the 150th anniversary of the Mission, and the winery's general manager, Peter Holley, said they wanted to stage "something special" to celebrate the occasion.

"The 60s pop music phenomenon is unique because it transcends the decades in terms of style, so it appeals to a wide range of audience and this is crucial to the concert's success," Mr Holley said.

Mission would be issuing two "Concert Series" wines, a merlot-cabernet franc and a barrel-fermented chardonnay, and these would be available at a discount to ticket holders, he said.

Tickets, which go on sale on Monday, will again be limited to 20,000, but with a new Ticketek outlet in Hastings this year the organisers are guaranteeing that 70 per cent of total sales will be in the Hawke's Bay region.

Mr Galloway said new security measures had been introduced as the result of minor problems in the past, such as members of the audience going in front of the stage.

The Hollies claim to have had more hits than any band of their era, including The Beatles. Their hit songs include He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother, Bus Stop, Jennifer Eccles and I'm Alive.