Barbican Centre, York             Saturday, 30th April       By Jennifer Cooper

At last the 30th of April finally arrived, having had to wait longer than anticipated, but I am sure that everyone along with myself wished 3ennic a full and speedy recovery.

Jennifer Cooper, Harrogate

Empire Theatre, Sunderland            Thursday29 April 1999   By Barbara Taylor

Despite the concert being rescheduled The Hollies played to an almost full house.

As usual they cast their magic over the theatre receiving enthusiastic applause, particularly for the much-loved hits that the majority of people come to hear. These were sprinkled with a number of songs from albums, with Butterfly performed by Alan Coates being particularly well received by the audience.

To the delight of the fans, Allan Clarke performed his own Don't Let Me Down, one of my own favourites, and another one of his own compositions Not That Way At All, a song introduced by Tony Hicks as "The Rocking Horse Song".

Ray Stiles has added to his repertoire of electronic wizardry. Peggy Sue Got Married with Buddy Holly and The Hollies has been joined by After the Fox with the voice of Peter Sellers.

Tony took the load vocal on the 1966 B-side of I Can't Let Go, called Running Through The Night, and with Alan Coates did a very good version of Paul McCartney's Blackbird.

All too soon we're into rock and roll mode and the full-bodied version of Long Cool Woman.

It's always good to see so many people give the boys a standing ovation after all these years.

Thank you Hollies for another great night and particularly to Allan, given Jeni's health problems.

By Barbara Taylor

Lewisham Theatre 2^nd Night             Sunday 25 May 1999 By Jacqui Thallon

Mindful of last night’s fiasco on Catford’s Roundabout from Hell (major road-works) I set out in good time for my short journey from Greenwich and arrived with time to spare for the obligatory G & T before taking my seat.

The lighting on this tour is nothing short of spectacular, starting the show with stunning purple search lights criss-crossing the stage, coupled with the dramatic music it sets the tone perfectly. On came the boys and I was delighted to see that Coatsie was out of his "breast-feeding" chair and on to a stool. He had an enigmatic smile on his face for much of the time and I began to wonder just what his doctor had given him to kill the back pain!

Everyone was on good form and they appeared to be enjoying themselves as much as the fans. It was a warm but lively audience as usual and Carousel Fan Club members were out in force.

They launched into Here I Go Again and followed up with hit after hit interspersed with other gems. Worthy of special note in the first set were:

After the Fox -This tour was the first time I had seen this performed live and I loved it.

Butterfly - Missing from last nights show, an enchanting performance as usual.

Tony admitted to having indulged in a banana "butty" prior to coming on stage, he then launched into the merits of banana butties over Marmite butties ! Sorry Tony, Marmite does it for me every time.

More G & T’s and into the second set. Now for most of my favourites…….King Midas in Reverse……….Blackbird – another popular addition. even though Tony can’t remember all the words! A wistful McCartney number sung so beautifully it takes your breath away.

Carrie Anne, Stop, Stop, Stop, – no long intro tonight but awesome banjo playing all the same.

The Air That I Breathe – back to the search lights again only this time they also bathed the audience in purple , which helped to charge the atmosphere.

He Ain’t Heavy He’s My Brother - the audiences favourite and you can hear a collective sigh go up as they prepare to be mesmerised.

The end of "Heavy" is the cue for fans to go to the front of the stage. There was a vain attempt by the ushers to restrain us but they were seriously outnumbered and quickly gave up!

Only three numbers to go now so lets have some fun – guaranteed for me as I was standing next to Mark! He was on great form dancing, clapping and singing as if his life depended upon it.

Let’s Dance – I looked around and the audience had taken up the challenge and were indeed dancing in the aisles.

At The Hop – another new addition, and the perfect showcase for Hollies harmony.

Long Cool Woman – not your average Hollies number. This is a real favourite of mine and shows what versatile and talented musicians they really are.

Another awesome tour !

On the way out I heard one woman say to her friend "he looks just the same as he used to doesn’t he?". No prizes for guessing who they meant !

Well, that’s it now for me until the next tour, so back to Greenwich and to relative normality until the autumn.

By Jacqui Thallon

HOLLIES LIVE at Lewisham Theatre        South London, 24^th April 1999  By Uli Twelker - Germany

Six Hollies invade the stage on time, with Tony Hicks joking around "I never know, is it the Odeon or the Gaumont?" Before you have time for a chuckle, they throw a series of hits at you: "Here I Go Again", "Jennifer Eccles", "Just One Look", "Sandy" by Bruce Springsteen, because "we discovered him", as Clarkey reminds us. Business as usual then for the veterans of Britpop harmonies?

"All of that, thankfully, but there´s more, cosmic survivors from the "Butterfly" days: ALLAN CLARKE´s crooning is a shade darker now, and his appearance gives him the air of an agile Mia Farrow-era-Sixties-Sinatra.

TONY HICKS not only let his hair grow to resemble the cover of "Sorry Suzanne", he´s still one hell of a guitar player, soloing as convincingly as he weaves clever chord structures around our favourites.

BOB ELLIOTT could take it easy laying down a lazy back beat, the way only he can., but his temper & talent seem to insist he enriches each and every number with little patterns and fills to - yes, definitely write home about!

Mind you, with all these ingredients, the sum total is still very much the authentic 'Hollies' sound, with backing vocals now handled by three lads: Tony, Alan Coates and bassman Ray Stiles, who´s up front for tonight's gig because Coatsy´s back trouble means he´s confined to a "breast feeding chair", as Tony grins naughtily.

Only The Hollies could continue with hits all night, but for thrills we get a look into their workshop as well: "Stay" is first presented in the slow-paced Maurice Williams and Jackson Browne version, so when the band suddenly leap into their own speeded-up version, we know exactly why we´re here! On with the action from ´64 to ´66: Hollies in Hollywood, or rather Pinewood: They recorded their "After The Fox" single for the Peter Sellers film, and modern technology brings the unforgotten Sellers from Abbey Road to centre stage!

From then on it´s a succession of highlights – chart smashes thrown in non-stop for good measure. Allan Clarke shows his little grandson Sam that he´s still in the UK harmonica champions league with his solo rendition of "The Train". "Running Through The Night" presents the band in breakneck Country Outlaws style while "We´re Through" features keyboard wizard Ian Parker on cross-auditorium accordion. And then, while McCartney may not sing Clarke-songs, as Allan quipped, young Tony delivered "Blackbird" from the White Album. Surely, Macca will pay him back with interest by doing "Crocodile Woman" on his new rock´n´roll album...

The second performance after the intermission starts like "Live Hits" and "Archive Alive" – with the unforgettable "I Can´t Let Go".

Talk about legends, there´s another glimpse towards rock´n´roll heaven: Buddy Holly´s tender lead vocals creep into "Peggy Sue Got Married" via Parkers samples, the way The Hollies stole the show on the MCA tribute album in 1996.

Nash-successor Coates delivered "On A Carousel" in such style that makes the audience feel it´s been his own for a long time now. Mind you, the guy´s been with the band longer now than Graham and Terry taken together!

Soon, "Breathe" and "Heavy" really sparkled, as if Clarke had saved some extra Red Bull energy for their faultless presentation. But the Hollies still have steam to spare for a rousing "Rock-around Saaarf London" trio that comprises "Let´s Dance", "At The Hop", plus – of course – a long long "Long Cool Woman" with comprehensive soloing and band introduction.

This band has been running longer than "Coronation Street", and England seems to want more: all the re-runs and new Hollies episodes for years to come. Long may they run!

Uli Twelker, Germany.

Lewisham Theatre            Saturday 24th April 1999   By Mick and Betty Fernee

WOW!

The Hollies seem to go from strength to strength. It was the second time we had seen them this tour, despite set backs with illness, they were just brilliant!

Allan Clarke, the proud grandfather of Mark, was clearly chuffed that Mark was in the audience. He explained that he had recently made a present of a harmonica to him, and then went on to treat us with a display of his own superb harmonica talents. He hoped Mark would pick up a few tips. Watch out Allen you never know!

The star of the show has just got to be Alan Coates. He had suffered a severe back injury and was clearly in pain. However, in the tradition of the true professionals they all are, he went on to perform. Supported in a semi-recumbent position in a rocking chair, back stage (in Ray Stiles’ usual position), no one would ever have known what difficulties he must have been experiencing.

We brought my mother to the performance. She is in her seventy’s and had never seen the group live. She has not stopped talking about the night since. "That boy at the front who plays the banjo, (She means Tony Hicks), he can’t be one of the originals. He is so young looking

I know we will never forget the evening, a performance many others both new and old would be proud to strive to achieve. Could they appeal to such a wide age group?

Thanks to all involved, the Autumn 1999 UK tour cannot come soon enough.

Mick and Betty Fernee,  Welling,   Kent.

The Guildhall,  Preston       Saturday 17 April 1999   By Simon Tordoff

Although never a favourite venue of mine, the Hollies nevertheless turned in another excellent performance at the Guild Hall in Preston on Saturday night. The venue is more commonly used to host sporting events such as snooker and bowls, and I have to say that on my previous visits, I have found the auditorium (Octagonal shaped) to lack warmth and atmosphere, causing the sound to reverberate badly. This time around, however, from my third row seat in the centre stalls, the sound quality was as good as I have heard at any venue.

Whilst including virtually all of their 1960's hits, the Hollies also provided a generous sprinkling of 'new' songs. Using the same method adopted to great effect in "Peggy Sue Got Married" where the Hollies provide their backing to Buddy Holly's vocal, one such offering is the little known single from the mid-sixties "After The Fox" with narration from Peter Sellers. Novel it may be, and it certainly raises a smile or two, in particular the closing 'sinister' cackle provided by Ray Stiles. Another new addition is the Allan Clarke composition "Not That Way At All" featuring frantic guitar from the man himself, along with accompaniment from Messrs Elliott, Coates and Hicks, the latter contributing a rather appealing slide guitar.

Along the same lines as the excellent "When I'm Dead And Gone" as featured in the last tour, the 1966 flip side "Running Through The Night" makes a welcome return, performed in 'country' style which is certainly popular with the audiences. The second half also featured a lovely version of Paul McCartney's "Blackbird" with vocals provided by Tony, Alan and Ray and subtle orchestration from lan.

A number of 'gems' which have been retained from the last tour include Allan Clarke's "Don't Let Me Down" along with Graham Nash's "Butterfly" which Alan Coates has now made his own. My personal favourite though is the infectious foot-tapping version of "We're Through" which always seems to raise a cheer, no doubt because Allan Clarke makes a very passable attempt at convincing the audience that he is as equally adept on the keyboards as he is with a microphone, whilst lan Parker wanders around the auditorium with squeeze-box and head-mounted spotlight...

But it's the big hits which the audience obviously come to see, and there is no shortage of well known standards packed into the second half. The closing flurry of hits, building up to the big ballads of "The Air That I Breathe" and "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" never fail to wow the crowd, with the rocking finale bringing everyone to their feet.

This year's show undoubtedly benefits from a superb new light show which provides a new look to the Hollies stage set. Described by Tony as "stage lighting for the over fifties", the lighting nevertheless breathes a new atmosphere, if it were ever needed, into every song, and only serves to enhance the whole performance.

The Hollies just get better!

By Simon Tordoff

Bridgewater Hall, Manchester - Friday 16th April 1999             By Jim Chadwick

On almost any night in the early sixties one could hear the music of any of scores of local groups coming from the cellar clubs that were situated in the side streets off Albert Square, Market Street and Shudehill in Manchester. Many of these groups were good, some were very good, a few went on to achieve national and international recognition; but none have achieved the lasting success and popularity as have The Hollies.

Thus on Friday 16^th April, at a new venue, separated in distance and time by half a mile and 35 years from the old Oasis Club, the faithful gathered once again to see and hear one of the most talented and gifted groups to emerge from the "Beat Group" era of the sixties.

A packed house, or it certainly seemed so from where I was sitting in the centre stalls, at the Bridgewater Hall was treated to two hours of expert musicianship. Many of the old hits were performed with the consummate skill that we have come to expect at a Hollies gig. Once again memories were stirred by Bus Stop, Here I Go Again, He Ain't Heavy, Carrie Ann and many more hits, as well as some less well known pieces such as After the Fox. The whole performance culminated in a standing ovation with many of the fans dancing at the front of the stage.

I say memories were stirred, but in fact, as I looked around the audience at the interval and after the performance, there were very many faces who are surely too young to remember the original Hollies line up. ( On the other hand, maybe they share Tony Hicks secret of eternal youth).

So what is the secret of the enduring popularity of The Hollies? It is surely that each individual member is a master of his craft; from the unmistakable voice of Allan Clarke to the skill of Bobby Elliot, the best drummer in the business, via the virtuoso guitar playing of Tony Hicks. ( His banjo playing is also worthy of note, once again the audience was in raptures by the excitement of Stop, Stop, Stop).These three original group members are more than ably augmented by Alan Coates, Ray Stiles and Ian Parker; the latter treating the audience to a walkabout and a close-up of his bondage gear and head lamp at one point.

This is what still brings people out on a Friday night in Manchester to pay homage to their "own" group; it is memorable songs, expertly written and performed by a band that has been one of the best in the business for well over thirty years. So I have one piece of advice, if you like live music, performed with great enthusiasm by expert musicians, then make the effort to get to a Hollies gig, you will not be disappointed. What The Hollies record, they deliver live on stage.

To The Hollies I say this; as long as you feel like taking to the road and playing, we will still be here to listen, and to give you the warmest of welcomes in Manchester. And if you could include Searchin, Lawdy Miss Clawdy, Rockin' Robin, and Too Much Monkey Business, the welcome will be even warmer!

 Jim Chadwick  20^th April. 1999

Bridgewater Hall, Manchester - Friday 16th April 1999             By Bryan Scott, (17)  -  Lymm in Cheshire

When we arrived at the Bridgewater Hall, we were greeted by a mass of people, all chatting enthusiastically about the night ahead. We made our way into the auditorium, found our seats, and started talking to people around us, some of whom we had never met before, and of course there were all the familiar faces from previous tours.

The lights went down, and silence fell upon the audience as the suspense built. The band came on stage, the lights came up, and they opened with Here I Go Again. I've never heard them open a show with this song, but it went down well.

Next up was Jennifer Eccles, with all three amazing voices, and Alan Coates' wonderful slide guitar solo. That Stratocaster of his has an incredible tone, and he uses it to great effect in many songs throughout the show.

This run of hits went on to include Just One Look, Sandy (the Springsteen classic, with another great solo by Alan) and Stay. Tony started the story of when they recorded this song, and told how the original version (Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs) was much slower than the speed they played it at. Then they went on to play it at the original speed. This was completely impromptu, but was very well done as usual. This led into their own version of the song, which I have never heard played quite so fast. It was brilliant.

Next up was a song that I had never heard before, After The Fox, which I think used the same technology as Peggy Sue Got Married, for the voice of Peter Sellers.

As Tony started to introduce Don't Let Me Down, Allan interrupted with that tremendous harmonica solo of his, "The Train" which received a huge round of applause from the audience. After that, Allan donned his acoustic guitar and Alan, Ray, lan and Tony gathered round microphones to add those trademark backing harmonies to Don't Let Me Down.

Following this was Not That Way At All. This is another new song to me (I'm only 17) but it was another that I really enjoyed. Tony played a slide guitar part for this song, which I have never heard him do before.

Butterfly, with its beautiful arrangement by lan Parker was next on the list, with Alan Coates’s amazing vocals being complimented by this year's stunning lights. Truly fantastic!

Tony picked up the banjo earlier than usual for the next song. A country-ish arrangement of Running Through The Night. How fast are that mans hands?

They ended the first half with two more hits, I'm Alive and On A Carousel, which included another great solo by Alan Coates.

Rise, by Herb Alpert, which used to be played at the beginning of the show, is now played at the beginning of the second half, with a spectacular light show to accompany it. This led straight into I Can't Let Go, another hit in both the past and the present.

More hits again, in the form of Yes I Will and Sorry Suzanne, which led up to the surprise appearance of King Midas in Reverse, which in turn gave Tony the opportunity to try out a guitar sound that I have never heard him use before.

On with more hits with We're Through, and Bobby’s drum and Tony's superb guitar introduction, and then it was the turn of Buddy Holly and The Hollies, for Peggy Sue Got Married. This is an amazing song, and thanks to the wonders of modern technology, it has been made possible for The Hollies to back another of my favourite artists.

Then it was on to another new song for this year, Paul McCartney's Blackbird. Allan Clarke stepped back for this song, leaving it to Tony, Alan and Ray. The vocals were wonderful, and Ray's bass voice really opened up the sound.

This led into my personal favourite, Look Through Any Window. The first time I heard them play the new arrangement of this song I was awe-struck. It still happens. This song really gives Tony and Alan the chance to show off their skills, and to be sat there in the audience when Tony takes over the solo, letting his Paul Reed Smith guitar really sing, it becomes clear why these boys have been in the business for so long. They're incredibly good.

Carrie Anne followed this, giving Tony and Alan the chance use their voices again, to great effect.

Stop Stop Stop, with it's almost oriental intro came next. lan Parker really can work wonders with those keyboards, and Tony's hands get faster and faster on that banjo! This was the first of the three classics they play towards the end of every show. The Air That I Breathe followed, and was itself followed by the ever popular He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother. The applause after this song is always amazing, but being in Manchester, it just seemed to be that little bit louder.

Lets Dance started off the rock'n'roll set at the end, which included an unscheduled appearance by a security person asking everybody to go back to their seats. He was quickly ushered away by Allan Clarke, and everybody got up again. Go Allan!

A new addition to this part of the show is At The Hop. This was an instant hit with the crowd, who were on an amazing high ready for the final song, Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress. Allan introduced all the members of the band, who went on to show off their talents, all doing wonderful solo's. The song finished and they all came up to the front of the stage, all the while receiving rapturous applause. Then they went off stage and it was time for us to be on our way. It was all over far too soon.

It was a great concert and enjoyed by all, from my Dad to my nine year old brother. I can't wait until the next time.

Bryan Scott (17)

Guildford Civic Hall  -  27 February 1999        By Wendy Holt and Wendy Shepherd

The Guildford Civic Hall appeared to be full for the fourth night of the Spring tour and the first night for us on 27 February 1999. 

The lights dimmed and the audience loudly applauded the new light show which started the concert.  The group all came on stage together and opened with Here I Go Again, the first time we’ve heard this song open a show, it was well received by the audience, who seemed to be out for a good time.  The group all looked well and happy, some of them wearing different outfits to last time we saw them. 

All through the show the lights were impressive, complimenting the songs and spotlighting the soloists and the audience were vocal and enthusiastic. 

We knew there were some new songs but who would have expected them to include another dead person?  After The Fox was a surprise inclusion but very effective and enjoyable.  Running Through The Night has been featured before but was dropped after a few times, hopefully they will keep it in this time.  All the hits were there and surprisingly also Butterfly and Don’t Let Me Down.  The lights in Butterfly are really effective and make this a beautiful song to listen to and watch. 

It was good to hear King Midas again.  A new song in the second half is Paul McCartney’s Blackbird, sung beautifully by Tony Hicks, Alan Coates and Ray Stiles.   There’s also a new song in the rock ‘n’ roll section, At The Hop, which lets us hear Ray again with his deep bass voice.  It’s got a good beat and fits in very well in this final part of the show.

A first night always has so much happening that it’s impossible to remember it all, but we do know we enjoyed it all, the audience enjoyed it, the group seemed to enjoy it and we are really looking forward to the next one.

Wendy Holt & Wendy Shepherd from Sheffield

Guildford Civic Hall  -  27 February 1999        By Liz Dewar

A NIGHT IN THE LIFE OF.....

Saturday 27th February dawned dull, windy and wet and the prospect of a day spent doing housework didn’t do much to make it brighter, but all was made bearable because that evening a trip to Guildford to see my favourite band was planned. It’s amazing that even after 36 years as an ardent fan of the HOLLIES they still have the ability (one they are unaware of) to lift this girls spirits along with many others.

The chores of the day over and done with, we made our way to the Civic Hall. The bewitching time of 7.30 arrived and the band kicked off with the original airing of ‘Here I Go Again’. Hit after hit followed ‘Jennifer Eccles’, ‘Just One Look’, ‘I’m Alive’ and, of course, the ever present ‘Sandy’ written by Allan Clarke’s

mate, Bruce Springsteen.!! All received with great enthusiasm by the audience.

Allan admits that in all the years they’ve been coming to Guildford, this is the first time he has walked about the City; says he should have done it before as it’s a really nice place.

Then comes ‘Stay’ which Allan says seems to get faster and faster as he gets older. It really doesn’t show Allan. A film track, written for the Peter Sellars movie ‘After The Fox’, and bearing the sane name was quite a surprise to us all and caused much humour within the band as they sang. Thanks to the wizardry of bass player Ray Stiles, we were able to hear the voice of Sellars himself on stage and although the film bombed, it’s still a good song.

The ever-versatile HOLLIES then treated us to a Country-style ‘Running Through The Night’ with Tony Hicks taking lead vocal. A lady sitting behind us was adamant that the guy singing could not be Tony Hicks. She remembered Tony in the 60’s and said the guy on stage was far too young to be him!! I assured her it really was Tony Hicks and turning to her husband she enquired why he didn’t look like that especially as he was younger than Tony.

One of my personal favourite songs follows, an Allan Clarke composition ‘Don’t Let Me Down’ - spot on harmonies as always, enough to send a shiver down anyone’s spine. Next comes ‘Not That Way At All’, the B Side of ‘Sorry Suzanne’ another composition from Mr Clarke and recorded during their Abbey Road days.

An Ian Parker arrangement of the "GRALTO" composition (GRaham Nash - ALlan Clark - TOny Hicks) ‘Butterfly’ has Alan Coates on centre mike with an haunting, excellent rendition of this album title track.

A special mention should be made of the lighting system being used on this tour, truly brilliant and enhancing.

Another new song for this tour, ‘Running Through The Night’ brought the band back on stage and was

Followed by I’m Alive. On a Carousel brings the first half to a close and the band leave the stage to change and get refreshed.

The second half commences ,with ‘I Can’t Let Go’ which gets rapturous applause. The hits keep coming, ‘Yes I Will’, ‘Sorry Suzanne’, ‘King Midas’ and ‘We’re Through’. Ian Parker, complete with miner’s lamp goes walkabout on this one often not making it back on stage for his solo and this time, Allan stepped into

the breech. The audience by this time are spellbound and to keep up the hypnosis the band perform Buddy Holly’s ‘Peggy Sue Got Married’. Thanks to the skills of bassist Ray Stiles and an arrangement by Ian Parker, we are able to hear Buddy himself singing lead vocals and being backed by THE HOLLIES.

Another new addition to the show is McCartney’s ‘Blackbird’ featuring Tony and Alan on acoustic guitars with Ray harmonising with them both.

‘Look Through Any Window’ starts acoustically before Ian and Bob join in and away we go. Distinctive guitar work here by Mr Hicks and Mr Coates.

Next comes Graham Gouldman’s ‘Bus Stop’ then ‘Carrie Anne and ‘Stop Stop Stop’ a song about a belly dancer with the amazing Mr Hicks on banjo (is there anything with a string on it this man can’t play?)

Then one note from that Hick’s guitar and applause can be heard all around the theatre, the timeless classic ‘The Air That I Breathe’. A standing ovation follows this one and, of course the next, the Bobby Scott and Bobby Russell song which the band will be most remembered for ‘He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother’.

The only way to follow these two classics is with some rock ‘n’ roll and that’s exactly what they did. As soon as Bobby hammered out the beat, we knew they were breaking into Chris Montez’s ‘Let’s Dance’, another personal favourite of mine, long may it remain in the show. By this time the whole of the front three rows were standing in front of the stage and those unfortunate enough not to be able to get to the front were standing on their seats!! To say the whole theatre was jumping is no exaggeration. The floor really was moving and continued to do so through ‘At The Hop’

All too soon, the final song ‘Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress’ and after Allan has introduced each member of the band and we have given then their due acclaim, the show comes to an all too hasty end.

On the way out of the theatre, I listen to the comments from some of the audience statements like "they are even better now than they were in the 60’s". "When can we see them again?" and "I’d forgotten they’d had so many hits and that’s just the ones we heard".

Oh yes! These guys aim to please and that’s exactly what they do. Long may they continue.

……Liz Dewar from Reading.

Beck Theatre, Hayes -  Thursday 25th February 1999        By Bieneke Barwick 

Back into focus and that ‘Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress’ puts in her appearance and she brings the night to a roaring finish. Great entertainment, great show! Wishing them all the best for the rest of this tour and hurry back in the Autumn for the last tour of this Century.

Bieneke Barwick

Beck Theatre, Hayes -  Wednesday 24th February 1999        By Sue Kelly 

At last! The long awaited first night of the 1999 Spring Tour. Last Summer, when the dates were announced and we began the task of chasing round all the theatres in pursuit of tickets, this tour seemed to be years away. Suddenly, here we were, meeting up again with all our Hollies friends from around the world......and it seemed like only yesterday that the 1998 Spring tour ended. To say that we were all very excited would be a minor understatement!

The Beck is a modern theatre. Outside, a sign announced that the concert was a sell-out. As Norah and I dashed enthusiastically up the stairs towards the hall, the steward jokingly told us:

"Stop smiling! You're not here to enjoy yourselves!"

How wrong he was! We couldn't wait to get in there and get sat down and be entertained by the best group in the world. Our seats in the front row of the stalls gave us a perfect view of the stage and, as the lights went down, a buzz of anticipation went around the hall.

Two things hit us immediately: the familiar Herb Alpert anthem had been replaced by a very dramatic piece of music, and a stunning new lighting system was sweeping beams of fluorescent purple lighting around the stage and into the audience. It was all very atmospheric and exciting.

At last, Ian, Ray, Tony, Alan and Bobby appeared on the stage, finally followed by Allan. The applause rang out all around the theatre. They kept us guessing as to what the first song would be. The short instrumental introduction gave no clues until it suddenly broke into Look Through Any Window. It had reverted to the original 60s style, which was very nice although it lacked the staggering impact of the version we have recently been hearing. It was followed by Here I Go Again and - getting the audience clapping along - Jennifer Eccles.

The group were all looking a little on the nervous side. As Tony was to explain in his opening speech, the first night of a tour was always difficult. He promised us about six new songs, quickly qualifying this to, "Well, 'new' old songs!"

There was a little 'in joke' for the benefit of Regulars, when Tony pointed out that he had got a new suit. (And very smart it was too). Allan was dressed in a bright red suit, giving Tony the opportunity to point out that he looked like a tomato!

Just One Look was next, and long-time favourite, Sandy, was still in. Much was made of Allan's alleged friendship with its writer, Bruce Springsteen, to the amusement of the rest of the group and the audience. It sounded great, Alan Coates playing some lovely guitar in his solo spot. To my surprise, Peggy Sue Got Married was also still in. Ian Parker read out a formal introduction to the song, explaining the background to how the group came to record a song with Buddy Holly.

Next, both tempo and temperature rose dramatically, as Tony introduced a song which they had done in many different ways over the years but were now going to do in the original style: Stay. It looked and sounded fantastic, with beams of white light flashing around the stage, everybody singing and playing at 90 miles an hour, and Ray throwing in the echo on the word 'Stay' ("ay-ay").

A favourite from the last tour followed - Don't Let Me Down. Once again, Allan sang lead and played acoustic guitar, with Ray and Alan, Ian and Tony accompanying him on backing vocals. Unfortunately, the guitar didn't sound too good - Tony had a good laugh as poor Allan claimed that it was "broken" and blamed Tony for selling it to him!

The first 'new' old song was next - and a very imaginative choice it was too. It was Not That Way At All. The line up for this one was Bobby on drums, Alan on acoustic guitar, Allan playing his new Telecaster and Tony playing slide guitar. It was a fast and furious version and my first impression was that it was a winner. The group looked pleased with themselves and the audience seemed very happy with what must have been an unfamiliar tune to the vast majority of them. I hope it's kept in.

Next - Butterfly. Tony gave it the briefest of introductions before Alan seated himself on a stool and Ian's orchestral arrangement rang out. This sounded as beautiful as ever and the new, improved lighting enhanced the whole thing. For the majority of the song, purple and green rays swirled but, as it drew to an end, they changed to red and then finally blue, before fading away with the music. The effect was stunning.

With the exception of Allan, the whole group was back on stage for the next song - the welcome return of Running Through The Night! Tony sang the first verse, accompanying himself on the banjo, with Alan coming in on the second verse. It sounded great.....although, at times, Tony and Alan seemed to be at odds with each other over which verse they were supposed to be singing! But - hey! - this was the first night! We loved it!

Allan returned to the stage to join the rest of the group for I'm Alive - the same version as on the last tour - before the first half ended with Coatsie singing lead on On A Carousel.

No doubt there was a quick inquest going on backstage during the interval, and we fans held one of our own, awarding marks out of ten for presentation! So far, we were pretty happy with how things were going and unanimous in our approval of the 'new' songs and the new lighting. However, we did wonder whose idea it was to play the theme to The Flintstones in the background! Was somebody enjoying a little joke there?!

The second half got off to a brisk start with I Can't Let Go, followed by one of my favourites - Yes I Will. This featured The Hollies' harmonies at their very best. Next came Sorry Suzanne, with Bobby excelling on the drums.

The group seemed a bit more at ease by now, and Allan joked about the rather exotic outfit Tony was wearing, saying he should wear it when he does his Tai Chi. Tony's reply was that Allan could talk, for there was a story to be told about Allan's lilac suit. Allan was all for telling us there and then but Tony insisted they save the story "for when we need a laugh!"

On with the music, and the return of another old favourite - King Midas In Reverse, featuring some brilliant orchestration by Ian. This was followed by We're Through with, as usual, Ian going walkabout with his accordion.

A truly NEW old song came next. To the amazement of everyone present, Allan began to recount the tale of when they were asked to record the theme to a film with Peter Sellars......could they really be going to do After The Fox? Yes, they were! In the style of Peggy Sue Got Married, we heard them duet with Peter Sellars. The audience was stunned at this innovative move and rewarded them with appreciative applause.

Next was THE highlight of the concert. It was another 'new' song. Tony announced it as being a Paul McCartney composition from The Beatles' White Album, giving it away by strumming a few chords. The song was Blackbird, performed by Tony, Alan and Ray and accompanied by Ian on keyboards. Tony played acoustic guitar, very much in the style of Helplessly Hoping, and the harmonies were just exquisite. A superb choice, superbly performed - perfect for The Hollies' treatment.

From there, it was time for everyone to return to the stage for a typically 60s version of Bus Stop. As ever, this drew a roar of approval from the audience. This song was followed by the four which traditionally lead to the rock 'n' roll section: Carrie Anne, Stop Stop Stop - complete with a fantastic mood-setting 'buggering about' banjo intro - The Air That I Breathe and He Ain't Heavy.

In the time-honoured way, there was then the usual mad scramble to the edge of the stage for the rock 'n' roll, Allan saying "This is new" even as Bobby began to pound out the beat to Let's Dance. Suddenly, the rhythm broke and they started to play the Cliff Richard song, Do You Wanna Dance, instead. This was swiftly followed by another new choice - the Danny And The Juniors' song, At The Hop. Both sounded brilliantly fresh and exciting and were voted a big hit by the fans. As ever, they were to end with Long Cool Woman.

As the concert drew to a close and Tony prepared to introduce Allan Clarke, he thanked us all for being such a good audience and for helping them out on their first night. No need - it was, as they say, a pleasure!

Sue Kelly from Bristol