The Ultimate Classic Rock Show: Friday 14th July 2023, New Theatre Royal, Lincoln

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Rory Bridgeman (vocals) / Sammi Broad (vocals) / Luke Bradshaw (lead guitar) / Andy Park (guitar, vocals) / Gareth Kedward (keyboards) / Pablo Roberts Morales (bass) /  Rhys Roberts (drums & percussion)

This is a bit of a tough one to classify as it isn’t any particular single artist or band, so I have just called it as it is. Hooked by a short promo video that I saw on Facebook, I decided to buy a ticket. Surprisingly, Mrs. P elected to tag along and so it was that we rolled up in the circle at the Lincoln New Theatre Royal.

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The official website for the band declares, “Come and relive the biggest rock classic anthems performed live by the best rock tribute show the UK has to offer. Performing up to two hours of classic rock anthems from artists such as Eric Clapton, Led Zeppelin, Queen, Pink Floyd, Deep Purple, Free, The Eagles, Jimi Hendrix to name but a few!! The Ultimate Classic Rock Show is performed by highly talented musicians and singers that have a wealth of experience in the music industry and entertainment world and are always in high demand! Together they recreate live, the biggest and best classic rock anthems with outstanding energy and stunning accuracy! Having performed to a huge array of major clients in concert halls and venues across the world, they never cease to amaze audiences time and time again. Originally formed in 2005 The Ultimate Classic Rock Show rapidly gained a reputation as one of the most sought after and entertaining classic rock tribute shows.” That’s an awful lot of exclamation marks! But, in truth, they were very good. Not “incredible” as some will say – isn’t that the singular most over-used word in the English language over the last three to five years? – but certainly very good indeed.

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Kicking off with Dire Straits’ ‘Money For Nothing’, the first song ever to be played on American MTV, the songs bounced along at a cracking pace, all supplemented with video backdrops featuring the original artists and appropriate record sleeves. The first set lasted an hour and contained eleven songs, my personal highlights being Bad Company‘s ‘Can’t Get Enough’, the Led Zeppelin mash-up of ‘Stairway to Heaven/Kashmir/Whole Lotta Love’ which they pulled off very well. They also made an excellent fist of John Miles’ ‘Music’ complete with digital orchestral backing. As for ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ well, yes, they did it ok but, in my very humble opinion, there’s only one band and one man that can/could ever do that properly. Mind you, that didn’t stop the couple sitting in front of us having their own little Wayne’s World moment as the operatic section of the song finished; don’t pretend that you don’t know what I am talking about… 😂 Honourable mentions in the first set also go to excellent renditions of Bachman Turner Overdrive‘s ‘You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet’ (with that cowbell!), and Eagles‘ ‘Hotel California’.

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After a short interval the band were back with Pink Floyd‘s ‘Comfortably Numb’ featuring the regularly voted best guitar solo ever, and also Gerald Scarfe animations (including the greatly divisive marching red and black hammers). Eleven songs again in this set with many highlights, although the yodelling of ‘Hocus Pocus’ wasn’t one of them (I saw Focus last year and even they didn’t bother to try to replicate the original sound). Deep Purple‘s ‘Smoke on the Water’ (with a tipping of the hat to ‘Black Night‘ and Rainbow‘s ‘All Night Long’ as it closed) brought the set to an end, before the band returned for a three song encore which had people up and shakin’ it on down, even though they had been warned by theatre staff not to. This small section of the show featured what was probably the highlight of the night, ‘Highway to Hell’, the AC/DC mega-hit, and the evening drew to a close at just after 10pm.

Lead singer Rory Bridgeman at the close of the show.

The musicianship was really good; the band were definitely on top of their game and were clearly having a good time. Certainly front man Rory Bridgeman and co-lead singer Samantha Broad belted out the songs at the top of their lungs, but they were ably supported by rhythm guitarist Andy Park who sang lead on a couple of songs. Even Gareth Kedward on keyboards contributed with the vocoder vocals on ELO‘s ‘Mr Blue Sky’.  Luke Bradshaw on lead guitar performed almost perfect renditions of the tunes and solos of each hit, whilst the rhythm section of Morales and Roberts rumbled along nicely, thank you very much.

In conclusion, both Mrs. P and I enjoyed this gig greatly, so much so that I would certainly go and see them again, hopefully with a different setlist in a year or two’s time. They are definitely worth hunting out if you like your rock classic and from the 70s/80s. Catch ’em if you can! 🤘

I will add more photos of the gig if and when they appear online.

Setlist: Set 1: Money For Nothing; Can’t Get Enough; Live And Let Die; Pinball Wizard; While My Guitar Gently Weeps; The Chain; Bohemian Rhapsody; Stairway To Heaven / Kashmir / Whole Lotta Love; You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet; Hotel California; Music; Set 2: Comfortably Numb; More Than A Feeling; Hocus Pocus; The Boys Are Back In Town; Purple Haze; Songbird; Hold The Line; Mr. Blue Sky; Smoke On The Water; Go Your Owen Way; Layla; Encore: Highway To Hell; Nutbush City Limits; Rocking All Over The World

Here’s a double-sided (both the same) A5 flyer for the gig…

And here’s the 2022 promo video that got me interested in the first place…

Steeleye Span: Monday 25th October 2021, New Theatre Royal, Lincoln

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The ’50th Anniversary’ Tour

Maddy Prior (vocals) / Julian Littman (guitars, keyboards, accordion, vocals) / Andrew “Spud” Sinclair (guitars, vocals) / Roger Carey (bass, vocals) / Liam Genockey (drums, percussion) / Ruth Elder (violin, vocals)

Originally planned for 2019 to celebrate fifty years since their formation in 1969, the tour was delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic, meaning that it stretched into 2021 (and beyond!) and this performance was the last gig of this year’s leg of the tour (there would be further concerts in 2022). It was almost a full house in Lincoln’s New Theatre Royal and Mrs. P. and I had seats front and centre on row A (trumped only by row AA) and thus a pretty much unrestricted view. No photographs though – that was specifically forbidden so I can only add internet found pictures and videos, I’m afraid. The stage was quite spartan: no flashy light show, no fancy stage dressing, just three hanging drapes with the SS logo (no, not that one!!), and no extraneous personnel such as Morris dancers. It was a slightly slimmed down and altered line-up too, as guitarist Benji Kirkpatrick was absent, as was regular violinist Jessie-May Smart, the latter being replaced by Ruth Elder for only her sixth gig of the tour – and she definitely stole the show! As ever with Steeleye, they have such a rich back catalogue that the job of selecting a set must be so difficult, but what we got was a mix of old favourites, some re-vamped old ones and some newer material. In fact, although the tour was ostensibly a 50th Anniversary celebration, the band was also plugging a new, live version of their 1970 album ‘Hark! The Village Wait’ so we also got a couple of those tracks too. Each song was introduced by a member of the band with a little back story behind either the writing of it or else its history, which made it all the more frustrating that despite getting off to a belting start with ‘Little Sir Hugh’ they didn’t follow it with some information about that song, which was a great loss because it is, in fact, a tale based on that of Little Saint Hugh of Lincoln, a medieval boy supposedly cast down into a well within the castle grounds in 1255. And where was this concert taking place? Why, Lincoln of course! Shame on you, SS! Anyway the band was in fine form and crashed on through many instantly recognisable tunes, including one of my great favourites, ‘The Weaver and the Factory Maid’, and a new favourite for me ‘The Elf Knight’. The evening was split by a fifteen minute interval, after which the second set was off to a cracking start with another classic, ‘Thomas the Rhymer’ and concluded with a neat duet between Roger Carey on bass and Liam Genockey on drums as an intro to ‘Bonny Black Hare’. And so before we knew it, it was encore time and we all knew what was coming… Maddy seemed to be quite annoyed at having to play what has apparently become a bit of an albatross around the band’s neck, saying “we have to sing the bloody thing and so you do too” which, of course we did – and lustily too –  but, in truth, they seemed perfectly happy whilst performing ‘All Around My Hat’, so I’m sure that it was all a bit of mock derision. And then they had saved the best until last; with no introduction whatsoever, the band launched from the applause for ‘Hat‘ into the instrumental ‘Dodgy Bastards‘ which showcased Ruth’s exceptional talent and was her finest moment on the stage. The little dance with “Spud” Sinclair towards the end was delightful and she earned a thoroughly deserved ovation for her soloing in this piece. And then it was all over, having lasted just over two hours, so we definitely got our money’s worth. As on the previous occasion when I had seen the band Maddy had struggled with the higher notes and it seemed to me as if she was now singing in a lower key and that the rest of the band were, to an extent, covering for her. Whilst she was still clearly front and centre vocally the singing was shared around amongst the other musicians but it was none the poorer for that, so I’m not complaining. It was a really good concert and I was glad to have seen them again, perhaps for the last time.

Setlist: Set 1: Little Sir Hugh; One Misty Moisty Morning; Elf Knight; Dark Eyed Sailor; London; Copshawholme Fair; Gower Wassail; Harvest; Dark Morris Song; Set 2: Thomas The Rhymer; January Man; King Henry; The Weaver and the Factory Maid; Wintersmith; Domestic; Bonny Black Hare; Encore: All Around My Hat; Dodgy Bastards

I have a double-sided glossy flyer for this gig…And I have found a photo which shows the current band with new member Ruth Elder…

The Illegal Eagles: Saturday 11th May 2019, New Theatre Royal, Lincoln

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Christian Phillips (guitars, vocals) / Mike Baker (guitars, keyboards, vocals) / Greg Webb (guitars, vocals) / Gareth Hicklin (guitars, keyboards, vocals) / Trev Newnham (bass, vocals) / Tony Kiley (drums, percussion)

The Eagles are Mrs. P.’s all-time favourite band, even ahead of ELO, so when this tribute band came to our now local venue it was decided that we would pop along and see how they performed. We are never likely to get to see the real thing in the flesh, so this was going to be the next best thing. And what we got was a thoroughly polished and popular performance. The theatre looked sold out – we were up in the Royal Balcony for this one, there being so few tickets left – and each song was greeted with rapturous applause, as if the real band were in town! They were good indeed and they rattled through all the expected hits with a short interval in the middle. I was very pleased to hear them open the second set with Joe Walsh’s ‘Life’s Been Good‘, and my only gripe was that if they were going to do ‘solo‘ stuff why didn’t they play Don Henley’s ‘New York Minute‘, ‘End of the Innocence‘ or ‘The Boys of Summer‘? But they didn’t, hey-ho, it is what it is and it certainly didn’t detract from what was a thoroughly enjoyable night with polished performances from all involved. It really is a bonus when the whole band is able to sing – just like the real Eagles – and their tight harmonies lent an authentic air to the songs. The nearest that I can find to a review of this gig actually comes almost a whole year later, and at a different – although still quite local – Nottingham venue, andwith a slightly different setlist too, where Kevin Cooper said of their 22nd February 2020 performance: “To call the Illegal Eagles a tribute band does them a serious disservice as an almost full Royal Concert Hall will testify to when the six piece very talented musicians sauntered on to the stage, picked up their instruments and worked their way through a set list that tripped off the tongue of any Eagles fan. MC for the night and conductor of the eleven piece string orchestra and brass section was founder member Phil Aldridge, but when Christian Phillips began the proceedings with ‘I Dreamed There Was No War’, an instrumental written by the late Glenn Frey, the audience knew that they were in for a treat. With the rest of the band joining him on stage the first set began in earnest with early Eagles material. Main vocalist Gregg Webb, drummer Tony Kiley, bassist Trevor B. Newnham and pianists and guitarists Mike Baker and Garreth Hicklin transported the audience back in time with the gorgeous ‘Tequila Sunrise’, an incredible arrangement of ‘Peaceful Easy Feeling’, and the very edgy ‘Witchy Woman’. Bringing the first set to a close with the soaring ‘One Of Those Nights’ and ‘Boys Of Summer’, this multi talented band had nailed these tricky numbers perfectly. The second set brought more of the same with Joe Walsh’s ‘Life’s Been Good’, and the undoubted highlight of the show, the Eagles anthem ‘Lyin’ Eyes’ which saw the audience on their feet in appreciation. Other classics followed such as the bittersweet ballad ‘Take It To The Limit’ which saw the Eagles’ famous harmonies sublimely replicated. ‘Desperado’ was followed by the old country favourite ‘Take It Easy’ and with the run in to the end including the ever popular ‘Life In The Fast Lane’ and ‘The Last Resort’, the encore had to include the fabulous ‘Hotel California’. For this audience it had been a night of celebration with Webb capturing the emotion of Don Henley’s vocals. In fact they were so good they could have been the real thing.” I can’t remember whether our show began with Glenn Frey’s ‘I Dreamed There Was No War’ or not, but it easily could have done. Also I can’t disagree with any part of that; they really were that good! 🙂

Setlist: Set 1: Take It Easy; Midnight Flyer; Tequila Sunrise; Peaceful Easy Feeling; New Kid in Town; I Can’t Tell You Why; Love Will Keep Us Alive; Good Day in Hell; Witchy Woman; One of These Nights; Already Gone; Set 2: Life’s Been Good; The Heart of the Matter; Lyin’ Eyes; Take It to the Limit; Desperado; Heartache Tonight; Life in the Fast Lane; The Last Resort; Encore: Hotel California (This setlist from a month later on 23rd June at the New Victoria Theatre, Woking)

I have a four-page folded glossy flyer detailing members of the band together with a hint as to the songs that we would hear

UK Pink Floyd Experience: Sunday 20th October 2019, New Theatre Royal, Lincoln

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David Power (bass, acoustic guitar, vocals) / Adam Dunn (guitars, vocals) / Mike Bollard (guitars, keyboards, vocals) / Rick Benbow (keyboards, vocals) / Francesco Borrelli (drums, percussion) / Rachael Willment (vocals, percussion) / Marie McNally (saxophone, vocals)

Now this is what happens when you see two PF tribute bands very close together – how to remember which band played which material? Luckily I have been in touch with one of the musicians in the Think Floyd band so that cleared up their setlist leaving me with a free run at this band which, I think, performed the whole of the ‘Animals‘ album. I know this because Mrs P. accompanied me to this gig and didn’t enjoy aspects of it as she is really not very keen at all on that album. However, setting aside Mrs. P’s apparent lapse in taste (ahem! 😉 ) I can quite categorically say that I most certainly did enjoy all of the concert. The standard of musicianship was very high indeed and the physical show itself was quite a spectacle as it utilised a typical Floyd circular screen projection, recognised PF video films, and a stunning laser light fest! Online references to the show at this time suggest that their highly acclaimed show featured over two hours of songs with both iconic albums ‘Dark Side Of The Moon’ and ‘Animals’ in their entirety as well as ‘Wish You Were Here’, ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’, ‘Another Brick In The Wall’ and ‘Comfortably Numb’, all of which bears out my recollections about seeing them perform ‘Dogs‘ and ‘Pigs‘, et alia. In short, I had a great evening and would certainly recommend a visit to see this band should they ever come to a venue near you.

Update: My grateful thanks go to the band’s David Power who has kindly supplied me with both a line-up and setlist. David also informed me that in 2018 they did indeed perform the whole of ‘Animals‘ but by October 2019 the set had changed to the one here.

Setlist: Set 1: Shine On You Crazy Diamond; Welcome to the Machine; Arnold Layne; Dogs: Coming Back to Life; Wish You Were Here; Learning to Fly; One of These Days; Pigs (3 Different Ones); Set 2: Run Like Hell; Astronomy Domine; Speak to Me / Breathe; On the Run; Time / Breathe (reprise); Great Gig in the Sky; Money; Us and Them; Any Colour You Like; Brain Damage / Eclipse; Encore: The Happiest Days of Our Lives / Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2; Comfortably Numb

I have a single-sided glossy flyer produced especially for this one gig…

The band has a website and social media sites HERE.

Go Now!: Thursday 30th September 2021, New Theatre Royal, Lincoln

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Mick Wilson (guitar, vocals) / Nick Kendall (guitars, vocals) / Patrick Duffin (keyboards, guitar, vocals) / Malcolm Moore (bass, vocals) / Gordy Marshall (drums, flute, harmonica, vocals)

My first real, live gig since February 2020! Covid had put paid to all the ones in the interim, but this was my first opportunity to get out and see any kind of musical performance so I jumped at the chance. As you will have guessed from the name, the band is a Moody Blues tribute band, but they do have pedigree – Wilson was lead singer with 10cc for twenty years, and Marshall actually toured and recorded with the Moodies for twenty-five years. The other three musicians have all recorded with other bands and both Duffin and Moore have released their own albums and continue to write. Anyway, I have always liked the Moody Blues, their undoubtedly progressive material and close harmonies always appealed and I was really looking forward to this gig for those reasons as well as it being the first time to actually get out and see a band, any band! And they didn’t let me down – they were very good indeed. Wilson is a very amiable front man and entertained us between the tracks, although in fairness all of the band took their turn to introduce tracks with a little bit of background information. The songs were well performed although, if I’m being picky, I think that the keyboards were mixed a bit too far back – but then, maybe that’s just my slightly dodgy hearing at the moment. I think I’ve got the setlist right – the second half is definitely correct, but I might have missed a track in the first half because of a particularly over-zealous usher nearby who flashed me with her torch every time I got my phone out to write down the tracks (note to self: take paper and pencil next time.) I also had to make do with a shot of the empty stage at the interval for the same reason. The second half began with Marshall speaking the Richard Burton introduction to ‘The Eve of the War‘ from Jeff Wayne’s ‘War of the Worlds’ album (he toured worldwide four times with that band over six years, don’tcha know), and that was followed by the Justin Hayward song ‘Forever Autumn‘ from the same album. A couple of acoustic numbers punctuated the second half, featuring Marshall playing flute on ‘The Actor‘ then harmonica on ‘Never Comes The Day‘. It was a really good set pulling together pretty much all of the well-known hits, although I had hoped for ‘Stepping In A Slide Zone‘, ‘The Voice‘ and ‘Your Wildest Dreams‘, none of which featured, but I’m not complaining. And if they came again? Yes, I would go and see them. 👍

Setlist: Set 1: Lovely to See You; I Know You’re Out There Somewhere; Gypsy; Fly Me High; English Sunset; Thinking is the Best Way to Travel; Isn’t Life Strange?; Go Now; The Story in Your Eyes; Set 2: The Eve of the War; Forever Autumn; Tuesday Afternoon; Dr Livingstone, I Presume; The Other Side Of Life; The Actor; Never Comes The Day; Legend Of A Mind; I’m Just A Singer (In A Rock And Roll Band); Nights In White Satin; Question; Encore: Ride My See-Saw

I have a double sided flyer for this tour…