The Hollies - Concert Review

Manchester Palace Theatre, 11^th October 1997 - by Martin Hutchinson (North West Vibe)

They prove it year in and year out, and they've been proving it now for thirty five years. The Hollies are the best in the business, and the ecstatic full house didn't need convincing.

Two hours of music, and what great music it was! Twenty nine songs, one of which - "Peggy Sue Got Married" was, thanks to technology, sung by the guy the group was named after Buddy Holly.

After thirty odd years, playing the same songs must get tedious, but not the Hollies. They change arrangements, the classic "Just One Look" was in a reggae style and most of the others, like "We're Through", "Look Through Any Window", "Stay" and "Here I Go Again" were given renditions that wouldn't seem out of place today and were certainly a far cry from the more basic ‘sixties’ sound.

"The Air 'That I Breathe" (my favourite) and "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" weren't changed however and the audience were as ever, enthralled by the sheer emotion and musical excellence.

I have to say that the second half of the show was better than the first, opening with "Stop In The Name Of Love" and containing a Buddy Holly selection, a couple of rock and roll numbers and TEN Hollies hits.

Allan Clarke, Tony Hicks and Bobby Elliott all performed as well as they have done since the early days. And guitarist/singer Alan Coates can now be classed as a ‘true Hollie’, as can keyboard player Ian Parker and bassist Ray Stiles who is still playing despite being in the process of recovering from a car accident when he broke his leg in 100 places.

For sheer entertainment, and for giving us a warm glow of contentment, the Hollies cannot be beaten, and in my opinion never will be.

Martin Hutchinson - North West Vibe

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