The Hollies - Concert Review
St Albans Alban Arena, 26th February 2003 - by Rob Bird
After the extreme disappointment of the cancellation of the winter tour, I spent 1 hour and 45 minutes on a train trying not to think of what lay ahead because every time I thought about it, my stomach seemed to tie itself in a knot!
Walking into the concert hall, I took my seat, and before I knew it, the lights had dimmed and there was a buzz of anticipation around the place.
The spotlights came on and, amongst the huge cheer, I observed Tony and Alan playing the intro to Long Cool Woman. For a second I felt a touch of dismay, 'this is the song you play at the end, not the start' I mused. This thought didn't dwell for long. Carl launched into the vocals, Bobby powered out the beat on the drums and it was like the boys hadn't been away.
Some of my thoughts on that train journey concerned Carl. His operation was not one to be taken lightly, but given that his voice is effectively his career, I just hoped he hadn't lost any of his vocal prowess that I had already come to enjoy from his previous concerts with the band. Thankfully, I needn't had worried - without hardly a pause, the band had flawlessly nailed Just One Look and Jennifer Eccles (in which Alan treated us to a little bit of slide guitar).
Carl's self-proclaimed Hollies favourite Yes I Will followed, again, flawless. For a band that (as a collective unit) had been out of action since last year, there professionalism and desire for absolute perfection was definitely on display.
Look Through Any Window is currently one of my faves. Again, this one followed hot on the heels of the last. Tony produced some magic on his 12 stringer - it sounded so crisp and clear and the accompanying songsmanship of Alan and Carl combined to bring the house down.
They then proceeded to do Sandy. This is a special song for me. A while back, on the Hollies guestbook, I was asked if anyone knew the words to the song. I replied, and now some few years on, I have a very close penfriend (well, internet email friend - hello Em!). Carl's take on this was a breath of fresh air. He has a knack of taking some of the vocals and extending the words for extra effect - and it really works well. This was the first time they had played this and the crowd received it well. Carl even gave me a wink when he saw me singing every word to this one.!
Butterfly followed, then I'm Alive. A song that dates to 1965, yet if you hear it in concert, you'd never guess. Carl's great vocal and Tony and Alan's harmony take this to another level. Brilliant.
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We're Through was finally delivered, although only after Tony had screamed at Bobby to 'go!'. Bobby was tinkering around on the cymbals whilst Tony was imploring him to start hitting the drum intro. Carl, professional as always, was not fazed by this, bided his time and then sang his heart out. Bobby, I'll be watching this one in Chatham!!
On A Carousel was duly dispatched with aplomb and then Carl took us into the break with his now familiar take on Blowing In The Wind.
The second half was on us before you could gather your breath. They opened with How Do I Survive, the new single which is due to feature on the forthcoming release. Great rhythm guitar, 3 (sometimes 4) part harmonies and Tony delivering a belting solo which heralded the end of the song. A trademark Hollies sound.
Sorry Suzanne and Here I Go Again came and went, followed by Tony excelling on the sitar in conjunction with Carl's wistful vocals on The Baby. Carl was obviously in his element. He treated us to Soldier's Song and treated himself to a well deserved break once the audience had finally stopped applauding.
Ray replaced him at the front of the stage, and they then nailed Gasoline Alley Bred. I was a bit disappointed that Carl didn't lead on this one ('cos I think this would suit him so well), but it gave Tony a chance to take one of the verses and having never heard him do that before, it was ample compensation!
Tony was obviously in the groove as he then did his self-penned Aussie hit, Too Young To Be Married. I will never grow tired of hearing his guitar solo for this song. Simply superb.
Bus Stop followed, and then Blackberry Way - Carl had returned and was encouraging maximum audience participation on this one as he casually waved the mike (with stand) towards the front row! Carrie Anne and Stop Stop Stop came next. Carl teased Tony about the song being written about a brothel. Tony refuted that, but Carl came out on top when he said 'he went to pull a bird, instead he pulled a banjo'. Great stuff!
The Air That I Breathe slowed down the tempo, before Tiger Feet speeded it right back up. There was now a throng of people dancing at the front, and The Hollies followed this up with yet another new (live) song, a stomping rendition of I Can Hear The Grass Grow. Another brilliant dusting down of an old classic, and again, another song I can't wait to hear in Chatham when I next see the boys.
A standing ovation followed an exquisite He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother. I thought the band was going to leave us after this one, but no, they then delivered an acapella verse of It's In Everyone Of Us.
Bobby thanked the audience and the band took a bow before walking off to the deafening sound of applause ringing in their ears.
So what can I say. The Hollies' 40th anniversary is a staggering achievement. So is going on stage after all the recent events and producing a consistently outstanding performance that covers 28 different songs and keeps an audience of all different ages (and styles) thoroughly entertained and shouting for more. What a night.!
Rob Bird
Setlist
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