The Hollies - Concert Review

Bournemouth Pavilion, 12^th November 2004 - by Sam & Dani Goddard

I was looking on the Internet for a birthday present for my dad. As usual I never know what to buy him so when I found the tour dates for The Hollies I was over the moon!

Both my parents have been fans of The Hollies for years, but especially my Dad. It was Bobby Elliott that inspired my dad to learn to play the drums, and my dad who later inspired my brother.

So me, Sam (22), Dani (14) and my parents Janet and David (if I give there ages away I may get shot, but you can probably guess they are over 50) set off in the car to Bournemouth.

After being stuck in traffic we arrived at the concert 15 minutes late but we weren’t going to let that dampen or spirits, we took our seats, got in the way of Rob Haywood who was taking photos (sorry Rob) and prepared ourselves for the night ahead.

We have all seen The Hollies before, and I found myself grinning from ear to ear as they started to play Just One Look, followed by On a Carousel, Sandy and Gasoline Alley Bred. We couldn’t stop singing and dancing in our seats to the old style sound we learned to know and love from my dads continuous playing of their records.

After a Fantastic version of Look Through Any Window a silence spread around the theatre as the band did a tribute to Carl Wayne, they sang Flowers in the Rain which was awarded by an enormous applause by the audience, well deserved.

It was great that they had found somebody with so much drive and charisma to fill Wayne’s shoes. Peter Howarth was fantastic, he really gelled with the group, and it was as if he had been singing with them for years. Well Done!

After a short break and a tub of Ice Cream it was time for the second half. After a few classic songs and a bit of dancing I heard it.... the intro to Too Young to be Married, I was ecstatic! It’s a favourite song within our family and none of us had heard it sang live before, Tony did an amazing job, the song has so much meaning and touches me every time. It truly was the highlight of the evening.

Overall the evening was Fantastic, and when Rob asked me to write a review for the website I was stunned. Why would he ask a 22 and 14 year old to express there views on such a classic 60s Band? I would like to think its because everyone’s opinion counts, young or old. The Hollies are brilliant and although I love some of the latest artists in the charts nothing compares to the experience of watching a band that inspired so many.

A must see show for young or old….Well done keep up the good work guys.x.x.

Sam and Dani

Exactly right, girls, everyone's opinion counts and it is certainly good to get a younger perspective... Rob

Setlist

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