The Hollies - Concert Review

Preston Guild Hall, 17^th March 2001 - by Alison Evans

Preston Guildhall, Convention and Show.

Me and my mum had been waiting ages for this, a chance to meet The Hollies without being freezing (waiting outside stage doors in the depths of winter can’t be healthy) and getting to see them in concert later. Well, this all happened in Preston on Saturday 17th March.

The convention was great. It started at 2pm and by 2:05 I had already bought umpteen photos, posters, programmes, CD’s…

After eating the delicious ‘cucumber sandwiches’ as Tony so deeply put it, we were waiting for The Hollies. Of course, they were fashionably late but when I heard the cheers I knew someone had come and when I looked up and saw the obligatory baseball cap I knew it had to be Mr Bobby Elliot. I was so happy; you would have thought the whole group had walked in. But wait a minute, they had!

After Bobby had signed my Hollies Sing Dylan album I rushed to the other side of the room to catch a glimpse of the maestro himself, the ever-youthful Tony Hicks. Isn’t he amazing? If only my dad had hair like that. After he had created some artwork for me (I had a dodgy pen!) I waited to see the other guys.

Carl is so popular with the ladies; we had to fight our way in! It must be his beautiful blonde locks and his suave ways, and possibly the fact that he has one of the most amazing voices in the business. We finally got to meet the ever-talking Ray Stiles. It took me about five attempts to get a word in! I also met the death-defying Ian Parker (who else would throw themselves off a bridge and a mountain!?) and the lovely Alan Coates. After endless autographs they had to leave for their soundcheck and, yes, we were invited too. It was great. I never knew Carl wanted to be a priest!

When the guys finally burst on the stage for the ‘proper’ show at 7:30 the concert hall was full and we heard the familiar sound of ‘I’M ALIVE’ and how right they were. The sound was fantastic but come on guys, after all these years you must know how ‘Here I Go Again’ ends!

They were all fabulous on stage, especially Carl, a true showman. He even had to come off stage at one point to try and find evidence of plastic surgery on Tony! How does he do it?

The songs just kept coming, each one absolutely superb: ‘Carrie Ann’, ‘Bus Stop’, ‘I Can’t Let Go’ and my personal favourite ‘Sorry Suzanne’. Tony’s guitar solo on ‘Too Young To Be Married’ was incredible and Carl’s voice really shone in ‘The Baby’ (my mum’s favourite) but am I the only person who thinks they should also do the fantastic ‘Magic Woman Touch’??

The Buddy Holly song ‘Peggy Sue Got Married’ was also superbly arranged by Ray and Ian (loved those red lips guys, very attractive!). Tony overwhelmed us with his banjo skills in ‘Stop, Stop, Stop and Alan’s ‘Butterfly’ was gorgeous, what a stunning voice!

‘Blackberry Way’ was very popular with the audience, as were the classics ‘He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother’ and ‘ The Air That I Breathe’. Carl dynamically performed ‘Long Cool Woman’, as usual, and that, along with Ray’s ‘Tiger Feet’ got the audience dancing around as if they were 15 years old. But wait a minute, I am 15 years old! Yes, even at this tender age I can appreciate good music (I was not brainwashed by my mother, I took her to the concert!) and, even though I never got to see them perform with Allan Clarke, I am very pleased that Carl has been the ‘chosen one’ to take over singing those incredible songs.

What a voice!
	What a band!!
		What a day!!!

Alison Evans, Liverpool

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