Perhaps It's The Music...That Wins You Over Before Everything Else...
Last night I saw The Rat Pack...
A recreation...well, a facsimile of the kind of concert given by Sinatra, Martin and Davis Jr and we had songs and a bit of patter. We had a four piece band(Saxophones, trombone and trumpet)Drums, Double Bass/Guitar, Keyboard and Synthesiser.
Amongst the musicians one of them used to be the musical Director for Joe Longthorne and another wrote arrangements for and played with Buddy Greco...
The main performers were reasonable at taking off the "The Rat Pack" but did some songs better than others and I think they were better at the slower numbers than perhaps the more upbeat songs.
Perhaps it's just me but I actually preferred the music accompaniment without the synthesiser, it was supposed to give the impression of strings...it didn't and the sound was rich enough without it.
Now, I don't know how they felt having played the whole show, having been on stage all night and the show overrun by thirty minutes but unbeknown to the audience there was a special guest, not mentioned on any of the flyers promoting the production, we did not even know there was a guest!
He did a little stand up comic routine and sang five songs and the audience response was loudest for him and there were shouts of "More" He got the best reaction of the night.
Who I hear you cry?
An all round entertainer of the 60's I suppose and often on tv for most of my childhood. I think I last saw him on stage in summer season in Bournemouth perhaps 32 years ago and it was one if the happiest shows I ever saw with my parents and he was on the bill with someone who he seemed to appear with a lot, the comedian Jimmy Tarbuck.
Not him...but Kenny Lynch. I looked him up on the internet and he is now seventy four. These are all performers who have learnt their craft and put their time in...most of those who appear today have never real worked a crowd by coming up through the clubs and theatres. Venues that are intimate. Some seem to go straight into the music business/tv but most of those are soon forgotten and their careers short lived.
They play large venues built like aircraft hangers and use large tv screens and all the latest effects.
These shows are more straight forward and simple. They can still hold and work a crowd. It is obvious from the reaction that he is still held in great affection in the British publics hearts even if they are of a certain age.
All in all a great show and though I thought I had missed my last bus home and might have to get a taxi...I wasn't leaving until it ended. And though I had to hang around for approx thirty minutes at a bus stop in the centre of town there was one last bus to get me home.
Tonight I am not going to worry about trying to hurry after the show. I'll take my time...I have a break for a 16 days and then there a few more lined up, a couple in September and a couple in October and then nothing until January.
Next year one production I have booked now(in case money is tight...I know it will be)has three members of The Osmonds in the cast. Including "Little" Jimmy Osmond. And it's years since I went to a drama, celebrating 60 years of being on the West End Stage, London there is a touring version with an unannounced star cast of the Agatha Christie novel "The Mousetrap" that happens in June!
So tonight, it's a blast from the past with the 60's pop group Gerry and the Pacemakers, PJ Proby and though billed as the Animals(I think only two original members still exist)and there is the lead singer of another 60's band The Tremeloes, Chip Hawkes who no doubt will sing songs associated with his former band.
A recreation...well, a facsimile of the kind of concert given by Sinatra, Martin and Davis Jr and we had songs and a bit of patter. We had a four piece band(Saxophones, trombone and trumpet)Drums, Double Bass/Guitar, Keyboard and Synthesiser.
Amongst the musicians one of them used to be the musical Director for Joe Longthorne and another wrote arrangements for and played with Buddy Greco...
The main performers were reasonable at taking off the "The Rat Pack" but did some songs better than others and I think they were better at the slower numbers than perhaps the more upbeat songs.
Perhaps it's just me but I actually preferred the music accompaniment without the synthesiser, it was supposed to give the impression of strings...it didn't and the sound was rich enough without it.
Now, I don't know how they felt having played the whole show, having been on stage all night and the show overrun by thirty minutes but unbeknown to the audience there was a special guest, not mentioned on any of the flyers promoting the production, we did not even know there was a guest!
He did a little stand up comic routine and sang five songs and the audience response was loudest for him and there were shouts of "More" He got the best reaction of the night.
Who I hear you cry?
An all round entertainer of the 60's I suppose and often on tv for most of my childhood. I think I last saw him on stage in summer season in Bournemouth perhaps 32 years ago and it was one if the happiest shows I ever saw with my parents and he was on the bill with someone who he seemed to appear with a lot, the comedian Jimmy Tarbuck.
Not him...but Kenny Lynch. I looked him up on the internet and he is now seventy four. These are all performers who have learnt their craft and put their time in...most of those who appear today have never real worked a crowd by coming up through the clubs and theatres. Venues that are intimate. Some seem to go straight into the music business/tv but most of those are soon forgotten and their careers short lived.
They play large venues built like aircraft hangers and use large tv screens and all the latest effects.
These shows are more straight forward and simple. They can still hold and work a crowd. It is obvious from the reaction that he is still held in great affection in the British publics hearts even if they are of a certain age.
All in all a great show and though I thought I had missed my last bus home and might have to get a taxi...I wasn't leaving until it ended. And though I had to hang around for approx thirty minutes at a bus stop in the centre of town there was one last bus to get me home.
Tonight I am not going to worry about trying to hurry after the show. I'll take my time...I have a break for a 16 days and then there a few more lined up, a couple in September and a couple in October and then nothing until January.
Next year one production I have booked now(in case money is tight...I know it will be)has three members of The Osmonds in the cast. Including "Little" Jimmy Osmond. And it's years since I went to a drama, celebrating 60 years of being on the West End Stage, London there is a touring version with an unannounced star cast of the Agatha Christie novel "The Mousetrap" that happens in June!
So tonight, it's a blast from the past with the 60's pop group Gerry and the Pacemakers, PJ Proby and though billed as the Animals(I think only two original members still exist)and there is the lead singer of another 60's band The Tremeloes, Chip Hawkes who no doubt will sing songs associated with his former band.
posted by The Great Gildersleeve | 3:33 pm
5 Comments:
Kenny Lynch- now there is a blast from the past,wondered what happened to him ,always seemed to hang around with Jimmy Tarbuck. Did always like his rendition of "up on the roof"
He certainly did! :-)
You just knew that he would and the others in the shopw tried to make it look as though he had to be persuaded to ;-)
Up to that point he had sang standards that fitted into the show...
My reviews of the Sixties Gold Show follows soon...
A few surprises and a bit of controversy too...
Glad you had a blast, Gildy! :o)
I'm so happy you're doing this. And may I say, I'm positively greeeeen about The Mousetrap! :o)
I look forward to your review posts so much....keep 'em comin'!
Jan :o)
Most shows come in at a reasonable price but a couple lately have been quite expensive...The Mousetrap being one.
I may find that I cannot afford them in the future but I don't want to get all political here as I am trying to be positive and live for the day.
I had purchased the tickets before I realised, as I paid for a few shows at the same time.
But this production of The Mousetrap should be special and I guess it's quite something to be seeing The Osmonds.
Well, I think it's really important to get out and do things you enjoy right now, and no one could accuse of spending money willy-nilly.
You always seem to put a lot of thought into your spending, and weighing the pros and cons.
And as you say, they are special performances that will really mean a lot.
As long as they aren't all like that, and they don't seem to be, you'll probably be okay to splurge a little.
Jan
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