The Hollies - Concert Review

Muenster, Germany, 2^nd October 2004 - by Uli Twelker

“70s Party” – this sounds like a knees-up ´clap your hands´ and ´rattle your pints´ job, but it was simply a sold-out 3000-seater with an appreciative audience knowing what it likes. During the first hour and a half, 40-somethings and their offspring applauded the catchy songs and clean harmonies supplied by the Rubettes and the Tremeloes.

Would The Hollies deliver this kind of refined choruses as well, after just a handful of rehearsals with their new singer Peter Howarth? Until very recently, this busy studio and stage singer (who is known to be a versatile guitarist, too) was backing vocalist with Cliff Richard, also a Musical star in the Roy Orbison Story “Only The Lonely”, and in the London West End smash “Robin – Prince of Sherwood”, a show which Howarth co-wrote with 10CC´s Rick Fenn.

What can this 42-year-old pro offer The Hollies? They had recovered from the ´99 retirement of their trade mark voice Allan Clarke, when just four weeks ago, Move and Hollies singer Carl Wayne suddenly and tragically died – Carl had enriched the band as a Sixties veteran and tremendous singer. The fans had willingly accepted that this was a new era - some kind of Carl Wayne & The Hollies, with a few Move songs thrown in and a great voice that sounded unique. Hollies repertoire appeared alive and alert, energetic and up-to-date, rather than in the exact sound of the records. “Wayne´s World” commanded respect and filled the venues. So what now?

“Peter looks and sounds good”, this is how drummer Bobby Elliott had announced Howarth. On this October night in Muenster, Germany, at 9.20 pm, both credits were verified in seconds. Peter ran onto the stage – a likeable appearance, rather small, black hair and a winning smile. He had hardly sung the line “If you ever see a man with no heart”, when the unexpected became crystal clear – Howarth has the power, charisma and precision to replace Allan Clarke; he can pass as a young Clarkey, without imitating him in the slightest. And with the first chorus of this opener, “I´m Alive”, the Hollies´ harmony triangle – their new Howarth-Hicks-Coates-combination – sounded clearer and more genuine than enytime during the last decade. The “original” Hollies sound is back, while – no disrespect to Carl – the group had been merely truly great with Wayne.

The famous hit catalogue was spooled off as if this line-up had been together for weeks – whoever in this audience would gather that this was a real first night? “Here I Go Again”, “Jennifer Eccles”, then “On A Carousel” with Alan Coates, excellently acting out Graham Nash´s lead part as always. Howarth already handled most announcements, with an easy wit but also modest. “Just One Look” and “Bus Stop” followed, and it was a joy to listen for the closeness to the beloved singles versions. With “Blowin´ In The Wind”, some ´vocal gymnastics´ followed: here, Howarth took the risk of presenting his own modulations, his power reserves and creativity in interpreting a universally known standard individually.

After “Carrie Anne”, Peter let the band rock out a well-known, bouncy rhythm for quite a while – admitting later that he quickly checked with Alan Coates how the first line for “Long Cool Woman” went. Nobody noticed, yours truly included, because soon “Saturday night I was downtown”, working for Muenster´s 70s Party was in full swing. The 60s-Hollies Elliott & Hicks continued to show, on drums and guitar respectively, that they can still pull aces out of their Jazz and R&B training, relaxed and relentless, always spot-on, with Ray Stiles on bass and keyboarder Ian Parker supplying reliable colours. Suddenly, Tony grabbed his banjo, and the tempo increased once more: “Stop Stop Stop” had the crowd wailing.

The two slow classics “He Ain´t Heavy” and “Air That I Breathe” made it evident again: this new singer is a “heavy” purchase, and his well-paced “breathing” gives him a vocal range and reserve to make these ballads a sheer joy – true to the Hollies´ original recordings and with ample room for little additions. Just like the shows during the unforgotten “Wayne´s World” era, this gig closed with the Up-Front-Hollies Tony, Peter, Alan and Ray gathering one mike, backed by a symphonic Ian Parker and conductor Elliott delivering the dreamy “It´s In Everyone Of Us” – a home game for Howarth, who knows it from the Cliff repertoire. The way we saw them here in Muenster, the Hollies can go on for years. “The Long Road Home” – title of their 6-CD-Boxed Set – has many a turn in store, a happy sign indeed. So hello Peter, well done – and God bless Carl Wayne, who had told the band “The show must go on”.

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