The Hollies - Concert Review

Margate Winter Gardens, 22^nd February 2001 - by Nicola Dowling

HOLLIES HIT MARGATE

Now picture this, a cold February evening in Margate - doesn't exactly excite you does it. But if I said cold February evening in Margate with The Hollies, now that's better.

At least that's what I thought as my mum and I joined the rest of the audience at the Winter Gardens on the 22nd.

The guys burst onto stage to a huge round of applause and quickly got down to work, it seemed as if you were watching a totally different group to the one previously there 14 months ago. Not just a different lead singer was obvious, but all the guys seemed full of enthusiasm and bursting with energy and smiles and all this after considering that they had not long returned from a gruelling tour of New Zealand and Australia.

If there are any doubts about the new guy Carl Wayne with the Margate audience they were quickly dismissed as soon as he began to sing all the hits which came thick and fast.

Carl seemed to be very at ease and the audience warmed to him very quickly especially when he asked the audience to join in on one of hits 'Blackberry Way'. I think the audience shocked themselves and the guys in the group at how tuneful they were or not as the case maybe!

Alan Coates stunned the audience with a beautiful rendition of 'Butterfly', a personal favourite of my mum's. We were also treated to a favourite of mine, 'Too Young to be married', which featured a fantastic guitar solo by Tony Hicks, a guitar genius if ever there was one.

Ray Stiles joined Alan and Tony centre stage to perform a fantastic version of 'Blackbird'. Ian Parker didn't miss out on the limelight either, his turn came when the guys sang 'We're Through', after his well known and well loved accordion walk about in the audience with his trademark Arthur Scargill minor's lamp strapped to his head as commented on by Carl several times. He rejoined the guys back on stage and took centre mic to finish the song (a bit more of that Ian, nice voice!).

The time was going way too fast but the songs just kept on coming.

Carl's fantastic voice shone through on such songs as 'The Baby' with a great Sitar accompaniment by Tony and the 'Soldier' song.

The show drew to a close on a high with the crowd up and out of their seats and dancing to Rays 'Tiger Feet'. Then came the all time classic 'He Ain't heavy He's my brother', BRILLIANT!!

The very last song of the night was a real treat, one which demonstrated and proved what a great vocal talent The Hollies have, as if it needed to be proved! They sang a beautiful version of 'Its In Every One Of Us'.

This seemed to sum the whole evening up simply by saying that its in everyone of us that deep down we are all Hollies fans and after a performance like that, who wouldn't be?

Lets hope there's much more of this to come!

Nicola Dowling, Ashford, Kent. AGE 23

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