This tour marks Manchester band, The Hollies, celebrating six decades in music albeit now not performing with the original line-up. Original members, Allan Clarke and Graham Nash founded the band; Nash left the group in 1968 to form Crosby, Stills & Nash, although he has reunited with The Hollies on occasions; lead singer, Allan Clarke retired from performing in 1999 and then returned to the music industry in 2019. He has recently collaborated with Nash on a new song, “Buddy’s Back”.
This line-up consists of original members Tony Hicks (Guitar, Banjo, Vocals, Mandolin, Electric Sitar) and Bobby Elliot (drums) plus lead singer Peter Howarth (Vocals, Acoustic Guitar), who has been lead singer for twenty years, Ian Parker (Keyboards, Vocals), a longstanding member since 1991, Steve Laurie (Guitar, Vocals), a member since 2004 and Ray Styles (Bass Player, Vocals) who joined in 1986.
The set began with “King Midas In Reverse” followed by “Jennifer Eccles” and “Sorry Suzanne” featuring guitar solos by Hicks who then reminisced about the band's history with Liverpool remembering the times they performed at The Cavern, sixty years' ago and how they spent a lot of their time in The Grapes pub opposite; his recollections were greeted warmly by the audience.
He played an electric banjo on “Magic Woman Touch” with Lauri featuring on vocals and followed up with a song recorded nineteen years ago, “Weakness” featuring Howarth, Hicks and Lauri on combined vocals.
“Here I Go Again” was greeted with warm applause featuring Lauri on acoustic guitar, after which they exploded into hits, “Just One Look” and “Stay”, whilst Parker accompanied on tambourine, touring the aisles singing along with the delighted audience.
Before the interval, they performed two versions of “Look Through Any Window”, the original and a new version featuring Hicks and Lauri on guitars.
They burst onto the stage for the start of part two with “The Day That Curly Billy Shot Down Crazy Sam McGee”, a rock and roll number, followed by “Yes, I Will, “Bus Stop" and 1965 Number One hit, “I'm Alive”. Hicks then played the intro on guitar sitar to “The Baby”.
It was then drummer Elliot’s turn to take centre stage and introduce the song “4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)”, a Bruce Springsteen cover featuring Howarth on vocals.
“Very Last Day” followed and then “Carrie Anne” which featured video footage of members of the original band in their younger days singing the song at the same time. Hicks played electric banjo on “Stop Stop Stop” whilst Parker accompanied on accordion.
The haunting sounds of Howarth playing harmonica brought a sombre mood to the auditorium as “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” was performed featuring poignant video footage of the original band members culminating with shots of Hicks and Elliot together in present day.
A rendition of “The Air That I Breathe” brought all the audience to their feet, swaying with arms in the air and singing along to the popular hit ballad culminating in long standing applause and shouts of appreciation.
The set finished with “Long Cool Woman in A Black Dress”, a raunchy song written by former lead singer, Clarke, leaving the audience wanting more.
The Hollies have toured every year for the past sixty years and are a talented group of musicians and singers; they still sound as fresh as the original line-up and lead singer, Howarth is very much like original frontman, Clarke in appearance and vocally. Hicks has retained his baby-faced looks and is remarkable for his nearly eighty years of age whilst Elliot still wears the hats he is renowned for and has recently written a memoir about his days with the band entitled, “It Ain't Heavy, It's My Story: My Life With The Hollies”. It’s a shame Nash couldn’t have made a guest appearance at this gig as he was touring UK recently, that would have been the icing on the cake. This UK Tour culminates on the 9th of November at The London Palladium.
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