This show is an enjoyable trip down memory lane highlighting the hit songs and popular groups of the 1960’s. The age range of the audience reflected the following the featured bands had during those times, all ready and eager to re-live their youth. Most of the audience were 60 plus with a few exceptions but when it came to reading out the birthday celebrations there was one for a 96 year old in the audience and one for a couple celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. Conversely the was an announcement for a 21st birthday celebration. Needless to say, all of the audience enthusiastically joined in, clapping, singing and were up out of their seats dancing at times.
Stageright Promotions produce The Sensational 60s Experience claiming it is the only 60s package show currently out on the road, the show featuring an ensemble of original artistes and band members, some now in their 70’s and 80’s.
Vanity Fare kicked off the show with a medley of their hits, ‘I Live For The Sun’, ‘Early in the Morning’, ‘Hitchin A Ride’ (which established a new dance craze, The Hitchhiker), followed by the ballad, ‘Better By Far’. The band’s last original member, Trevor Brice, left in 1979, but they can still boast guitarist/vocalist, Eddie Wheeler, who has been with them since 1970. Additionally, bass-player, Bernie Hagley, has been around since 1974 so they have a reasonable history. They finished their set with Norman Greenbaum’s popular 1969 hit song ‘Spirit in the Sky’ featuring a drum solo. Lead Singer Eddie Wheeler proudly informed the audience he had been in the band for 55 years and is now 81 years old and his voice did him proud.
Next came Spencer James lead singer of veteran pop band The Searchers since 1986. He entertained with a medley of Searchers hits backed by Vanity Fare; the audience were treated to ‘Don’t Throw Your Love Away’, ‘Love Potion Number 9’, ‘Sugar and Spice’, ‘Needles and Pins’ and ‘When You Walk in the Room’, Spencer encouraging the audience to join in throughout.
Mike d'Abo, lead singer with Manfred Mann after Paul Jones left the group, started his set with the Bob Dylan number, ‘Just Like A Woman’ followed by the hits he had with the Manfred Mann band, ‘Semi Detached Suburban Mr James’, ‘Ha Ha Said the Clown’ and ‘Mighty Quinn’ followed by the hits he wrote, ‘Handbags and Gladrags’ recorded by Stereophonics and Rod Stewart and ‘ Build Me Up Buttercup’ a big hit for The Foundations in 1968. He finished with Manfred Mann’s number 1 hit, ‘Do Wah Diddy’. He was also backed by Vanity Fare.
The Fortunes entertained with their hits, ‘Here it Comes Again’, their big US hit, ‘Rainy Day Feeling’, Top 10 UK hit, ‘Freedom Come, Freedom Go’, followed by ‘Storm in a Teacup’ written by Lyndsey De Paul and related the story about their song ‘Caroline’ which was banned by the BBC as they thought it was promoting their competitor at the time, the pirate radio station, Radio Caroline. The song went on to sell one million copies. They performed a lovely rendition of the Cilla Black hit song, ‘You’re My World’ and finished with their hit number, ‘ You’ve Got Your Troubles’ with the audience joining in with hands in the air, swaying to the music. Lead singer, Eddie Mooney dubbed ‘the little man with the big voice’ did justice to all the songs and the whole band were very entertaining.
After a short interval, The Trems
burst on stage, all in leather trousers asking the audience if they were, “Ready
to rock?”, the answer to which was a resounding ‘Yes’. They belted out ‘Suddenly
You Love Me’ which had the whole audience singing and clapping followed by the
1967 hit number, ‘Here Comes My Baby’ and ‘Do You Love Me’ made famous by Brian
Poole and The Tremeloes in 1962. Lead singer, Jeff Brown has a powerful singing
voice and an abundance of stage presence, displaying his apt ability as an
entertaining frontman. He dedicated, ‘Silence is Golden’ to members of The
Tremeloes
no longer alive and the group members sang accompanied by just the lead guitarist,
all four members centre stage holding mics. For their encore they performed, ‘Even
The Bad Times Are Good’ much to the delight of the audience and exited the
stage to a standing ovation and cries for ‘More’.
The main event, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich were greeted warmly by the audience and fronted by 80 year old, Beaky, they performed all their hit numbers such as, ‘Hold Tight’, ‘Hideaway’, ‘The Legend of Xanadu’ with the infamous whip which they bought in Hamburg, 60 years ago and the silly song, ‘Zabadak’ which they tried to get the audience singing along to but because of the comical lyrics, no none was able to. They finished with their big hit which was banned by the BBC for seeming to be too risqué to play on the radio because of its suggestive lyrics, ‘Bend It’ which went on to reach number 2 in the charts, only being kept off the number 1 slot by ‘Distant Drums’ by Jim Reeves. Mick, (drummer, John Hatchman took the vocal lead on all numbers with strong vocals and bass guitarist, Dozy (Paul Cornwell) played a mandolin solo. The only member of the original band is rhythm guitarist John Dymond, aka Beaky who carries the air of somewhat surprised, bemused delight that he’s still doing this 58 years after releasing their first single. He delivered a superb performance along with the rest of the band.
The stage set was minimal with a black backdrop constant throughout; to my mind it would have been entertaining to see videos of the bands in their youth, back in their heydays performing in the 60’s on the plain backdrop. Coloured spotlights were used throughout, some focused on the audience at times whilst others displayed patterns on the stage floor and on the backdrop.
This is a very entertaining show for the swinging sixties generation plus followers of retro pop. It is an afternoon show which is unusual something all the entertainers commented on, but it worked very well, and it was a full house of fully satisfied music lovers revelling in the nostalgia and the enjoyment of re-living their musical experiences of the 1960’s; the 60's stars had certainly not lost their touch, they had everybody singing along with all the old songs. I would certainly recommend the show to music lovers of any age. It is a celebration of reminiscence that has the ability to have the audience transported back in time to the 1960’s, a period of music and memories of their youth.
The show is on a UK tour, for details see https://stagerightpromotions.co.uk/sensational-60s-experience-spring-2025/
Reviewer – Anne Horne
On - 31 May 2025
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