This unofficial site features his current and recent events and tours
Denise's Review of 2007
| January | The year starts with the news that Tony is to play Billy Flynn in the musical Chicago at the Cambridge Theatre in London. With nothing apparently in the calendar, Wendy, Tina and Myself had planned a trip to see Tony in Hasselt in Belgium. We sucessfully manage to get the Eurostar and then find our onward train in Brussels Central station (and find the correct portion of the train as it is one that splits!) - good job my reading of French is ok as I know no Dutch and we then meet up with Mandy. The seats at the venue have been rearranged and I am the furthest from Tony that I have ever been and he doesn't know we are there. Two days later and it is the first night of Chicago. I was so nervous for him, but I needn't have been, he was a superb Billy Flynn and although not a dancer completely nailed the part. |
| February | More Chicago. I went several times over Tony's run. It would have been rude not to go and see it when I had been sent on an expenses paid trip to a conference less than a mile away! |
| March | March should have been the end of Tony's run in Chicago, so I book to see what should have been his last performance, but the run is extended another couple of weeks. |
| April | An outdoor gig on April 1st? I wasn't sure what the weather would throw at us. But the show was free and to celebrate the refurbishment of the central square in Nottingham. I packed scarves, gloves, warm clothes, raincoat and umbrella, but surprisingly it was a warm, sunny day. Little did we know this was summer for 2007 and Tony did a brilliant swing show. Crawley was next, a show to be recorded for BBC Big Band special. The most memorable moments were the conductors' lack of ironing skills and Clare Teal's magic knickers! Tony's last performance in Chicago was the next day, I would miss being able to see Tony as often as I could. A week later and my birthday, how nice of Tony to throw me a party at the Hilton in Park Lane! This was the Simply Swing Ball, an enjoyable way to spend my birthday and thanks to Tina for arranging a lovely cake for me |
| May | No shows in the UK, so I don't see him for a whole month. |
| June | Time to wish Tony a belated happy birthday at Lingfield, a superb gig with all the band instead of swing and the weather was kind to us and I was up by £6 with the bets on the horses. Next day was the Action Medical Research Ladies Lunch in Gloucestershire, thank goodness for my sat nav, otherwise I would have never found the hotel due to a road being closed. Tony wasn't so lucky with his sat nav and was incredibly late and his first words to us was 'how did you manage to get here?' Humberfest was supposed to take place at the end of the month, but due to horrendous rain storms the venue was flooded badly and the gig cancelled until the August bank holiday, unfortunately I would be away then and I almost cried when I put my ticket back in the envelope to get a refund. |
| July | Chester Festival or rather Ellesmere Port an excellent band gig and we even get to stay in the same hotel as Tony and the band and get to see them at breakfast. |
| August | No gigs for me in August as I can't get to the rearranged Humberfest. |
| September | September was a good month for seeing Tony. It started with the Fantasy Island Big Weekend an excellent band gig and the rain held off until Tony finished. Proms in the Park was next, I was surprised that this was a band set including 'Somebody Told Me' and 'I Predict a Riot'. Tony deserved to be part of the main show and not the warm-up, he is a far better artiste than Will Young. Fandango time was next, just 1½ hours away from me, the closest place I saw Tony in 2007 although it all went by in a bit of a blur, helping Tina with the charity fund raising, being on the bowling team was a bit of a surprise as I wasn't meant to be on it. The gigs were great but I don't think the Butlins staff understood us and neither did the regular guests who we had to share the Saturday gig with. The last gig of the month was at Robin 2, usually a good venue, but Tony was on rather late so some of the locals had a bit too much to drink. |
| October | Three gigs in October, two in one weekend, both up north, Birkenhead and Holmfirth, so I hired a car, well worth going to both as they were standing ones. Holmfirth I was really close to Tony. Two weeks later and Stables in Milton Keynes a good gig but the camera police were out in force as usual. |
| November | No gigs again as there are only balls and corporates. |
| December | Kitsch Lounge Riot and time to get dressed up and have a Christmas party and hear Tony sing. |
Thanks Tony for 2007, here's to 2008!