This unofficial site features his current and recent events and tours
Review of Tony Hadley at Carlisle Racecourse - 8th July 2006
The
summer gigs were announced and I noticed that this show was on the weekend of
our wedding anniversary and I thought it would be a good idea to take my hubby
away for the weekend and take in a Tony concert as well. I'm down in the
South West of England, so Carlisle isn't exactly close by but I have recently
discovered my local airport and decided to fly up to Newcastle and go to
Carlisle from there.
The gates to the Racecourse opened at 4 pm, but we didn't arrive until 5.30 pm and met up with Jules and Jeanette, by which time Blondie tribute act Platinum Blondie were on stage. Soon after the rain started to fall and continued for the rest of the evening. The racing started at 7 pm with the first of six races, spaced at 30 minute intervals, beginners luck set in and my hubby backed the winners of the first two races, but it was downhill from there. On the racecard there was a horse named 'Gold Spirit' but unfortunately he was a non-runner.
After the racing we were allowed across the track to the stage where they had put a semi-circle of barriers around the stage area, I picked a spot in the middle, with a direct line to Tony's microphone, but I was still at least 20 feet away from the stage.
After the racing a Madonna tribute act Debbie Hayes was on, she was quite good but I thought it was unnecessary to have another act on before Tony. Eventually at about 10.35 pm Tony came on stage accompanied by John Keeble, Phil Taylor, Phil Williams, Richie Barrett, Andy Carr and the Horny Boys. The stage was a bit small for this amount of people and there were rather a lot of lights too. The rain had started to get heavier too.
Tony started the set with one of my favourites from the tour 'Somebody Told Me' and he continued to rock through the rest of the set. Several women in the crowd had had a few too many to drink and were jumping the barrier to shake hands with Tony, once they had done this, they were escorted back to the crowd. Tony complained about the distance that the audience was from him, I have heard him say this before, I'm not sure why they think we need to be so far from him as there have been no problems when there hasn't been such a barrier.
The rain continued to fall, although it did ease off now and then, it was raining throughout the set. Suddenly as Tony was singing 'Suspicious Minds' the lights and sound went out. The lights were restored and they tried to restart but the PA didn't work, so the gig was abandoned, three songs short. Tony and the band were soon whisked away in waiting cars and didn't wait around in the rain to talk.
It had been a good evening, if cold and wet.
Denise 10/7/06