This unofficial site features his current and recent events and tours
Review of Tony Hadley at Newport City Live Arena
22nd July 2006
This
gig was supposed to have taken place in Bailey Park, Abergavenny but due to
problems (see this report on the
BBC) it was moved to Newport City Live Arena, a tired ex-cinema whose last
event seems to have been a
tattoo
convention in April (this was actually still being advertised inside) and
they are even going elsewhere next year. It was in an area of the town
which Estate Agents would describe as 'ripe for development' and on arrival at
the venue I notice the cracked glass in one of the doors. Still we were
there to see Tony and the fluorescent pink posters outside had Tony top of the
bill and Chico and Journey South were also appearing.
The doors opened at 6 pm and we arrived around 6.30 pm only to find it was already very hot and stuffy there, so we decided to go for a drink at a pub up the road, not sure this was a good idea as the pub was almost as bad as the venue but at least there was somewhere to sit down. We then went back to the venue and waited for Chico to come on stage. Mums had brought their pre-teen children to the event, I'm not sure I would have wanted to bring my children to this venue. Chico and Journey South had already done a gig at Stoke City Football ground earlier in the day but were in Newport on time and ready to go. Chico and Journey South were using Tony's equipment and Tony's road crew and technicians.
Chico was up first and his act didn't surprise me, it was just Chico being Chico, he was singing to a backing track and he insisted on having members of the audience up on the stage to dance much to the horror of Tony's crew, he probably sang about five songs including heavily plugging his new single. The next thing he did that upset Tony's crew was to get a bottle of water and pour some of it over himself and showered the audience with water. He finished his act and came to an inside door and signed autographs.
Journey South were up next up, they did nine songs, some to a backing track and some acoustically to the guitar, their act was a polished well rehearsed set and they too went to sign autographs. They then went to sign autographs and then decided to have a photo session in the foyer which cleared the hall.
It was then Tony's turn, we had managed to get to the front, dead centre, not so good for photos but an excellent place for interacting with Tony and during the show Tony spoke directly to me (off mike) and kept eye contacting with us. I think he was glad that there were people he knew in the audience. We had seen the set list being put down on the stage along with lyrics for Price of Love, Somebody Told Me, I Predict A Riot and Delilah (we were in Wales so I thought this one may be sung). Dave Williams then came along and crossed Highly Strung and Boys of Summer off the set list. When the Journey South photo session had finished, Tony came bounding onto the stage and the gig began with one of my favourite songs Somebody Told Me. I could see that Tony was going to melt, as usual the jacket stayed on for the whole gig, but he looked fit and healthy. It was an excellent set, the band was John Keeble, Phil Taylor, Phil Williams, Richie Barrett, Simon Wilescroft, Dave Williamson and a trumpeter I had never seen before.
Too soon the show was over, they didn't go off for an encore, they just carried on with That's Life and Gold, not sure why the Delilah lyrics were there because he didn't sing it. We decided before the show that we would go to the stage door quickly after the show ended, so after getting the set list it was round to the stage door. Other people in the venue went and queued up where Chico and Journey South came out, I just knew that Tony wouldn't come out there. Round at the stage door Dave Williams had brought the people carrier around and we spoke to the band and then Tony came out, he hadn't even had a shower, we had spoken to Chris and Jay the roadies earlier and they had said it was dire backstage, so that was probably why not. It was nice with only five of us at the stage door when suddenly the queue from inside turned up, Tony took time to speak to them even though he wanted to get to his hotel and have a shower. He spoke to us again as he was getting in his car and then he left. Tony had given a great performance despite the venue.
Denise 24/7/06