This unofficial site features his current and recent events and tours
Review of Swinging True - The Big Band Tour, Somerleyton Hall near Lowestoft - 15th August 2008
I'd been thinking about going to this show, but the only way I would go to East Anglia would be to fly to Norwich, but there were no flights on the day and the return flight on the Saturday would mean that I would have to be at the airport at 6 am. This almost put me off but when I discussed this with Tina, with a week to go, a whole hour and a half of Tony proved too hard to resist, so it was off to the gig we would go.
I arrived in Norwich on Thursday evening and spent Friday morning in Norwich in the beautiful sunshine, which for this summer was very unusual, before Tina arrived at lunch time, we shopped for a picnic before heading out towards the coast to Somerleyton Hall which is situated between Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft. We arrived between 5.30 and 6.00 pm and made our way to the area allocated for people with picnic chairs (there was an area closer to the stage which we were able to stand in later). We ate our picnic whilst three warm up acts were on including Sam and Daisy, a male solo singer with a guitar and a harmonica band. The warm up acts finished around 8.40 pm and by this time the sun had gone down and it was getting decidedly chilly.
We made our way to the front at the end of the warm up acts and waited for Tony and the big band to come on stage. There were several musicians that I recognised including Simon Wilescroft and Dave Williamson and a couple of others who I have seen before and know by sight. Simon Wilescroft was musical director, but the surprise of the evening was that Richie Barrett was playing - I've never seen him playing at a swing show before and talking to him afterwards he said that it was the first time he had done so and that he was a little nervous about the show. I thought he did an excellent job, although it was a little strange to see him sitting down and playing the guitar. The rest of the musicians did an excellent job too.
Tony was on top form and looked fit and well. He talked about his parents love of swing songs and how they had indoctrinated him with Frank Sinantra and other swing singers and that he was sure that members of the audience had done the same with Spandau Ballet.
I don't know where the time goes when Tony is singing as in no time at all he had sung 15 songs and it was coming to the end of the concert. He went off stage for the encore but the band stayed on the stage. After a short while he was back for his rocky encore of 'Lets stick together' to which he said I wish I had my guitar and at that point Richie offered him his, although Tony declined his offer. If I was Richie I wouldn't let him use my guitar as Tony breaks too many strings. That's Life followed and then the final song at bit of fromage or cheese as Tony calls it 'Its not unusual'.
Surprisingly the weather had stayed dry, although whilst Tony was on a very heavy dew fell and our abandoned picnic chairs were very damp when we got back to them and the car was very wet.
We spoke to Richie after the show and briefly to Tony.
I'm glad I decided to make the journey to this show as it was excellent, but I did question this when I was driving to the airport before 6 am on a few hours sleep, but it did mean that I was home before I would normally have left. Roll on Windsor next week.
Denise 16/8/08