This unofficial site features his current and recent events and tours
Review of Tony Hadley at South Tyneside
Summer Festival,
Bents Park South Shields - 30th July 2006
A
free Tony gig in the UK doesn't come up very often, in Europe they are quite
common. I saw the venue - South Shields and thought that's near Newcastle.
I could fly up to that one and when I found there was a metro train direct to
the town, I thought even better. Some of my northern friends were going,
so I arranged to meet up with them. The only downside was that I would
have to go up on the Saturday and I wouldn't go home until the Monday.
Sunday morning dawned bright and sunny and I left my hotel in Newcastle to take the 25 minute metro ride to South Shields. I arrived at the park at 11.15 am, ready for the gates to open at 12.30 pm and joined the 20 or so people at the front of the queue. I looked like 'Billy no mates' waiting on my own but it was the only way to ensure a good position. The gates opened on time and I quickly made my way to the front. As I had flown up, I couldn't take a deck chair or get one of the provided ones as I was on my own, I put my picnic blanket down at the front in the middle, just in front of people with deckchairs and waited for my friends to arrive. Luckily I wasn't there too long on my own.
Around 2 pm local band Four Worried Men were up and they did a set of around an hour. I had visited their website before the event and noticed that their set included songs that Tony normally sings. They sand Suspicious Minds and for their encore they sang I Predict A Riot. They made a good go of them but not as good as Tony's versions.
At about 3.20 pm Tony came on stage. The band was Phil T, Phil W, Richie B, Richard Brook on drums and Horny Boys Simon and Dan but on trombone was someone I had not seen before. Somebody Told Me was the first song up as it had been in Carlisle and Newport and the rest of the set was similar too. I decided to write down the set as it went along as I wasn't sure that I would be able to get one due to the gap, but I was able to go and get one at the end - thanks Chris! Suspicious Minds was on the set and just before Tony sang it he made a joke about hearing it in the soundcheck and realising that it wasn't them. At the end of the gig, Tony decided not to go off for the encore but to get everyone to cheer and then he launched into That's Life and Gold. On the set list I Predict A Riot had been scrubbed out, Tony's version is better but I'm sure he felt that he couldn't sing two songs that had been on earlier.
It had been a lovely sunny afternoon in South Shields, Tony said that he had a wonderful view of the sea from the stage. There had been a bit of a breeze, this made it very pleasant too. It was strange seeing Tony mid afternoon instead of late at night but I'd be for more afternoon gigs, especially if the weather was so nice too. At the end of the gig we made our way round to the outside of the fenced off area. Lots of other people had the same idea and Tony came out to the inside of the fence and started chatting to the people waiting. Once people had spoken to him they drifted away but we were in no hurry to go anywhere. The band had to wait whilst their driver had enough rest under the tachograph regulations and Richie saw me and came over to the fence and he chatted to us for a while, he was joined by Phil T, Dave Williams and Tony.