This unofficial site features his current and recent events and tours
Review of the DVD/CD Recording at The Stables, Milton Keynes - 13th December 2004
Although
Milton Keynes is not the most convienient place for me to get to, I decided that
I would like to go to this event. I wasn't even sure that I would like to
see myself on the finished article, but as it turned out the seat that I got was near the boom camera and I don't think that it caught me on camera. I
expect I will be seen from the camera that was on stage, but hopefully you won't
see much of me!
This was a bit different from a normal concert in that John Glover came on stage and instructed us to enjoy ourselves (like I was going to go there and not enjoy myself?) and that no flash cameras were allowed (consequently I didn't get many good photos) or other video recording. Tony was on good form and Martin Fry seemed to give a good performance. I like the songs that they have chosen for this tour, some have a swing feel to them and I could remember them from the Saturday evening television programmes that were on when I was a child.
The songs they sang as duets were Up and Away (in my beautiful balloon), Signed Sealed Delivered, Soul Love, You've Lost That Loving Feeling and Suffragette City. Tony sang The Reason, Delilah, She's Gone, Always On My Mind, Wives & Lovers, Drops of Jupiter as well as Chant No 1 and Instinction which won't appear on the DVD. Martin sang Tears Are Not Enough, Poison Arrow, When Smokey Sings, The Look of Love, Uptight Outtasite, Love, She's Always A Woman. Of the ones that are on the set list and I haven't listed them here - I'm not sure who sang them.
It was a bit strange with the concert being recorded, it didn't seem to flow as well and the encore was done without a break. They had to come back and do four of the songs again, one because they had forgotten the chairs and the others for technical reasons. I wasn't complaining because we got to see more of them singing. I think that we will get these songs on the tour plus True, Gold and Barricades. I can't see Tony doing a concert without these three songs, but he didn't sing them at the recording because they can't be put on the DVD.
Tony didn't stay around for long afterwards but wished everybody a Happy Christmas. Too soon it was time to go, but I look forward to buying the DVD and CD that I was a part of.
I think it will be a good tour. Tony is the better singer of the pair but I liked ABC songs in the 80's (but not as much as Spandau) and I think Martin Fry will grow on me. I am looking forward to Oxford on February 1st and a spring full of Tony Hadley vs Martin Fry and ABC.