This unofficial site features his current and recent events and tours
Review of Tony Hadley vs Martin Fry and ABC - Tunbridge Wells - 7th April 2005 by Jill
Had a really fantastic night. I and my daughter, Amber (13 years and 8
months exactly) met up with my work colleague Kate and her neighbour Alison.
We were all set for a great evening, i.e. us Mums were - Amber was a bit
reluctant as she didn't quite know what to expect from the grown ups.
(Although she had been to Rochester and Butlins, she should have!) Alison
was sporting a pair of crutches due to a broken ankle, I have a permanently sore
foot and Kate was feeling a bit under the weather. However a front row
seat at the Assembly Halls, Tunbridge Wells, soon brightened us up.
The Up, Up and Away intro started and we were wiggling in our seats. The
majority of this front row (compared to Jersey) were up for an upstanding night.
So much so, that some of the Hadley Keeble website ladies were standing right
from the off. The Assembly Halls management came and asked them to be
seated saying standing was only allowed in the centre aisle and the side aisles,
not the front row. Where there's a will there's away.
Tony and Martin sang a great first half, with a slight variation, The Best is
Yet To Come, of course True and Barricades were the highlights of that half,
with Simon playing his saxophone brilliantly as usual. Some of the girls
chose to adorn the stage with some undergarments during Barricades, which I
thought was a little early but funny, nevertheless. It did stop Tony in
his tracks, though.
At one point in the show, second half I think, Martin had finished his set and
announced Tony as coming on but there was no sign of him. Martin went off
as usual and the band just ad-libbed a bit waiting for TH to show up, but after
two minutes he still wasn't on stage. Then he appeared from stage left,
apologised and said his tapestry had been taking up his attention and he'd
forgot the time. (He was chatting backstage really.) Martin came
back from stage right at the amazed amusement of the band, with a broom
sweeping the floor as if the show was done and dusted or he was just trying to
bide time while TH made his way to the stage. It was a gem of an ad lib on
his part and every one was laughing. The show quickly got back on track.
The whole band were in a brilliant mood, the brassy boys were doing all sorts of
actions to the songs: in Memphis, they were doing (playschool ) actions that
some of the band didn't know they'd rehearsed, even Richie was joining in.
It was an extremely fun night, the band was tight. The only downer was
they substituted my favourite Soul Love for She's Gone, which was Tony/ Martin
version but as it happens was very good. So I will forgive them.
Not to be out done in the audience for a laugh, my friend Kate and I had an
appropriate pair of newly bought black panties waiting for the Delilah track.
With the aid of Alison's crutch we tempted Tony with them for a while until a
staff member told us to stop waving them about. (He'd never been to a
Hadley concert, obviously. I don't think the whole of Tunbridge Wells could be
that stuffy, honest.) We threw them in and Tony got them after a bit of
encouragement from us. The whole audience behind us were on their feet.
The Party had started. When Smokey Signs, Gold, Instinction. Then
all too soon, Let's Stick Together ( a good bit of guitar hopping by Tony and
Richie together), the finale, the encore - You've lost that Loving Feeling and
Suffraget. It was over.
My two friends were really on a high and poor daughter was cringing with embarrassment
as you would imagine. She'll learn. She's got the Albert Hall to get
through next week as well!!
A great evening, topped off by visiting the stage door (minus daughter who
stayed in the Car and two friends who had a pre arranged lift to go home) I went
with Gema to wait. We were not disappointed: Phil Taylor was out talking about
his cd, I had a copy on hand for him to sign, we'd spoken to Phil Williams
previously in the auditorium - making a quick escape as he lived quite locally
to this venue, Richie, John, Martin were all very ameniable and then Tony
appeared. He thought the black draws were brilliant (wonder if he will
open up a market stall re-selling these gifts as alluded to in the show), the
whole show was fantastic - despite the slow first half. In Tony's words :
It was a gas.
Thanks Jill for submitting this review - if you have been to one of the shows and would like to send me a review, then I will be pleased to receive it and post it on the site. Denise.