Dave Wilde (tenor/baritone/flute/vocal); Graham Hardy (trumpet/flugel); Chris Jelly (vibes); Steve Glendinning (guitar); Mark Hand (keys); Dan Brady (bass guitar); Jonathon Marriott (drums); Brendan Murphy (congas/perc.)
(Review by Lance).
Christmas is many things to many people. Last night it was one thing to many people - Funtime!
As the festively clad band struck up with We Got the Power the dancers took to the floor - bizarrely there were more men than women shaking their hips as Wilde blew the first of many solos. The groove was in.
Switching to flute for Who Do You Think You Are?, a number he, Dave, also sang. Indeed Wilde's vocal contributions seem to have increased somewhat adding a further dimension to a band Warren described as "The best band in Newcastle". I'd have added, "And much further afield" and I don't mean Gateshead.
Around about this time, Chris Jelly played a solo that sparked the thought that this was the best solo I'd heard all year - until he played another solo...
Other numbers included their greatest hit, Where's my Money Gone? and It's Too Late For me. There were plenty more but I was too busy enjoying the music and the ambiance to make notes.
Super-sub Graham Hardy slotted in nicely and the trumpet/tenor chase choruses were something else.
Marriott and Murphy exuded empathy, each anticipating and complementing the other. Glendinning, Brady, and Hand too were formidable both solo-wise and as a team.
Sadly, the evening had to end. The number 27 sleigh was in sight. As I was leaving, Chris Jelly was rendering God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen in the manner of MJQ before the merry gentlemen funked it up.
It's on evenings like this that I conclude that Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year!
Lance.
Photos.
Photos.
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