Evening Standard Review - o2 show

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Evening Standard Review - o2 show

Postby bgohara » Wed Sep 30, 2009 1:03 pm

Review by John Aizlewood

"For all Sir Cliff Richard's aversion to musical edge, his 250-million sales over 50 years and the remarkably unprobing ride he's been given (witness Piers Morgan's simpering recent effort) the man who will be 69 in a fortnight remains as insecure as an acne-ridden schoolgirl on prom night. As such, he attempted to ban reviewers from two of his three 02 dates.

Quite what he had to fear remains a mystery. Last night's 160-minute 41-song, apparently final reunion with his second major backing group The Shadows ignored the last 33 years, bar three covers from their current (and current Number 6) album.

'People forget we're a rock 'n' roll band,' explained Richard before Nine Times Out Of Ten, oblivious to being unable to rock nor roll, despite seeing himself as the Cheshunt Elvis.

Naturally, Cliff's insistence on being Cliff meant he didn't make things easy for himself. A well-observed, thoughtful speech berating pop's X Factorisation was ruined by being delivered in a manner that would have been patronising were it not so prissy.

And, although he engendered unrelenting, tea-party-esque affection, as befits an act whose fans throw teddy bears rather than knickers on stage, he is an excitement-free zone.

Thrills were the preserve of The Shadows, who for 20 minutes each half, pumped up the volume, unfurled their trademark snail's-pace choreography and hurtled through some of their hits. Teeth whiter than white and blessed with nifty comic timing, Hank Marvin is unquestionably the most influential British guitarist.

Even at 67, the Jehovah's Witness showed he can still tingle spines on Wonderful Land and Atlantis. Yet Richard, the perennial outsider if not quite the maverick he thinks he is, has not survived and prospered through good fortune alone.

His voice was never soulless, indeed there was almost gravitas on Visions, but give him a friendly, conversational song which nobody could possibly dislike ‹ such as In The Country, Summer Holiday, Living Doll or The Young Ones ‹ and he delivered it perfectly, while evoking a more innocent, post-rationing, pre-three-day-week, coffee bar Britain.

Even the surely peculiar-even-in-1962 Bachelor Boy (a rare Richard co-write) had a spring in its step and they rather brilliantly re-invented and de-rocked Elvis Presley's All Shook Up by slowing it down, playing it acoustically and drenching it in harmonies.

As history will probably say of Richard's entire career: not that bad."
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Re: Evening Standard Review - o2 show

Postby dave robinson » Wed Sep 30, 2009 1:11 pm

As former PM John Major would say on 'Spitting Image' . . . . "Oh dear". :|
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Re: Evening Standard Review - o2 show

Postby Hank2k » Wed Sep 30, 2009 1:26 pm

what show was this idiot at? it certainly cant have been one of the ones i have been too. Sounds like a modern generation twerp who hasnt got a clue
Last edited by David Martin on Fri Oct 02, 2009 1:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Supplied an alterntative "tw" word...
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Re: Evening Standard Review - o2 show

Postby OLDEREK » Wed Sep 30, 2009 1:28 pm

You know I love reading all these differents reports from the Newspapers. but at the end of the day it's how the individual feels when they leave the show not the report in the paper the next day.......You are bound to have people leaving the shows having had a perfect evening, and others who wish they had never gone and felt it a waste of money, but I think that will only be the people who could not see because of the standing few.................Sadly it seems I will not be attending this tour, and so far I have only judged it by the videos on here and I must say it looks and sounds superb, the DVD will certainly be on my shopping list..........I can understand why a lot of stars will not read show reports of any kind.......... :D
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Re: Evening Standard Review - o2 show

Postby bgohara » Wed Sep 30, 2009 1:42 pm

I think that all the reviews I have seen have been very complimentary about the Shads - however they all (almost without exception) seem to snipe at cliff - and his audience. These journos don't seem to be able to judge his performances on their own merits - they just like to slag him and his audience off.
I thought this was a reasonably good review actually.

However - what really matters is what the fans think - you can't argue with cliff's record or his longevity - and hundreds of thousands of people have bought tickets to see this tour - so the press can snipe all they like.

Bernie
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Re: Evening Standard Review - o2 show

Postby chas » Wed Sep 30, 2009 2:03 pm

I've long since come to realise you can't believe what you read in the papers, and I think it applies as much to reviews as news. The audience is there because they wanted to be - I'm sure the reviewers are paid to be there whether they like the shows/artists or not.
I thoroughly enjoyed the show and I don't care how white their teeth are!

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Re: Evening Standard Review - o2 show

Postby ScouserJoe » Wed Sep 30, 2009 2:20 pm

I think Derek sums it up perfectly. Sometimes it not easy to see things objectively when one's lifelong heroes being sniped at but not everyone sees things from the same side of the fence. Facts are indisputable (well most of the time) but opinions are debatable.
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Re: Evening Standard Review - o2 show

Postby Airman » Thu Oct 01, 2009 2:22 am

A spot on review in my opinion.
Richard is so goddamned full of himself it's quite sickening to watch and listen to him in interviews. You'd have thought this so called religious man with his 'good will to all' would have grown up by now and been a little more magnanimous to those musicians who came after him. "Beatles guitars were out of tune"? So what, the world loved 'em. Let's face it, even someone like Long John Baldry had a more worldwide recognition than 'Sir' CR despite far fewer record sales. The Shadows remain exemplary and true to their form and are a down to earth decent bunch of guys and talented musicians.The paper said it all. Grow up Cliff!
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Re: Evening Standard Review - o2 show

Postby stagetech » Thu Oct 01, 2009 10:03 am

Why do people get so hot under the collar? It's Just one man's opinion.
Try reading it again, he obviously is of the nothing good about Cliff brigade. Went in to write a scathing column, but ultimately had to admit, it wasn't all that bad.

And where have we seen this before? "Oh yeh" with Michael Jackson. He was applauded in the early days, hounded and ridiculed up to his death, and now the same people write how great he was. They are all hipocrites.

Just enjoy the show.
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Re: Evening Standard Review - o2 show

Postby kittycph » Thu Oct 01, 2009 2:00 pm

I was at TheO2 Friday night. I had a great time, and it was worth the money. (Traveled from Copenhagen)
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