Review of The Classic Rock Show: Top 20 Greatest Guitar Riffs Ever Part 2 at Royal & Derngate (Derngate), Northampton

By very good fortune I found myself back at Royal & Derngate (with three companions) for The Classic Rock Show and this years theme, the Top 20 Greatest Guitar Riffs Ever Part 2. Never having seen this band before, I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by the evening as a whole although I certainly had some personal reservations.

Formed from eight members it gives the opportunity to have a great deal of variety from the performances, with only two of the group not getting their opportunity at the microphone for a solo. Lead vocals however are provided magnificently by Alex Dee and Ricardo Afonso. Personal highlights from them for me was for Dee during a superbly powerful rendition of Wings' Live And Let Die. While Afonso's take on Queen's The Show Must Go On, was an immensely strong point. I also loved their creation of Meatloaf's Bat Out Of Hell, with Dee bringing the softer moments and leaving Afonso to cover those big and bold periods.

Of the other solo moments from the band, on guitar Howie G gets his opportunity with a husky version of Pink Floyd's Money. Emily Jollands gives a wonderfully expressive performance in her full solo of Fleetwood Mac's Rhiannon, a superb tune excellently performed. Keys and also musical director Steve Parry gets his go during the Steely Dan number despite just briefly losing sound from his microphone. This was one of a couple little technical moments sadly during the early part of the show. For the first twenty minutes or so, we sadly were deprived of the screen projection at the back. However once fixed it treated us to a number of great little videos including the original Toto video of Rosanna highlighting a quite scary visual image from the eighties. It did however provide the most perfect timing and lip syncing opportunity. Also great fun was the video played during ELO's Mr Blue Sky, complete with a psychedelic Jeff Lynne.

The only slight criticisms of the show I might make is that at times the personality and presence on stage of the performers drifted into slightly soulless moments. One minute we could be in spectacularly dynamic periods with moments of octane dancing and guitar duels and then the performers snapped into a sort of automated way, just going through the motions. Having said that I would highlight the huge busy personality on stage of the one woman show Emily Jollands. Constantly jiving and swaying and during Van Halen's Jump she was quite something else.

Personally I also found the guitar riff theme a bind at times, with this theme sometimes taking some of the songs into just far too great a length. There is certainly no denying the immense skill of the performers and as this was showcased as a guitar riff show, it certainly did not disappoint in that. However I think riffs are not for me, so I therefore look forward to seeing them perform a different themed show in the future.

So a spectacular night of high quality music performances and at a good two and a half hours, an excellent value show. For fans of music of the rock genre, of many eras, The Classic Rock Show comes highly recommended. If however you are wary of guitar riffing, perhaps hold off until their next show.

««««
Performance reviewed: Wednesday 10th February, 2016 at the Royal & Derngate (Derngate), Northampton.

The Classic Rock Show performed at the Royal & Derngate (Derngate) on Wednesday 10th February, 2016 only and are currently touring throughout February 2016. Full details can be found on their website here: http://www.theclassicrockshow.com/

For further details about the Royal & Derngate visit their website at http://www.royalandderngate.co.uk/

Review of A View from the Bridge at Royal & Derngate (Royal), Northampton

Although writer Arthur Miller died 15 years ago, and last published a play almost 30, he remains a force to be reckoned with, and you are probably still never far from production of one of his works, albeit one of probably just four from his back catalogue of 33 plays. If you pressed someone to choose his best, they would probably more often than not say The Crucible , because A: they studied it, or B: they have actually seen it. As for best though, maybe not. Perhaps that lies with the simpler format of A View from a Bridge , the gritty tale of immigration in the fifties. So, does this new version, a co-production between Royal & Derngate and York Theatre Royal, do it justice? In 1950s New York, hardworking longshoreman Eddie Carbone lives a simple life with his wife and niece deep in an immigrant community. When two of her Sicilian cousins arrives, slowly Eddie's life begins to change forever. In a theatre world where life is rarely simple anymore and directors of...

Review of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World at Royal & Derngate (Royal), Northampton

As the house lights came up at the interval of my viewing of Brave New World, an older chap in the row behind me quite audibly said to his theatre companion "that was rubbbish". I could at that moment only assume that he was wearing one of those rather stylish visual goggles that the cast wore during the show to view something else entirely as "rubbish" was far from my thoughts. It could of course be that he just didn't get it as science fiction might not be his thing. This is one of those impressive things with the constantly inventive Made In Northampton series, it boldly tries everything and maybe if you, like this chap come to all of them, they are not always going to work for you. Adapted as a new commission by Dawn King from Aldous Huxley's 1931 novel, Brave New World is the neglected compatriot of George Orwell's 1984. It is however a much different affair in substance, relating to genetically created humanity and the socially controlling Soma...

Review of Friends - The Musical Parody at Milton Keynes Theatre

The One Where 2026 starts in a world of confusion. And so, 2026 is upon us and for my first trip to the theatre this year, one of my most significant reviewing challenges was to occur. Touring to Milton Keynes Theatre is Friends - The Musical Parody , based, unsurprisingly, on that little American show that ran to a few audience members for ten years. However, I confess that I was not, and have never been in that audience, never having seen a single episode of the show. However, always up for a review challenge and doing my due diligence by having a Friends superfan as my plus one, I headed to Milton Keynes with anticipation. For those unfamiliar with the show, I could say I can’t help; however, a quick review of some of the information you might need (thanks, Google and my plus one). Running for ten years between 1994 and 2004 with 236 episodes (quiz question, you are welcome), the main characters consisted of Phoebe (ditzy, writer of sad songs), Monica (in possession of an unfeasibly...

A Small Mind At The Theatre

Search This Blog