Reviewed by Christine Pyman, 21st February 2014
I can guarantee that once you have seen
For Your Love: 60's British Rock Invasion for the first time, it won't be your last. No one night stand this, you will be coming back for each performance that this band does, and at the moment they are planning on six to eight shows a year, with the possibility of touring, so you'll have every chance to catch them.
The night at the Norwood Concert Hall started with psychedelic light projections and the groovy tones from DJ JoJo, with braver members of the audience giving in to the urge to dance by themselves, or maybe they were still stoned from the 60s, and encouraging everyone else to join in, dancing to the beats.
After an hour of this exuberance, the band made its way to the stage. This talented eight piece band took its non-stop dancing audience through the classics of the 1960's British pop rock explosion with 'fab' style and delivery. At least half of the audience took the effort to dress in 60's style, adding to the sense of reliving the era.
What separates and makes this band so special is that, although many bands are single band tribute shows, most have not the range of talent that this group has, allowing them to showcase the entire 60s oeuvre.
When you look into the past experience of this group, it is no surprise that they are totally brilliant. John Bywaters, originally bass player with The Twilights, the Adelaide band that toured the UK and recorded in Abbey Road Studios, is the bass guitarist, whose thrumming beats help to underpin the songs. Mark Meyer, drummer, who has also been drummer to The Divinyls, Stylus,
Wendy Matthews and
Moving Pictures, kept our dancing beat going all night.
John Murphy, from local band The Rustlers, exploited seemingly effortless lead guitar riffs, whilst also wowing us with his lead vocals, and Gary Burrows, guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for local bands Brass Carnival, The Boys, and The Rustlers, strengthened this multi layered guitar-fest with his own deftness, adding depth of sound to the entire experience. Harry Herni added another lead guitar and vocals to this mix, with beautifully crafted string work and back-up sounds to the key overall vibe.
Narmon Tulsi (Brother T) brought the entire band together with his dynamic stage presence, full-on keyboard mastery and vocals. He is a veteran of Adelaide band The Hiptones, as well as an actor.
Solo vocalist
Eric Stevenson, from Gumbo Ya Ya, brought a genuine whiff of 60's stardom, with his powerful voice, spreading thrills throughout the female section of the audience, I am sure. To top off this great troupe, the amazing Louise Messenger graced us with her vocals that would stand comparison with Dusty Springfield, herself. Her version of
To Sir With Love brought shivers, suffused with poignancy, at the sheer power of the original sentiment.
This is genuine 1960's British Band explosion, reinvented and reinvigorated, giving a whole new appreciation for those of us that missed out on the original era to experience this magic, live, and for those who lived it in the 60's, to re-experience the total effect, pounding beats, rhythmic tunes, memorable lyrics, and importantly, go-go dancers!
This experience gave me a whole new appreciation of this era of music, experiencing it live is a very different thing to watching the Youtube clips. Oh, I'm a believer.
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