Article
Playhouse Theatre (Supporting
Bill Haley)
(date unknown)
Rattle
and Roll but no great shakes
Stage: Bill Hayley and the comets - Playhouse Theatre
It was a nostalgia trip back to the swinging 50s and the kids
from the Rock'n'Roll era came swaggering in dressed in their
tight hipster jeans and leather jackets, all set to shake,
rattle and roll to the rhythm of the Father of Rock.
But Bill Hayley just didn't have the energy to get them twisting.
The only infected jivers were a bunch of punk rockers who
must have been too young to have been part of the rock'n'roll
days. And it's a pity that although people were invited to
'get up and boogie in the aisles and do your thing', the few
who did were hustled away by a zealous official.
Fumble, the supporting act, dressed in pink suits and tight
leathers, got more of a response from their audience than
Hayley himself.
Hayley opened up with his Shake, Rattle and Roll number, which
should have got the crowd tapping at least. But after an initial
spontaneous bout of clapping most people resigned themselves
to memories of music that had once got their blood racing
and feet moving.
The Comets played two and sometimes three songs to every one
of Hayley's and there were excellent solo performances by
the saxophonist and drummer but by and large the Comets did
not warrant so much time on their own.
Just as the evening was hotting up and even Hayley himself
seemed to be enjoying the show, he surprised the audience
with his farewell song, then came back to sing his greatest
hit, Rock Around The Clock.
If only Hayley could have started and sustained the show with
the same energy he showed at the end of it, everyone would
have had a good evening.
-S H-
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More
articles:
Success for Weston Group in beat championship
(Local paper, 1967)
Baloons flying
high behind Iron Curtain (Local paper, 1968)
Fumble (Record Mirror,
1971)
FUMBLE (Beat Instrumental,
1972)
American Press (1972)
Fumble gain a firm hold (1972)
Nancy
finds out all about....
(date unknown 1973)
There's no flies on Fumble (NME,
1973)
Fumble flies to fame and fortune
( 1973)
Rumble, rumble...here comes
Fumble (Record Mirror, 1973)
Fumble begin to feel good (Evening
News, 1973)
Fumble US Tour (Record Mirror,
1973)
In a class of their own
(Sounds, 1973)
Under the influence: Des
Henly (NME, 1973)
Rollin' and Fumblin'
(Melody Maker, 1973)
The Raver
(Melody Maker, 1973)
Back
in time - Nutrockers! (Reading Rock 73)
Accident Prone (Music Star,
1973)
An
interview with Barry Pike (Drum Magazine 1974)
Rock'n'Roll band signs up (St.
Albans Midweek Recorder, 1974)
Record and Popswop Mirror (Record
& Popswop Mirror, 1975)
Robin Katz talked to Sha Na
Na and Fumble (Sounds, 1975)
Pop goes GLC decibel dosage
(Daily Telegraph, 1975)
Concert reviews:
Playhouse Theatre
(supporting Bill Haley) (date unknown)
Newcastle,
City Hall (supporting David Bowie) (Jan 7, 1973)
Philadelphia,
Tower Theatre (supporting David Bowie) (Feb 17, 1973)
London,
Greyhound (May 17, 1973)
Paris
(May 31, 1973)
London,
Speakeasy (June 7, 1973)
London,
Marquee Club (July 14,
1973)
London, Rainbow Theatre
(supporting Chuck Berry) (Sept 7, 1973)
London, Marquee Club
(March 1974)
Bristol,
University (Apr 27, 1974)
London, Kings Road Theatre (Dec
15, 1974)
Burton-on-Trent,
76 Club (Mar 29, 1975)
London,
Roundhouse (supporting Dr. Feelgood) (Apr 20, 1975)
Festivals:
The Reading
Festival 1973
Alexandra Palace
Music Festival 1973
Roskilde
Festival, Denmark 1973 (Sounds)
Roskilde
Festival, Denmark 1973 (NME)
LPs and Singles:
Fumble
(Sovereign) 1972 (Melody Maker)
Poetry In Lotion (RCA) 1974
(Disc, Melody Maker)
Alexandra
Park (Sovereign) 1973 (Disc Magazine)
Million
Seller (Sovereign) 1973 (Melody Maker, NME, Disc, Sounds)
Not Fade Away (RCA) 1974
(Record Mirror, Melody Maker, NME)
Don't
Take Love (RCA) 1974 (Sounds)
German / Danish articles:
 Fumble
ride the oldie-wave (fans magazine, 1973) translated
Fumble
- Nostalgischer Pomaden-Pop (Flash magazine, 1973)
Success through persistence (BRAVO
magazine, 1973) translated
 FUMBLE
(GO, 1972)
Sjoveste LP i lang tid (Some
Danish paper, 1972)
Kendt
beatgruppe i Diskotek Limelight (Danish paper, 1973)
Roskilde-festival en stor succes
(Berlingske Tidende, 1973) |
