Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Opening the evening with much grumbling to be heard that the support band âLimehouse Lizzyâ had dropped out. Into the breach came Matt Pearce on solo acoustic, accompanied by the backing singer from his band the âMutinyâ. The scene wasnât set for an acoustic performance but he did a decent job, throwing in some covers to keep the crowd sweet (pun intended). No Lizzy, but a manful version of the Stonesâ âMiss Youâ and a stirring cover of Dobie Grayâs âDrift Awayâ.
I remembered that there had been a really positive buzz about the bandâs previous UK tour a couple of yearâs back, which I hadnât caught. This provided all the reassurance needed that this wasnât going to be some half-baked cash in, which might have spoilt many happy memories of watching the band on Top of the Pops in their pomp back in the 70s when they seemed to be on every week. Queueing up outside the venue in the cold North London air it was obvious that most of the large crowd were of a vintage to have had similar memories. Sweet have been a bit of an enigma in some ways; in straddling the teenage pop market as well as having heavier rock credentials they defied easy categorization. In the past, there have been several versions of the band touring at the same time, which doesnât normally bode well. Now, following the death of original bassist Steve Priest in 2020, Andy Scott is the last man standing of the classic lineup and can rightly claim sole right to the bandâs name. He has collected together a proper band of talented musicians with their own personalities that, not only recreate the sounds of yesteryear but add some real crunch and power to what is a priceless catalogue of songs.
The guitarist propelled these songs on the night with his forceful and precise power chords and riffing, accompanied on the second guitar and occasionally keyboards by a young buck, Tom Cory, on loan from the Novatines. The other distinctive aspect of the band is their combined high-pitched harmonies, which are pretty unique, and which most acts couldnât get anywhere near. Frontman Paul Manzi has the required control on those high-altitude vocals, as well as the necessary stage presence to direct the bandâs energy and engage with the crowd, as he did for the introduction to âTeenage Rampageâ where he got the enthusiastic crowd to recreate the chant from their youth of âwe want Sweet, we want Sweet etcâ, which was cheerfully taken up.
This was a brilliant rendition and was followed immediately by two of their earlier hits, âWig-Wam-Bamâ and âLittle Willyâ, which are less heavyweight than some of their other songs (to say the least) but, played live, took on a whole new dimension. Itâs a winning combination: classic pop songs with massive choruses, allied to powerful rock. Itâs where a lot of bands fall down; they may rock out with total energy but the absence of any decent songs effectively renders them impotent. Sweet does not have this problem. As well as playing the old hits they also played a selection of newer material, which, while obviously less memorable than the oldies, were very listenable.
The recent single âSet Me Freeâ, in particular, sounded like a classic Sweet number. The memorable introâ to âBallroom Blitzâ was adapted to the occasion with Manzi enquiring âare you ready Lee (addressed to Lee Small on bass)?â, âAndy?â, âLondon?â, a huge roar, at which point the venerable guitarist kicked in with the well-known riff. Magical! Talking of magic, Andy Scott caught the eye stage left with his snow-white long hair and severe fringe, which gave him the appearance of a minor wizard, perhaps one of Gandalfâs guitar playing mates. I was convinced that this impressive mane had to be a wig, but a colleague in the pit assured me that it was the real McCoy.
Half the original band died tragically young and watching documentaries recently about singer Brian Connolly was a sad reminder of how many musicians become casualties of the rockânâroll lifestyle once they achieve a certain level of fame. Thankfully, Andy Scott at the age of 72, while not exactly doing backflips on stage, looks likely to carry on the Sweet legacy for some time to come. They played all the faves, âThe Six Teensâ, âLove is like Oxygenâ (an extended version, which segued into and out of a version of ELPâs take on âFanfare for the Common Manâ, which was a lot of fun), âFox on The Runâ (a personal favourite) and more. Come encore time, of course, the auditorium resounded to the sound of an air raid siren as the band came back out and slayed the audience with a terrific version of âBlockbusterâ.
On the night, only one bandâs performance really mattered and they completely blew the audience away. Sweet are a band that are definitely worth catching when they come to your town. Timeless music for all ages.
Kind words , and event stils to share is very admired. Tthankyou:-)