Review: Cliff Richard and The Shadows at Liverpool Echo Arena

Oct 8 2009 by Ronnie Parry, Chester Chronicle

CLIFF RICHARD & THE SHADOWS/Echo Arena, Liverpool

REVIEW/by RONNIE PARRY

THE great Shane MacGowan of the Pogues once warned anyone having a go at fellow Irishman Daniel O'Donnell to expect a visit from the heavy mob.

Cliff Richard could be said to fall into the same category as O'Donnell in terms of attracting handbag swinging women of a certain age.

So slag him off at your peril as this subject of surreal interest (in the BBC classic sitcom The Young Ones) continues to give happiness to so many.

Sir Cliff’s 50th anniversary tour with The Shadows arrived at the Liverpool Echo Arena on Wednesday night. And what a crowd pleaser of an event it was.

I went along to see the show with Mam and my brother Arfon. Tickets for the event sold out months ago but we managed to snap up returns from the Echo Box Office a fortnight ago to treat Mam to a big surprise.

Now let's be serious for a moment. Music doesn't have to be serious...all of the time. It can be pleasant, easy and away from the rush.

The Shadows, Britain's most successful instrumental and vocal group, please more than most. Hank Marvin's trademark red Fender Stratocaster guitar-playing evoking a northern springboard sound which inspired many impressionable teenagers in the late 1950s including Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler and Canadian Neil Young.

Hank's notes were as clear as spring water, a crystal delight. Quite often, the texture of most guitarists becomes less subtle with age but with Hank an intimate touch remains.

Try to imagine the sound of Apache, Wonderful Land and Foot Tapper in this impressive, packed out, arena and you'll get an idea.

What was particularly pleasing about tonight was the way the audience interacted with each other. Open conversations and a shared happiness, typified when we were queuing to go in. A quiet, unassuming, elderly woman behind us had come to the concert on her own. She struck up a friendly conversation with some women who coaxed her into having their spare ticket and joining them for front row frolics with the Peter Pan of Pop.

Sir Cliff did babble on a bit. Perhaps that's why the crew hand mistakenly started to take his mike away during a stage changeover.

But he made an interesting point about how artists were nurtured in his day compared with the ruthless way X-Factor-esque entertainers, if they don’t seal that number one chart spot, are nowadays quickly ditched into the gutter by the very people who employ them.

And whilst we're there, let’s mention how many songs this evening close with either a minor or seventh note. It ain't technical because the point I'm making is the way mainstream shows like X-Factor have each song ending on a major note in a vain attempt at perfection which no doubt leaves too many people reaching for the sick bucket.

A world away from what I witnessed tonight. Cliff and the boys delighted with Living Doll, Move It, Summer Holiday and a three song encore ending with an eternal The Young Ones to thrill an enraptured audience.

I'm happy to say I really enjoyed the show.