Solid silver Mersey Beat

This year, the line-up consists of Mike Pender, who was the original voice of The Searchers from the bands’ formation in 1959 to 1985 when he started a solo career.

In that 26-year period, Mike was singer on all the bands’ hits, including Sugar and Spice, Needles and Pins’ Don’t Throw Your Love Away and Sweets For My Sweet (all of which made the top two in the charts and three of them going all the way to the top.

Along with Mike is Sheffield-born Dave Berry, who has been a part of the Solid Silver Sixties tour in three of the last four tours.

As well as the big UK hits he enjoyed with Mama, Little Things and The Crying Game which coincidentally all peaked at number five in the charts.

A little-known fact about Dave’s hits is that This Strange Effect, a song written for him by Ray Davies of The Kinks, only made number 37 in the British charts, yet in Holland and Belgium has the distinction of being the biggest selling single of all time!

Wayne Fontana makes up the trio of solo vocalists on the tour.

Wayne’s hits, both with and without The Mindbenders, included the likes of Um Um Um Um Um Um, Pamela and The Game of Love.

There is definitely a northern feel to the tour this year because, as previously mentioned, Dave Berry is from Yorkshire, Mike Pender is from Liverpool and Wayne is from Manchester.

These three legends of British pop music will be ably backed by The New Amen Corner, a band that has emerged as one of the hottest bands on the sixties circuit; and whilst they have no original  members of Amen Corner in their line-up, they have the superb ability to recreate the sound of the Welsh band.

Amen Corner’s hits included (If Paradise Is) Half as Nice, Bend Me Shape Me and Hello Suzie (a song written by Roy Wood).

Special guests for the tour, and yet another northern band, is The Merseybeats who, in Tony Crane and Billy Kinsley, boast two founder members.

Tony, who is lead vocalist and guitarist, says that he is looking forward to the tour.

“We’re absolutely delighted and can’t wait to do this tour again.”

The band started out as The Mavericks in Liverpool.

“Yes,” Tony tells me at his Liverpool home. “Then we got a residency at The Cavern Club alongside The Beatles, then management at the Aintree Institute where we were playing didn’t like the name and called us The Merseybeats.”

“Back then, there was a local newspaper called The Mersey Beat, at first we argued about the name, but to no avail.”

Hits like Wishin’ and Hopin’, Don’t Turn Around and I Think of You kept the band in the charts from 1963 to 1966, then they went on the cabaret circuit.

Tony continues the story.

“After a while, Billy got tired of it and formed Liverpool Express who had some success I the seventies, but he came back to us in 1992.”

At 42 dates. This is a pretty big tour, as Tony explains.

“That’s right, but they usually do about this number – however, this year they’ve crammed it into two months rather than three like they usually do.”

“It’ll be hard work, but we can’t wait to start.”

The promoters, Flying Music, always take care of their acts.

“Oh, they’re very good,” says Tony.

“They always organise the tours well and they think to arrange the dates so that we don’t have to travel very far between gigs.”

The Merseybeats have always been a popular act in the show.

“Well we’re always happy to do them and we usually do every other year.”

And they are always busy.

“Oh yes, we’re constantly touring, in fact we actually have a couple of gigs scheduled on our days off on the Solid Silver tour.”

And there are certain types of venue that Tone likes to play in.

“I love playing the Royal Concert Halls in places like Nottingham, and the old Opera Houses like Buxton.”

“They’re really lovely places to play in.”

Despite the years, the artists in question have no plans to stop playing (in fact of the original artists here, Wayne Fontana – at 67 years old, is the youngest).

Tony sums it up in one simple sentence.

“I intend to carry on till I drop.” He states.

The tour will also double as a celebration.

“It’s 50 years this summer that The Merseybeats brought out our first record.” Tony says.

In fact, 2013 is not only The Merseybeats 50th anniversary of their first record, but also the first releases by Dave Berry, The Searchers and Wayne Fontana!

So, some legends of Sixties music, who have been responsible for no less than 16 Top Ten hits including four Number Ones.

What more could you ask for?

The Solid Silver Sixties Tour 2013 will be coming to The Opera House, Manchester on Tuesday 12th March.

Tickets are available from the Box Office on 0161 245 6680 and all the usual agencies.

Martin Hutchinson.Y

ES, it’s that time of year again – the time when some of the biggest stars of the sixties get together to tour the country under the Solid Silver Sixties banner- now in it’s 28th year.

As usual, the line-up is of the highest order with some of the biggest names of the era on stage and entertaining their many fans.

This year, the line-up consists of Mike Pender, who was the original voice of The Searchers from the bands’ formation in 1959 to 1985 when he started a solo career.

In that 26-year period, Mike was singer on all the bands’ hits, including Sugar and Spice, Needles and Pins’ Don’t Throw Your Love Away and Sweets For My Sweet (all of which made the top two in the charts and three of them going all the way to the top.

Along with Mike is Sheffield-born Dave Berry, who has been a part of the Solid Silver Sixties tour in three of the last four tours.

As well as the big UK hits he enjoyed with Mama, Little Things and The Crying Game which coincidentally all peaked at number five in the charts.

A little-known fact about Dave’s hits is that This Strange Effect, a song written for him by Ray Davies of The Kinks, only made number 37 in the British charts, yet in Holland and Belgium has the distinction of being the biggest selling single of all time!

Wayne Fontana makes up the trio of solo vocalists on the tour.

Wayne’s hits, both with and without The Mindbenders, included the likes of Um Um Um Um Um Um, Pamela and The Game of Love.

There is definitely a northern feel to the tour this year because, as previously mentioned, Dave Berry is from Yorkshire, Mike Pender is from Liverpool and Wayne is from Manchester.

These three legends of British pop music will be ably backed by The New Amen Corner, a band that has emerged as one of the hottest bands on the sixties circuit; and whilst they have no original members of Amen Corner in their line-up, they have the superb ability to recreate the sound of the Welsh band.

Amen Corner’s hits included (If Paradise Is) Half as Nice, Bend Me Shape Me and Hello Suzie (a song written by Roy Wood).

Special guests for the tour, and yet another northern band, is The Merseybeats who, in Tony Crane and Billy Kinsley, boast two founder members.

Tony, who is lead vocalist and guitarist, says that he is looking forward to the tour.

“We’re absolutely delighted and can’t wait to do this tour again.”

The band started out as The Mavericks in Liverpool.

“Yes,” Tony tells me at his Liverpool home. “Then we got a residency at The Cavern Club alongside The Beatles, then management at the Aintree Institute where we were playing didn’t like the name and called us The Merseybeats.”

“Back then, there was a local newspaper called The Mersey Beat, at first we argued about the name, but to no avail.”

Hits like Wishin’ and Hopin’, Don’t Turn Around and I Think of You kept the band in the charts from 1963 to 1966, then they went on the cabaret circuit.

Tony continues the story.

“After a while, Billy got tired of it and formed Liverpool Express who had some success I the seventies, but he came back to us in 1992.”

At 42 dates. This is a pretty big tour, as Tony explains.

“That’s right, but they usually do about this number – however, this year they’ve crammed it into two months rather than three like they usually do.”

“It’ll be hard work, but we can’t wait to start.”

The promoters, Flying Music, always take care of their acts.

“Oh, they’re very good,” says Tony.

“They always organise the tours well and they think to arrange the dates so that we don’t have to travel very far between gigs.”

The Merseybeats have always been a popular act in the show.

“Well we’re always happy to do them and we usually do every other year.”

And they are always busy.

“Oh yes, we’re constantly touring, in fact we actually have a couple of gigs scheduled on our days off on the Solid Silver tour.”

And there are certain types of venue that Tone likes to play in.

“I love playing the Royal Concert Halls in places like Nottingham, and the old Opera Houses like Buxton.”

“They’re really lovely places to play in.”

Despite the years, the artists in question have no plans to stop playing (in fact of the original artists here, Wayne Fontana – at 67 years old, is the youngest).

Tony sums it up in one simple sentence.

“I intend to carry on till I drop.” He states.

The tour will also double as a celebration.

“It’s 50 years this summer that The Merseybeats brought out our first record.” Tony says.

In fact, 2013 is not only The Merseybeats 50th anniversary of their first record, but also the first releases by Dave Berry, The Searchers and Wayne Fontana!

So, some legends of Sixties music, who have been responsible for no less than 16 Top Ten hits including four Number Ones.

What more could you ask for?

The Solid Silver Sixties Tour 2013 will be coming to The Opera House, Manchester on Tuesday 12th March.

Tickets are available from the Box Office on 0161 245 6680 and all the usual agencies.