COLIN PAUL AND THE PERSUADERS

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SHOW REVIEWS

SHOW REVIEWS

BILLY TRIBUTE WKD REVIEW NOV 08

by COLIN PAUL

As always sarahlea and I arrived at the metropole hotel’ blackpool on Thursday afternoon to settle in’ relax a little and prepare for the weekends events. its like a family reunion with more and more people arriving on thurs so they can also relax with friends have a sing song and chat about our hero billy fury. You can see the excitement in peoples faces and it’s great to catch up and I must admit it’s great to be able to relax and talk to everyone before the weekend starts.
Our good friends chris and Eunice parsons joined us for a great meal and a few drinks before heading into the bar joining everyone for a drink and singing a song or two with ray the hotels regular entertainer. Ray welcomed all billy fury fans and wished everyone a fantastic weekend. There was no doubt about that.

Friday morning 9am and already people are in the ballroom arranging their seating and singing along to the many hits of billy being piped through the hotels speaker system.
Many posters backdrops and pictures are placed on the stage and around the room. It looks bloody amazing. Lots of coffee’ more piccys then the pa system in place. Almost ready to rock. Mo coopers gear stall is in place and Soon the persuaders arrive and the stage is filled with musical instruments and a large screen and projector. Billy large as life on the big screen and the room is soon full with excited fans. 4pm the stage is set’ everyone has their room keys and are now gathered in the ballroom as I welcome everyone’ make sure they all have a programme of events along with a complimentary glass of champagne as we toast britains greatest’
‘billy fury’
A warm welcome to billys mum’ jean and brother albie. The billy fury fan club stall is set up in reception with vic’ jenny’ mags and Margaret. many billy souvenirs dvds’ cds’ books’and many more tempting treats. Jiving jim killey hits the stage and plays many of billys great songs and songs by his rock ‘n’ roll heroes and others.

8pm the jivers are on the floor and the place is rockin’ we are backstage going over the set list and now its time. Jim introduces Colin Paul and the persuaders as wondrous place kicks in and were off. Hit after hit... like ive never been gone’ when will you say I love you’ I will’ once upon a dream’ collette’ don’t knock upon my door’ running around’ turn your lamp down low’ im lost without you’ run to my loving arms’ halfway to paradise and more. All in all 27 top fury songs and everyone a classic. All to soon we are off stage and ready for a cool beer.

[ I would like to say at this point how proud and privileged I am to work with my new band’ having to learn five different sets’ rock ‘n’ roll’ sixties’ caberet’ Elvis and billy shows in such a short time’They have done a fantastic job. Especially the billy songs. Any musician will tell you there are a lot of chords in the billy fury songs and they need to be played spot on. So a big thanks to dave lea’ chris evans’ joe peden and peter Thomas. Well done guys]

Jim is back on stage playing the rock ‘n’ roll greats and very soon its time to introduce a good friend of mine’ Tony graham. Tony has a great voice and specialises in gene Pitney and roy orbison. Backstage’ I drove all night’ good golly miss molly’ only the lonely’ like ive never been gone’ pretty woman and many more great sixties hits. Tony went down a storm. A welcome return of a great talent.

After more rockin tracks from jim and some great billy prizes won in the raffle myself and the persuaders are ready to rock some more. What a wonderful life’ secret love’ walk the line revisited’ thats love’ only makebelieve’ unchained melody’ pretend’ Johnny b goode’ forget him and much more. All to soon Friday evenings entertainment is over as jim takes us into the early hours.

Saturday 11am and once again over 100 people are gathered in the ballroom for sarahlea’s jive lessons. This is becoming more and more popular and everybody is very soon on the dance floor jiving away to billys rock ‘n’ roll classics.
At 12.30 the day is left free for everybody to take in the sights and shops of blackpool or stay around the hotel and watch billy on the big screen.

After dinner again the ball room is packed and ready for this evenings festivities. Its not long before jim introduces us back on stage for our sixties rock ‘n’ roll show.
Nothing shakin’ shaking all over’ bridge over troubled water’ fools errand to name a few. Very soon its time to introduce another great talent’ graham holly and as the name suggest a fantastic tribute to buddy holly and other rockin greats. Once again a welcome return for this great perfomer.

Another billy fury raffle and more tunes from jim before the lights dim and the intro to last night was made for love as albie Wycherley hits the stage. Albie has not been to well of late and only wanted to perform 2 or 3 songs. After 14 songs albie takes his bows before the applauding and screaming crowd. Maybe tomorrow’ running around’ in thoughts of you’ folsom prison blues/thats alright mama’ albies own song’ the ever popular ‘helpless’ and more of his brothers hits ending with his mum jean joining him onstage for halfway to paradise. When asked later why he did more than he was going to do. His reply was simply ‘I was enjoying myself’
Well done albie.

After a ten minute break the persuaders were back on stage with manchesters rockin ricky’ singing the answer to everything’ I believe’and blue suede shoes.
soon yours truly was back on stage paying tribute to the rock ‘n’ roll greats of the 50s. Johnny b goode’ I need your love tonight’ hurt’ hello josephine’ say mama’
[rock around the clock’ 13 women’performed by peter thomas] and more. Again all to soon another fabulous evening was drawing to a close. Jim rocked everybody until 3.30 am.

Sunday morning 11 am after an emotional rememberence day parade and everybody back inside for the jive competition. 3 fantastic winners who receive as always a fabulous billy fury trophy. As we thank jim for his part in the weekend it is announced it was jims last appearance at the fury wkd as we both felt it was time to give somebody else a chance. The new dj for February is nutty neil Williams a first class dj who has played the very best in 5os/60s/70s and Elvis festivals. More importantly neil is a big big billy fury fan and you want it played he will play it. Neil is a good friend and a great asset to these wkds I know you will love him.
I took to the stage for the final time this wkd to perform my solo tribute to billy’
all my hopes’ lady’ a million miles from knowhere’ and songs such as pj proby’s somewhere and Elvis’ if I can dream. Summertime blues’ aint giving up nothing’ and more fury classics’ cross my heart’ id never find another you.
Soon it was time to invite members of the audience onto the stage to sing their favourite billy song. Special thanks to john’ ricky’ rick’ mike’ sue and chris parsons who performed I will and his special vertion of I’ll show you. Also a big thankyou to albie as he returned to the stage to perform give me your word and a great moving vertion of my Christmas prayer. [soon to be recorded by albie]

Next it was time to thank everybody for a great wkd especially mrs roth. Regulars will know that mrs roth and her daughter diane wardell are ‘blackpool holidays’ who run these great wkds. Sadly diane was in hospital this wkd for a routine operation so couldn’t be with us. A special thanks to everybody who signed her get well card’ diane loved it and is now on her way back to full health. Diane will be back in February [good we missed you x] mrs roth presented jean Wycherley with a bouquet of flowers and jean did her now famous raffle for her charity ‘nobodys child’ everybody goes in for dinner as I dismantle the pa’ backdrops’ posters’ pictures’ projector and screen pack the car and head for a gig on Sunday evening at brean sands Weston supermare. [am I mad]
Another great weekend thats down to you the fans of billy fury.
Hope to see you in February. For booking forms contact blackpool holidays on 01253-722300


LAST FEBRUARY ALBIE AND JEAN WYCHERLEY WERE PRESENTED WITH AN ORIGINAL PAINTING OF BILLY. IT WAS PAINTED BY AUSTRALIAN ARTISTE CHRIS DRUMMOND. CHRIS WAS INTRODUCED TO BILLYS MUSIC 18 MONTHS BACK AND SINCE THEN LIKE MOST OF US' IS TOTALLY HOOKED. CHRIS IS ALSO A FANTASTIC SINGER AND CLOSE FRIEND OF COLIN'S. THEY MEET UP EACH YEAR IN MEMPHIS AND THIS PAST AUGUST CHRIS AND HIS LOVELY WIFE STELLA VISITED THE UK FOR THE FIRST TIME. WITH TRIPS TO BLACKPOOL' LIVERPOOL AND A VISIT WITH ALBIE IT WAS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THEIR TRIP. THE PAINTING WAS PRESENTED TO JEAN AND ALBIE BY COLIN ON BEHALF OF CHRIS AT THE METROPOLE HOTEL IN BLACKPOOL. EVERYONE WAS BLOWN AWAY BY THIS WORK OF ART.
WELL THE GOOD NEWS IS THERE IS A LIMITED EDITION PRINT OF THIS GREAT PAINTING. LIMITED AS IN THERE ARE ONLY 200 OF THESE. WITH ONLY 50 AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME IN THE UK.THEY WERE ON SALE AT THIS PAST BILLY FURY WEEKEND. AND ARE NOW AVAILABLE TO YOU.
TO ORDER ONE OF THESE PRINTS NOW BEFORE THEY SELL OUT' YOU CAN.
SEND AN E'MAIL FOR DETAILS TO COLINPAUL1@HOTMAIL.COM.
THEY ARE £35.OO INC POSTAGE
PROCEEDS FROM SALES WILL GO TO THE 'NOBODYS CHILD' CHARITY. HEADED BY JEAN WYCHERLEY.
TO SEE WHAT THIS GREAT PRINT LOOKS LIKE GO TO COLIN’S WEBSITE

 

 

        

We arrived at the theatre around 6.30pm thinking we would be the first. Not so. The queue was already around the corne                          SUCH A NIGHT

 

The Festival Hall, Kirkby in Ashfield- Saturday 12th February 2005.

              Review: John & Margaret Street, Nottingham.

 

This Elvis night starring Colin Paul and The Persuaders and Glenn Darren and The Krew Katz is always a special event here at the Festival Hall. It has a very large room, plenty of seating, a spacious dance floor, and a huge stage. The bar at the rear is well staffed and hot food is served at an adjacent hatch.

This event is held twice a year and is organised by Reg Atkins to raise money for charity. Since 2001 having done 6 concerts here he has raised over £2,000 for kidney research, £2,500 for the Alan Shipley trust, a man who died tragically in an accident, which goes to his family, and £260. to Rona appeal, a little girl suffering from a rare form of cancer. Reg is a very caring, honest, and genuine man who does every thing possible for charities!

At 8:00pm the place was heaving, every one buzzing as DJ Dave ‘B’, although having a few problems with the decks, introduced the music.The atmosphere was right and it had all the ingredients for a crackin’ night.

First on stage was Glenn Darren and The Krew Katz. Looking immaculate in a white jacket, black shirt, and black pants, he gave us a set of no nonsense rock’n’roll. ‘Matchtbox’, ‘The Shape I’m In’, onto the strollers with ‘Your Cheating heart’ and ‘Think It Over’ then back to ‘Clickety Clack’ and ‘Honey Don’t’. Glenn sticks to the classics and always gives 110% when performing, and with a packed floor you knew he’d got it right. Finally finishing with ‘Old Black Joe’ it was straight back to the DJ for more wax, playing us in with our favourite ‘Shakin’ Mama For Ya’.The floor eased off slightly, was this an energy saver for what was to come?

After 15 minutes the voice of Elvis hit the stage in the shape of  Colin Paul and The Persuaders giving us ‘Aint That Loving You Baby’, carrying on with the powerful ‘Such A Night’, ‘I Got Stung’, ‘Don’t Be Cruel’, and ‘All Shook Up’. The number one’s were all there and the floor once again ‘fizzing’. His version of ‘Jailhouse Rock’, so visual, so explosive, simply awesome! And what a jiver.

The early Sun Studio songs ‘Baby Lets Play House’, ‘That’s Alright Mama’, ‘Blue Moon Of Kentucky’ just letting everyone know how it all started.

Elvis is in the building he shouted as he swivelled his hips and gyrated through ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ to the delight of his screaming fans. All the mannerisms were there! ‘It’s Now Or Never’ enticed all the romantics for a smooch and those that wanted  joined in with the singing. Finishing with ‘If I Can Dream’ Colin and his band faithfully recreate that Presley Magic!

After all this excitement, more excitement as the raffle produced some excellent prizes, 3 bottles of whisky, a DVD player, and 2 tickets for the Americana. Hardly any time for the DJ as it’s back to Glenn Darren and The Krew Katz who open up with ‘Rockabilly Man’. This is a night of non stop rock’n’roll with Glenn packing more songs into his set than probably any other band, with the enthusiastic jivers equally matching him with their dancing. Another good set from a great bunch of guys.Once again Dave’B’ had a chance to play a few more tracks but most of the dancers preferring to sit it out and just listen.

Then suddenly it’s show time, the drums start rolling, the cymbals crashing, the organ rising to a crescendo and the spot light hits the centre of the stage. Appearing through the smoke screen dressed in all white, complete with tassles walks Colin Paul . Grabbing the mic he belts out ‘CC Rider’, then ‘Burning Love’ arms almost a blur. This guy has style, polish, and charisma. Hardly pausing for breath he slows it down to sing the smouldering ballad ‘Hurt’ The Persuaders just know how to deliver, backing Colin brilliantly, dare we say fit for a KING!

11:30pm and folk now dancing any where they could, between tables,at the back in front of the now closed bar, it’s very hard to compete with a night like this. Elvis is number one in the charts and we had our number one with us as flags were then draped in front of the stage, arms were held aloft as he bowed out with ‘American Trilogy’.

To end a fabulous evening we had both bands, DJ and Reg back on stage to give the inevitable finale with ‘Johnny B. Goode’ with everyone involved.Tremendous ending, wonderful atmosphere, SUCH A NIGHT!!                  

PERSUEDES.jpg

PERSUADING YOU TO ROCK