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The
Billy Fury Rock 'n' Roll Weekend 1st -3rd july 2011 by Paul Taylor
JUST RETURNED FROM A FANTASTIC BILLY
FURY WEEKEND IN LIVERPOOL. THE EVENT WAS HELD AT THE WORLD FAMOUS ADELPHI HOTEL, BILLY,S HOMETOWN, AND THE CONCERTS WERE HELD
IN THE MAIN BALLROOM. A VERY 50'S STYLE ROOM WITH CHANDELIERS AND FANTASTIC SEATING WHERE EVERYONE IN THE ROOM HAD A GREAT
VIEW OF THE STAGE. IT ALL STARTED ON FRIDAY EVENING AT 6PM WHEN EVERYONE GATHERED IN THE BALLROOM FOR DINNER. EVERYONE WAS
DRESSED UP AND LOOKED FANTASTIC. NUTTY NEIL WILLIAMS GOT THE BALL ROLLING WITH BILLY FURY LARGE AS LIFE ON THE BIG SCREEN
SERENADING EVERYONE DURING THE MEAL. THE LIGHTS WERE SET JUST RIGHT CREATING A NICE ATMOSPHERE. AFTER THE LOVELY 3 COURSE
MEAL COLIN PAUL TOOK TO THE STAGE TO WELCOME EVERYONE AND TO LET EVERYONE KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON OVER THE WEEKEND. SOON NEIL
STARTED US ALL ROCKING WHILE PEOPLE WERE CHATTING WITH EACH OTHER AND GETTING IN THE PARTY SPIRIT. SOON EVERYBODY WAS UP JIVING
AND THE PLACE WAS ROCKING. AT 9PM KELVIN FORD TOOK TO THE STAGE AND ALSO WELCOMED ONE AND ALL AND TOLD US OF OTHER EXCITING
THINGS PLANNED FOR THE FUTURE INCLUDING A VERY REASONABLE TRIP TO THE USA NEXT YEAR FOR ELVIS 35TH ANNIVERSARY. THEN KELVIN
INTRODUCED COLIN ON STAGE FOR HIS TRIBUTE TO BILLY FURY AND OTHER ROCK ‘N’ ROLL GREATS FROM THE 50s/60s HIT AFTER
HIT AND THE CROWD LOVED IT. THEN COLIN TOLD US ABOUT A NEW ORIGINAL ALBUM HE WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF RECORDING AND ENJOYING.
COLIN SAID ITS HIS FIRST ORIGINAL ALBUM AND EVERY SONG IS FANTASTIC. THEN HE GAVE US A TASTER OF ONE OF THE SONGS. A SONG
CALLED 'STILL 19' WRITTEN BY JIM NEWCOMBE AND GEOFF TAGGART. IT BROUGHT THE HOUSE DOWN AND COLIN RECEIVED A WELL DESERVED
STANDING OVATION. NUTTY NEIL WAS BACK ON THE DECKS THEN THE SOUND OF FURY FAN CLUB HELD A RAFFLE AND AUCTION WHICH RAISED
£500.00 FOR ALDER HEY HOSPITAL. WELL DONE CHRIS ELEY AND HIS TEAM. COLIN WAS BACK ONSTAGE AND INTRODUCED ONE OF THE
HOTTEST BANDS ON THE ROCK 'N' ROLL SCENE RIGHT NOW. 'THE KINGCATS' THEY WERE AMAZING AS ALWAYS AND HAD THE
DANCE FLOOR FULL. NUTTY NEIL WAS BACK ON STAGE AND AS NUTTY AS EVER AND KEPT THE FLOOR FULL TILL THE EARLY HOURS.
SATURDAY MORNING AND AT 12.30
EVERYONE GATHERED IN THE RECEPTION OF THE HOTEL FOR A TRIP FIST OF ALL TO THE BLUE ANGEL CLUB. THATS WHERE BILLY FURY AUDITIONED
AND TURNED DOWN THE BEATLES AS HIS BACKING BAND. THERE IS A FAMOUS PHOTO OF JOHN LENNON ASKING BILLY FOR HIS AUTOGRAPH. [LOVE
TO KNOW WHERE THAT IS NOW] THEN IT WAS ON TO THE FAMOUS BRONZE STATUE OF BILLY AT THE ALBERT DOCK. EVERYBODY GATHERED ROUND
FOR PHOTOS AND COLIN PAUL AND CHRIS ELEY GAVE A SPEECH OF HOW THE STATUE CAME ABOUT. IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING AND MADE A
NICE CHANGE FOR A WEEKENDER. SOON IT WAS LUNCH TIME ON THE DOCK ,THEN OFF TO THE CAVERN TO HAVE A COUPLE OF DRINKS AND WATCH
TOP 60'S ROCK N ROLL BAND 'THE SHAKERS' THE BASS PLAYER IN THE BAND IS MARTIN DAVIES WHO PLAYED BASS WITH THE
PERSUADERS FOR MANY YEARS. THE BAND LOOKED AND SOUNDED GREAT. BACK AT THE HOTEL AND AFTER A SNOOZE AND OUR MEAL, NUTTY NEIL INTRODUCED KELVIN ON STAGE WHO THANKED EVERYBODY FOR COMING ALONG THIS WEEKEND AND SAID BOOKINGS
WERE NOW BEING TAKEN FOR NEXT YEAR. KELVIN THEN INRODUCED COLIN PAUL AND THE PERSUADERS WHO PERFORMED AN HOUR OF BILLY FURY
CLASSICS AND THATS JUST WHAT THEY WERE. BALLADS, ROCKERS SELF PENNED SONGS AND MORE ROCKERS. OFCOURSE THE SET FINISHED WITH
BILLY,S ANTHEM 'HALFWAY TO PARADISE' AND A ST GEORGES FLAG WAS PRODUCED WITH A PICTURE OF BILLY IN THE MIDDLE AND
EVERYONE WAVING THEIR ARMS IN THE AIR AND SINGING ALONG. WHAT A GREAT IDEA. UP NEXT WAS THE EVER POPULAR 'JIM PLUMMER'
FROM 'THE FIREBIRDS'. IT WAS JIMS FIRST OUTING AS A SOLO PERFORMER AND WHAT A FANTASTIC JOB HE DID. LOADS OF ROCK
'N' ROLL CLASSICS ALONG WITH SOME FIREBIRD SONGS WE KNOW JIM FOR. EXCELLENT JOB. KELVIN ANNOUNCED THAT ALMOST EVERYONE
HAD REBOOKED FOR NEXT YEAR AND QUITE RIGHT TOO. IT WAS THAT GOOD.
THE PERSUADERS WERE BACK ON STAGE PERFORMING A GREAT
ROCK N ROLL SET OF THEIR OWN,THE GUYS ARE FANTASTIC MUSICIANS AND SINGERS IN THEIR OWN RIGHT. SAD TO LEARN OVER THE WEEKEND
THAT DAVE WAS LEAVING. THE BOYS BROUGHT BACK ON STAGE COLIN TO FINISH OFF THE WEEKENDS ENTERTAINMENT WHO INTRODUCED
US ALL TO THEIR NEW KEYBOARD PLAYER PETE TAYLOR [NO RELATION] WHO JUMPED ON STAGE FOR TWO NUMBERS AND MADE A GREAT IMPACT.
IM SURE HE WILL FIT IN PERFECTLY. I SAID HI TO HIM AND HE IS LOOKING FORWARD TO PLAYING HIS FIRST GIG LATER THIS MONTH. ALL
TO SOON AFTER PERSUADING US ALL TO ROCK, THE WEEKEND WAS OVER.
WELL DONE YESTERDAY ONCE MORE. SEE YOU NEXT YEAR.
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