The former glam-rock’s lead guitarist is still belting out the hits with his new band…
REVIEW by Ian Woolley
On what must have been one of the coldest nights of 2022, it was in the Somerset town of Frome that we descended, scarf and all, to see one of glam-rock’s true survivors – Sweet.
Their 16-gig ‘Unlock The Rock’ tour has been playing to sell-out gigs around the UK and this one was fourteenth on the list. These days it’s the 70’s band’s remaining survivor Andy Scott who is still belting out those hits that dominated our pop charts some 50 years ago. Ten top ten hits in their heyday with one of them topping the charts at the height of glam rock in 1973. But more of that later…
Frome’s Cheese and Grain is not like normal music venues. It’s a sort of mecca for various artisans who frequent this area of Somerset which you can see in the various shops in the town. Nearby Glastonbury needs no introduction and this venue was put on the world musical map when Sir Paul McCartney used it to do his pre-Glasto warm-up earlier in the year (apparently Emily Eavis is a patron).
Frome’s Cheese & Grain (credit Quiz Britain)
Today a frost fair wrapped invitingly around the festively lit frontage beckoning us to step inside. The foyer is a hive of activity as middle age rockers mix with younger fans eager to hear those songs they were introduced to by their parents back in the day. Back in the day, bassist Steve Priest was one of the pioneers of wearing makeup on stage and it was reassuring to see the odd person dressed in the glam rock style that made the band stand out when they burst on the pop scene the first time round.
Milton Evans & Tony Wright (credit Quiz Britain)
The support was former Terrorvision’s Tony Wright and Milton ‘Milly’ Evans whose acoustic numbers warmed up the expectant crowd. On such a cold night, we all needed warming until the roof heaters did their bit. The first track played was from his new album “The Anti Album” called “Sleep” which got everybody in the mood for their set.
Interspersed by anecdotes from Wright’s witty interpretations of life good or bad, “The Blues“, “Buried You Deeper” and “Opposites Attract”. Introducing their final two numbers “Born With A Silver Spoon” and “Cannonball“, Tony tells the expectant crowd what they had in store next…”See you all later. Enjoy the rest of the show”.
The crowd cheered when one by one, each member of the main act of the night strolled on. Naturally, Andy Scott would be last and the decibel levels went up a notch. Sweet’s lead singer Paul Manzi is a reincarnation of the flamboyant Brian Connolly. Only their hair colour is different. During the whole evening of their set, Manzi worked the crowd with ease and confidence oozes from every cocky strut the singer makes on stage.
Completing Scott’s present-day lineup is drummer Bruce Bizland, bassist Lee Small and keyboardist/guitarist Tom Cory. You can see that these guys have rehearsed to perfection in their slick harmonies which remain true to the original recordings.
Andy Scott (credit Quiz Britain)
All the hits are there and they are plentiful. Opening with a splendid cover of “New York Groove” then launching into “Action“, “Alexander Graham Bell“, “Hell Raiser“, “Burn On The Flame” and “The Six Teens” (one that is one of Andy’s favorites to perform), The Heritage Chart got a name check as their recent single “Everything” was getting plenty of airplay on various stations, it was only fitting that it was their next chosen number.
Yes, Sweet releases new songs too!
A few new songs mixed with many of their bigger hits had the crowd cheering and singing along. Even “Wig-Wam Bam” which was considered a type of novelty hit was not off the menu (and I’m old enough to still remember the dance that accompanied it). Only one song, “Love Is Like Oxygen” is difficult to replicate live like the studio version (as co-writer Andy told me recently). They performed it as close as they could have and their final number was “Fox On The Run“.
Sweet live (credit Quiz Britain)
The “We want Sweet. We want Sweet” famous live intro was the perfect night’s backdrop for their first encore number and amazingly only ever chart-topper “Blockbuster!“. “The Ballroom Blitz” was the second and the crowd was now putty in their hands.
All in all, it’s simply Sweet doing what they do best. Belting out hit after hit with no member taking the glory from another, it’s simple pop-rock.
Although the ‘Unlock The Rock’ tour has now come to an end, Sweet fans will be pleased to know they’ll be touring Germany in April (2023) It’s sure to be a belter and will warm you even on the coldest of nights.
For more information on Sweet, go to www.thesweet.com