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Post by anthony on Jun 6, 2022 0:08:47 GMT
( I know, I still get frustrated on all the websites though, when ALL they can talk about is Bus Stop!🙄🙄🙄 But, guys....we have each other to talk to!!!!😘❤️😉 He he he... that's how I ended up amongst us lot as I was originally on the old official Hollies forum which was to put it kindly, a strange place which took fanaticism to the levels of the absurd with endless posts about how "cute" Tony was, the embarrassing birthday posts and so on. Along came "Staying Power", some of us were disappointed and said so and... well... we were no longer welcome and fortunately there was EO for more saner and sensible discussion! Yes that how how cute Tony was was just sickening really. The funniest thing is he is not the most friendly guy you could meet. |
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Post by knut on Jun 6, 2022 6:17:58 GMT
A few years ago they tested Dear Eloise, Stewball and Very last day in Sweden. When they came to Norway they had to drop Very last day due to poor reaction even if it was a top 10 hit here Who sang Dear Eloise, Knut? Steve Lauri? Yes it was Steve L |
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Post by JamesT on Jun 7, 2022 5:45:38 GMT
Speaking of Tony not being the friendliest, how is he coping with these VIP things before gigs? From what I've seen all they seem to do is come on stage beforehand and chat/pose for photographs with those who've paid extra cash?
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Post by moorlock2003 on Jun 11, 2022 18:56:35 GMT
The band’s refusal to play deep cuts indicates they have no respect for people who have bought their records since the 1960s. I’m glad I haven’t seen them since 1983. Their set lists are always frustrating.
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Post by moorlock2003 on Jun 11, 2022 19:13:58 GMT
Speaking of Tony not being the friendliest, how is he coping with these VIP things before gigs? From what I've seen all they seem to do is come on stage beforehand and chat/pose for photographs with those who've paid extra cash? For Tony, “Take My Love & Run” has morphed into “I Take My Money and I Run”. |
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Post by Mevrouw Bee on Jun 12, 2022 13:17:09 GMT
Speaking of Tony not being the friendliest, how is he coping with these VIP things before gigs? From what I've seen all they seem to do is come on stage beforehand and chat/pose for photographs with those who've paid extra cash? Not sure about those, but Nathan Persad's had both the best and worst of Tony recently when seeking autographs on his LP collection. That being said, the first time was after a gig and he was narky and uncommunicative. The second time was just before a rehearsal and he was smiley and chatty. Rob Haywood apparently gave him comps so he saw the band for the first time since 2004 and he was surprisingly pleased, pointing out that Peter is actually quite good on guitar. I told him thanks for taking one for the team, lol. I've seen photos and, considering how dapper the boys used to look, especially Tony back in the day (a clothing boutique owner, afterall!), the old man uniforms of baggy t-shirts and trousers are a bit disconcerting. I mean, they're all relatively trim still...can't see any excuse for not dressing up for work... |
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Post by Tony Wilkinson on Jun 12, 2022 15:02:35 GMT
Speaking of Tony not being the friendliest, how is he coping with these VIP things before gigs? From what I've seen all they seem to do is come on stage beforehand and chat/pose for photographs with those who've paid extra cash? Not sure about those, but Nathan Persad's had both the best and worst of Tony recently when seeking autographs on his LP collection. That being said, the first time was after a gig and he was narky and uncommunicative. The second time was just before a rehearsal and he was smiley and chatty. Rob Haywood apparently gave him comps so he saw the band for the first time since 2004 and he was surprisingly pleased, pointing out that Peter is actually quite good on guitar. I told him thanks for taking one for the team, lol. I've seen photos and, considering how dapper the boys used to look, especially Tony back in the day (a clothing boutique owner, afterall!), the old man uniforms of baggy t-shirts and trousers are a bit disconcerting. I mean, they're all relatively trim still...can't see any excuse for not dressing up for work... When I saw the photo I thought they were some blokes they had dragged in off the street.... |
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Post by johnt on Jun 12, 2022 15:02:46 GMT
I'm seeing them on the penultimate date of this tour, up in Aberdeen. Really looking forward to hearing 'Magic Woman Touch' in particular. I saw them last night in Cambridge and they put on a great show. The lighting was particularly good and there was a new addition of a screen at the back. Worth keeping an eye on, especially when they perform Stop Stop Stop!   Steve took the lead on Magic Woman Touch which I'm sure you'll enjoy, James. Malc's set list was correct, but to quote Eric Morecambe 'not necessarily in the right order'! Here is last night's order: First Half: King Midas in Reverse I Can’t Let Go Jennifer Eccles Sorry Suzanne On A Carousel Gasoline Alley Bred Magic Woman Touch Weakness Priceless I Cant Tell The Bottom From The Top Just One Look Stay Look Through Any Window Second Half: Here I Go Again Yes I Will Bus Stop I’m Alive The Baby Sandy Carrie Anne Stop Stop Stop He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother The Air That I Breathe Long Cool Woman |
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Post by cameron on Jun 13, 2022 9:40:32 GMT
For all the talk of the hits and deeper cuts, the elephant in the room is the newer songs in the set like 'Priceless' and 'Weakness'. I could cope with 'Then, Now & Always' because it gave Tony a rare solo vocal spot, but I'd take them having a crack at 'Wiggle That Wotsit' over the newer songs on the whole! If 'Very Last Day' can clear the floor, how do the newer songs stack up? Especially putting the together in the setlist.
When I saw them, they played a wonderful re-worked version of 'Magic Woman Touch' which is led by Tony's banjo and the new arrangement really suited the song. In a set that was exclusively packed with the big hits, it was astounding to me that the dancefloor at the venue literally completely emptied except for myself and my group of friends, who were probably the youngest there. Tony kept looking over and smiling/laughing in amazement as we danced there and sang every word back at them!
So whilst I would definitely go and see them year in, year out if that setlist was shaken up a bit, I completely understand why they just play the big hits.
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Post by Mevrouw Bee on Jun 13, 2022 12:54:45 GMT
Not sure about those, but Nathan Persad's had both the best and worst of Tony recently when seeking autographs on his LP collection. That being said, the first time was after a gig and he was narky and uncommunicative. The second time was just before a rehearsal and he was smiley and chatty. Rob Haywood apparently gave him comps so he saw the band for the first time since 2004 and he was surprisingly pleased, pointing out that Peter is actually quite good on guitar. I told him thanks for taking one for the team, lol. I've seen photos and, considering how dapper the boys used to look, especially Tony back in the day (a clothing boutique owner, afterall!), the old man uniforms of baggy t-shirts and trousers are a bit disconcerting. I mean, they're all relatively trim still...can't see any excuse for not dressing up for work... When I saw the photo I thought they were some blokes they had dragged in off the street.... Tony at least dressed up a bit for the Cambridge concert, I noticed from the photos. |
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Post by Mevrouw Bee on Jun 13, 2022 12:56:29 GMT
For all the talk of the hits and deeper cuts, the elephant in the room is the newer songs in the set like 'Priceless' and 'Weakness'. I could cope with 'Then, Now & Always' because it gave Tony a rare solo vocal spot, but I'd take them having a crack at 'Wiggle That Wotsit' over the newer songs on the whole! If 'Very Last Day' can clear the floor, how do the newer songs stack up? Especially putting the together in the setlist. When I saw them, they played a wonderful re-worked version of 'Magic Woman Touch' which is led by Tony's banjo and the new arrangement really suited the song. In a set that was exclusively packed with the big hits, it was astounding to me that the dancefloor at the venue literally completely emptied except for myself and my group of friends, who were probably the youngest there. Tony kept looking over and smiling/laughing in amazement as we danced there and sang every word back at them! So whilst I would definitely go and see them year in, year out if that setlist was shaken up a bit, I completely understand why they just play the big hits. Oh I think we all know WHY they only play the hits. After all these years, they've played themselves into a bit of a corner now and can't really afford not to. And there just isn't enough of us to warrant changing things. |
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Post by Malc on Jun 13, 2022 16:59:15 GMT
I wonder if the reason they still play Weakness etc is that they still have stacks of the 'new' CDs (2006 / 2010 respectively) and hope that'll shift a few on the merchandise stand. There was certainly still quite a stash in evidence. Heck, when I was in the queue waiting to buy a tee-shirt (with a rather outdated image on), Rob H - who was covering the stall that evening - was trying to sell one of the many copies he had of the 'Hope' CD single and gamely pushing as a 'new' song !
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Post by Stranger on Jun 13, 2022 17:28:46 GMT
For all the talk of the hits and deeper cuts, the elephant in the room is the newer songs in the set like 'Priceless' and 'Weakness'. I could cope with 'Then, Now & Always' because it gave Tony a rare solo vocal spot, but I'd take them having a crack at 'Wiggle That Wotsit' over the newer songs on the whole! If 'Very Last Day' can clear the floor, how do the newer songs stack up? Especially putting the together in the setlist. When I saw them, they played a wonderful re-worked version of 'Magic Woman Touch' which is led by Tony's banjo and the new arrangement really suited the song. In a set that was exclusively packed with the big hits, it was astounding to me that the dancefloor at the venue literally completely emptied except for myself and my group of friends, who were probably the youngest there. Tony kept looking over and smiling/laughing in amazement as we danced there and sang every word back at them! So whilst I would definitely go and see them year in, year out if that setlist was shaken up a bit, I completely understand why they just play the big hits. Oh I think we all know WHY they only play the hits. After all these years, they've played themselves into a bit of a corner now and can't really afford not to. And there just isn't enough of us to warrant changing things. I think you are correct here. They can't start playing album tracks at this stage. They needed to cultivate this in their act starting 50 years ago. |
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Post by baz on Jun 13, 2022 21:12:42 GMT
I guess I'll have to be realistic and cut the guys some slack as how things are now was always gonna be unavoidable. Even had they been more "progressive" as a live act in the 70's and 80's, they'd have still ended up with the sort of setlist they do today. Look at The Rolling Stones - they sold far more albums and there are many fans who would welcome more deep cuts or revisitations of "classic" albums but... nope. Look at Paul McCartney. He plays the same handful of Wings hits and nothing else from that era... Wings sold millions and had a fair few hits but nope, the Beatles quotient is far higher and always will be. So, The Hollies were always gonna end up falling back on the hits anyway. Nothing wrong with that except they don't seem to bother varying things much.
Change the running orders and swap out songs from tour to tour as there's still a few more hits the fans would enjoy hearing and I don't think we'd be having this conversation. The Stones and McCartney may lean upon the same old faves but at least they do make the effort to swap things around most of the time. The Hollies have had enough hits and have popular album tracks where they could still turn in a variety of shows that would please fans and the casual listeners who think they only know one or two hits.
I guess we have to accept that things are the way they are but it's still a little frustrating given The Hollies' rich heritage of classy material.
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Post by knut on Jun 14, 2022 6:23:22 GMT
Over the years they have varied the set list quite a lot. Just think of A whiter shade of pale, Pinball wizard, Purple rain, Wasted on the way, Teach your children, Dear Eloise, Stewball, Butterfly, Someone else's eyes, It's in every one of us, Dang me, What's wrong with the way I live, Emotions, Weakness, Let love pass, So damn beautiful, When I'm dead and gone, the Move singles, Tiger feet, Draggin my heels/classic medley.
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Post by johnt on Jun 14, 2022 7:12:06 GMT
I wonder if the reason they still play Weakness etc is that they still have stacks of the 'new' CDs (2006 / 2010 respectively) and hope that'll shift a few on the merchandise stand. There was certainly still quite a stash in evidence. Heck, when I was in the queue waiting to buy a tee-shirt (with a rather outdated image on), Rob H - who was covering the stall that evening - was trying to sell one of the many copies he had of the 'Hope' CD single and gamely pushing as a 'new' song ! I forked out £10 for a Tour Brochure thinking it was a new one as there were a stack of them on the stall. When I checked at home later, it was from the tour before the pandemic and I'd already got it in my collection. I would have thought that a 60th Anniversary Tour should have a special souvenir brochure to acknowledge this incredible achievement. |
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Post by sandy on Jun 14, 2022 8:15:04 GMT
Over the year they have varied the set list quite a lot. Just think of A whiter shade of pale, Pinball wizard, Purple rain, Wasted on the way, Teach your children, Dear Eloise, Stewball, Butterfly, Someone else's eyes, It's in every one of us, Dang me, What's wrong with the way I live, Emotions, Weakness, Let love pass, So damn beautiful, When I'm dead and gone, the Move singles, Tiger feet, Draggin my heels/classic medley. They did indeed, but they were predominantly when Allan was still with them .( Apart from current line up promoting their new stuff, obviously)He liked to shake things up a bit, as he said, to keep it fresh, by adding different things. Just re-enforces that Allan was still wanting to do ' more', when the others had stopped....? |
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Post by Stranger on Jun 14, 2022 12:06:40 GMT
The strange thing about those songs though is they were other people's hits.
I think back from 69 they should have been playing songs and introducing them as a hit we had in Sweden, a song we wrote for the Everleys, a hit we wrote for the Searchers etc. A bit of PR from themselves as "artists".
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Post by baz on Jun 14, 2022 12:54:53 GMT
The strange thing about those songs though is they were other people's hits. I think back from 69 they should have been playing songs and introducing them as a hit we had in Sweden, a song we wrote for the Everleys, a hit we wrote for the Searchers etc. A bit of PR from themselves as "artists". Agreed, though I suspect Graham's departure made them less keen to do so as they wanted to forge on without him. There was that determined effort in 1966 and 1967 to get the Clarke-Hicks-Nash songwriting team more established as there was that remarkable outpouring of original material, the various covers etc. That all slowly fizzled out during 1968 as Nash drifted away from the band as before then, he was the real driving force, the one who did most of the PR, talking up the hype, brash and confident in their songwriting abilities but having had some of his songs rejected, he staked them for himself and his next project so without those elements, The Hollies lost a lot. I like the "Hollies Sing Hollies" album but also admit it is patchy and I think that did Allan and Tony's confidence no favours in the long run... great material is across the following few albums but that unity they had with Nash was gone and with it, all the momentum dissipated so their attempt to be credible serious artistes faded when Nash left. Like many things, there's a lot of layers beneath the surface and how they panned out over the course of time which again proves just what a big blow Graham's departure in December 1968 truly was. Musically, they still turned in the goods, but their credibility and self belief took a shaking. |
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Post by sandy on Jun 14, 2022 13:54:54 GMT
The strange thing about those songs though is they were other people's hits. I think back from 69 they should have been playing songs and introducing them as a hit we had in Sweden, a song we wrote for the Everleys, a hit we wrote for the Searchers etc. A bit of PR from themselves as "artists". Yep, totally 👌 |
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Post by johnt on Jun 14, 2022 14:38:44 GMT
The strange thing about those songs though is they were other people's hits. I think back from 69 they should have been playing songs and introducing them as a hit we had in Sweden, a song we wrote for the Everleys, a hit we wrote for the Searchers etc. A bit of PR from themselves as "artists". Indeed. The Searchers always used to credit The Hollies when they performed 'Have You Ever Loved Somebody'. |
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Post by anthony on Jun 15, 2022 10:31:08 GMT
Even though I would like to see a couple of gems thrown into the set list, it’s true when you go to a concert you want to hear songs you know. Remember seeing Queen just over two years ago and they played a song I didn’t know, felt like a disappointment. Funny friends use to go to see HH on their Oz trips, the Drummers version, said they were disappointed most of the songs were by other groups. On another point I know when Allan was in the band they did do other songs like Knut stated, I know they even did Please Please Me, think as someone said to keep it all fresh. Don’t think that would be any good these days, no point. Last thing is I don’t think it’s a matter of Tony grabbing the money and run, I’m sure he doesn’t need the cash, I would be more inclined to think both he and Bob love what they do and want to keep the music going.
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Post by Mevrouw Bee on Jun 15, 2022 12:55:33 GMT
The strange thing about those songs though is they were other people's hits. I think back from 69 they should have been playing songs and introducing them as a hit we had in Sweden, a song we wrote for the Everleys, a hit we wrote for the Searchers etc. A bit of PR from themselves as "artists". Agreed, though I suspect Graham's departure made them less keen to do so as they wanted to forge on without him. There was that determined effort in 1966 and 1967 to get the Clarke-Hicks-Nash songwriting team more established as there was that remarkable outpouring of original material, the various covers etc. That all slowly fizzled out during 1968 as Nash drifted away from the band as before then, he was the real driving force, the one who did most of the PR, talking up the hype, brash and confident in their songwriting abilities but having had some of his songs rejected, he staked them for himself and his next project so without those elements, The Hollies lost a lot. I like the "Hollies Sing Hollies" album but also admit it is patchy and I think that did Allan and Tony's confidence no favours in the long run... great material is across the following few albums but that unity they had with Nash was gone and with it, all the momentum dissipated so their attempt to be credible serious artistes faded when Nash left. Like many things, there's a lot of layers beneath the surface and how they panned out over the course of time which again proves just what a big blow Graham's departure in December 1968 truly was. Musically, they still turned in the goods, but their credibility and self belief took a shaking. I look at Hollies Sing Hollies as Terry's Internship Album. They replaced Graham, but with somebody almost completely green when it came to songwriting. And, without Graham's leadership, they were all in a retraining stage, really. The strongest stuff on that album is really gorgeous that being said...and mostly Allan's contributions ("My Life Is Over With You" and "Marigold"). I just find it interesting that Graham merely progressed fame-wise after he left, but not particularly in his songwriting. None of his stuff would have been out of place on a 70s Hollies' album, even though the prevailing wisdom is that he outgrew them. And he became more the "quiet one" of CSN after being the loud one in the Hollies. |
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albatros
Full Member
albatros
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Post by albatros on Jun 16, 2022 23:15:06 GMT
Thanks Malc for posting. One day they will surprise us all with a heavily overhauled set list and song order… Yeah right. They never will. Reading this is a disappointment but also entirely expected. If ever they were going to mine a few more back catalogue album cuts, it should have been on this tour. With two years of little work, Bobby and Tony had ample time to relisten to their past albums and maybe fall back in love with some older, non-45 songs. And finishing with the same 3 songs in pretty much every Hollies concert since 1974 eternally does my head in…this also provides the answer for anyone wondering why contemporary music critics stopped writing about them beyond 1975. I love The Hollies but they rarely fail to frustrate me in their refusal to acknowledge their expansive back catalogue in a live venue. Nobody’s asking them to play live ‘For Certain Because’ both sides, start to finish, but maybe we could have SOMETHING else from that album, or a B-Side like I’ve Got A Way Of My Own. Or a lost gem from Romany. Then again, the only time the band has EVER really supported a new album on stage was when Rickfors was around, and that was only due to necessity! (Sigh…) |
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albatros
Full Member
albatros
Posts: 108
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Post by albatros on Jun 16, 2022 23:19:29 GMT
Thanks Malc for posting. One day they will surprise us all with a heavily overhauled set list and song order… Yeah right. They never will. Reading this is a disappointment but also entirely expected. If ever they were going to mine a few more back catalogue album cuts, it should have been on this tour. With two years of little work, Bobby and Tony had ample time to relisten to their past albums and maybe fall back in love with some older, non-45 songs. And finishing with the same 3 songs in pretty much every Hollies concert since 1974 eternally does my head in…this also provides the answer for anyone wondering why contemporary music critics stopped writing about them beyond 1975. I love The Hollies but they rarely fail to frustrate me in their refusal to acknowledge their expansive back catalogue in a live venue. Nobody’s asking them to play live ‘For Certain Because’ both sides, start to finish, but maybe we could have SOMETHING else from that album, or a B-Side like I’ve Got A Way Of My Own. Or a lost gem from Romany. Then again, the only time the band has EVER really supported a new album on stage was when Rickfors was around, and that was only due to necessity! (Sigh…) Hi Simon! I totally agree with you there. I went to about 25 Hollies concerts here in Germany from 1976 to 2010. They almost always played a greatest hits program. Yes, that's ok for the people who want to see the Hollies and who want to hear the big hits. Unfortunately, for us as hardcore Hollies fans, that's no longer enough. In addition to the big hits, for which of course there must be room, we would also like to experience a surprise and hear something "new" in the program. FOR CERTAIN BECAUSE - yes, that was a super great LP. Why not PECULIAR SITUATION or from DISTANT LIGHT – A LITTLE THING LIKE LOVE or TO DO WITH LOVE – both monster songs? Or one of my absolute favorites - DON`T LET ME DOWN from the 1974 Hollies LP. That would have been the right successor to THE AIR... But when it comes to the songs that the Hollies play live, there's unfortunately no longer a request concert. The Hollies have not presented an LP or their latest songs on a concert tour since 1975. That will no longer exist either. They don't want to do that anymore either and they probably don't have the time and, above all, the will to practice something "new". Unfortunately that's the way it is. |
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