The Oliver Wakeman Band Boardwalk Review

The Boardwalk, Sheffield. 22nd July 2006 Before I try to describe Oliver’s gig at Sheffield’s Boardwalk last Saturday night, picture if you will, the following scenario; Over the last number of years you have got yourself a band of talented musicians who have gelled and work together very well, they rehearse and rehearse until you have a tight band. You are successful in the studio and have released some excellent product. As a live band, all the hard work has paid off and you have a good reputation to live up to. You are invited to Headline a gig for the Classic Rock Society in Sheffield to perform a full line up out and out Rock concert. You work out a set list for the concert and you practice and rehearse over and over for a number of weeks and everything is looking good for the concert on the Saturday night. Friday afternoon you get a call from your vocalist saying he's in agony with his back and not sure if he can do the show. you agree to talk in the morning to see if he's ok.... But then at 9am on the morning of the gig; you get a phone call from your vocalist saying that he is lying on the floor in absolute agony brought on by a trapped sciatic nerve, He says “I’m sorry mate but I can’t make the gig”. You have just lost your band’s front man and in 12hrs time and hundreds of miles away from home, you are expected on stage! WHAT WOULD YOU DO? I have spent a few hours today (Sunday 23rd July) talking to various friends and fellow musicians and I have told them of this very scenario. Every one of them gave me the same answer “I’D CANCEL THE GIG”!!! Thank God that none of them has the name of Oliver Wakeman. For what I’ve just relayed isn’t some nightmare or tale of fiction. This is for real and Oliver’s nightmare had begun.....

Many frantic phone calls then took place and Oliver had spoken to the rest of the band and agreed that they could perform an "instrumental evening of entertainment" instead. Time was against the guys but true professionalism, talent and wanting to please the fans drove them on. Oliver racked his brain and after hours of deliberating came up with a revised set list that could be played without a vocalist. This was drawn mainly from the Heaven’s Isle and Three Ages Of Magick albums. The only problem was, there would be precious little time for the guys to learn and rehearse the new set list. So the long journey to Sheffield was made and even the weather tried to put a dampener on the evening when the guys arrived. Sheffield was under a fierce thunderstorm and torrential rain. Once in the venue, it was into a back room and “let’s try and work out how we can do this”. And hours of hard work were spent by the band right up to 7 pm (the doors were open to the public at 7:30pm) then onto the stage to set up the gear and a quick sound check. Oliver explained to Martin Hudson what had happened with Paul Manzi (his vocalist). It was agreed to let Ashtar (who were originally supporting Oliver and his band) to take over as the Headline act and Oliver would take the second slot on the bill. The gig kicked off with an acoustic set from a guitarist called Marc Atkinson, who treated us to some nice songs with quite a lot of fierce strumming involved. I was quite relieved that he still had all of his fingers left when he finished. Then it was time for Oliver to take to the stage. He explained to everyone what had happened and the changes that had been made to the evening’s proceedings. Everyone joined with Oliver in wishing Paul Manzi a speedy recovery from his very painful back. Get well soon Paul!

Oliver opened up with a solo piano piece called A MAYFAIR KISS which was really nice to hear and then Oliver was joined on stage by Dave Mark Pearce who accompanied him for THE FORGOTTEN KING from the 3 AGES OF MAGICK album. The audience were happy and enjoying the music. Oliver then did another solo piece called A SONG FOR LEE for his wife who was at home babysitting their young son Arthur. The rest of the band came on stage to join Oliver for a medley taken from Oliver's Heaven’s Isle album and then ALONE AT LAST also from the same album. This was the first time this piece had ever been performed live! Afterwards Oliver played another solo piece from The 3 AGES OF MAGICK album called LUTEY AND THE MERMAID of which Oliver said there was a nice story to tell explaining who Lutey was but it would take ages to tell…. Maybe it’ll get told one day? Then things got really hot when the band came back on stage for THE ENCHANTER from The 3 AGES OF MAGICK album. Remember that this was a completely new set list and the band had spent weeks rehearsing a totally different set altogether, with only a few hours for this gig. So inevitably there was the odd bit of “individual spontaneous improvisation” that occurred. Yes, for any fellow musicians reading this, you will understand exactly what that means. For everyone else, it’s when one or more members of the band momentarily looses their place in the song. So it did upset me when I overheard someone behind me say to his friend, “that’s not how it’s played on the album, they’ve cocked it up”. Well pardon me sunshine, but this is live music here. If you want to listen to a perfect note for note replay of the original recording, stay at home and stare at a blank wall with you’re your headphones on listing to a CD, but please don’t criticize the performers for trying their hardest under difficult circumstances. Grumpy Old Man rant over now, I’ve got down of my soapbox, back to the gig. Oliver then said he “wanted to include a track off the MOTHER’S RUIN album, but which one to choose under tonight’s circumstances”. “So I’ve chosen the longest track off the album, all 11 minutes of it, its WALL OF WATER and tonight was to be the first time this track had been played live”. This song had its slight spontaneous variations from the original version, but that said, I think the guys deserve all praise and applause for putting their hearts into it. The slot was ended with THREE BROKEN THREADS from THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES album which included a stunning drum solo from Dave Wagstaffe followed by a piece referred to in the band as the Wakeman boogie which Oliver performed with his father at the Mother's Ruin launch concert last year but this time with Dave Pearce soloing against Oliver! All things being considered, what Oliver and the guys in the band pulled off last night was nothing short of a fantastic show all round.

Like I said at the beginning, all of the people I have spoken to today would have cancelled the gig, had it been them instead. But not Oliver Wakeman. Oliver went to great lengths many times during the gig to praise the guys in his band for their hard work and professionalism in putting the show on. Well, I personally think that praise and thanks should also go to Oliver for his hard work and professionalism in putting together (at the last minute) a superb and entertaining show. The evening was rounded off with a CRS favourite all the way from Brazil, the band Ashtar. They treated us to an hour of Rock meets Celtic fusion, with tin whistles, a violin, a bodrahn and the usual synth, lead, bass and rhythm guitars and drummer. A sort of Van Hallen meets Clannad if you will. Any way, they were an entertaining band to watch. Thanks again to Oliver, Dave P, Paul and Dave W for a superb gig and again, get well soon to Paul M. Phil Hudson

All photos by Phil Hudson