Classic_Pop_Issue_30_July_2017

108

© Martin Shaw

T

here’s a nice synchronicity

to the fact that just as

Classic Pop magazine

stretches itself elegantly

into the 90s, the Let’s Rock

franchise also extends its

remit to embrace the best

music of that decade as

well as its stronghold in

the 80s.

This two-day event, set

among rolling North Somerset

countryside on the outskirts

of Bristol was a grab bag of

frothy fun plus acts for the more

discerning pop punter.

After Technotronic kicked off

the event with their old school

dance anthems, the early part

of the fi rst afternoon was given

over to getting the party started −

Black Lace brought holiday camp

silliness and Captain Sensible

(the odd political quip aside) kept

it equally light.

You can’t get more trademark

80s than Flock of Seagulls.

Their strong melodic sense still

remained on old hits like Wishing

(If I Had a Photograph of You),

Space Age Love Song and The

More You Live, The More You

Love but lead singer Mike

Score’s vocals were rather

wayward at times.

Tiffany, on the other hand,

brought the fi rst real star power of

the day. Rollicking opener I Saw

Her Standing There knocked it

out of the park and Johnny’s Got

the Inside Moves plus, of course,

I Think We’re Alone Now both

benefi ted from a rawk makeover.

A clear contender for set of

the day was the superb Nick

Heyward. Despite having a

sublime new solo album ready

to go later this summer − we’ve

been listening to it for the last

couple of months and will be

reviewing it next issue − this was

a greatest hits-only affair.

As the sun shone, the classics

came thick and fast − Love Plus

One, the scratchy funk of Take

That Situation and riffy Britpop of

Rollerblade. Whistle Down the

Wind and Blue Hat for a Blue

Day were elegant changes of

pace while the hyperactive Boy

Meets Girl and exultant Fantastic

Day sounded remarkably fresh.

Carol Decker was on great

form, too, as she brought T’Pau’s

classic 80s hits: “Put that chicken

drumstick down and clap!” she

exhorts the crowd at the back.

Sex Talk was a rocking opener

while copper-bottomed pop

classics like Secret Garden,

Heart and Soul and China in

Your Hand, were surefi re winners.

Another contender for act of

the day were the stellar Heaven

17. Glenn Gregory and Martyn
    Ware absolutely smashed it with
    the politically-charged (We Don’t
    Need) This Fascist Groove Thang,
    the plaintive Come Live With
    Me, and a wonderful Penthouse
    and Pavement. Temptation was
    extraordinary. A huge moment of
    grin-inducing sonic overload.
    Nick Kershaw’s set was a neat
    reminder of his quirky songwriting
    skills, from the atonal guitar solos
    of Wide Boy to the weird martial
    drumming of The Riddle and
    ambitious Don Quixote. There
    were anthems, too, courtesy of
    Wouldn’t It Be Good and The
    One and Only, the 80s hit he
    wrote for Chesney Hawkes.
    In amongst the cheesy (but

LET’S ROCK BRISTOL

ASHTON COURT ESTATE

SATURDAY 3 JUNE / SUNDAY 4 JUNE

THE LET’S ROCK FRANCHISE DIVERSIFIES INTO THE 90S FOR THE FIRST TIME. STEVE HARNELL

CHECKS OUT A VARIED LINE-UP OF POP, SYNTH, RAVE AND BRITPOP ICONS

Day One highlight Nick

Heyward delivered a

masterclass in sunny

power pop

“Gloria Gaynor’s headline set was something

of a revelation. The legend herself was on

great form but equally magnetic was her

extraordinary backing group... A slick hour

of hits and soul classics”

CP30.Reviews_LetsRock.print.indd 108 09/06/2017 16:00