They Moved - The Standard, Walthamstow
20th November 2004
Set
List
So
You Want To Be a Rock ‘n’ Roll Star / I Can Hear The Grass Grow / Night of
Fear / Disturbance / Flowers in The Rain / Omnibus / Walk Upon The Water / Fire
Brigade / Cherry Blossom Clinic / Wave Your Flag and Stop The Train / Lightening
Never Strikes Twice
Sunshine
Help Me / Something Else
There was a very respectable crowd
assembled for ‘They Moved’ in this east London pub venue by the time they
took to the stage and launched into that classic “number from the Byrds”.
This, one of the few live Move recordings currently available, seemed a very apt
opener for the enthusiastic four-piece who, from the outset, were clearly
dedicated to paying true homage to one of the most underrated yet original and
exciting bands of the sixties.
They’d opened the set by
acknowledging this as their first show since the passing of their “great
hero”, Carl Wayne, and with dedicating it to his memory. The gesture was
simple, yet heartfelt, and as a close friend of Carl’s, I truly appreciated
it. Watching and listening to the set was both emotional and satisfying as the
classic songs were brought lovingly to life. Despite being dressed
sixties-style, Gary (lead vocals), John (guitar/vocals) James (drums) and Inness
(bass) wisely made no attempt to look or sound like the original members whose
roles they took. This put their own stamp on things, yet the performances
remained very true to the original recordings.
I Can Hear The Grass Grow and Night of Fear followed the opening number
in close succession, complete with built-in flower-power hippy who danced at the
front for the duration of the gig. Armed with tambourine and maracas, he only
enhanced the authenticity! ‘Grass’ gave us a great vocal from Gary and some
fine guitar work from John, true to Roy’s solos on the original. Night of
Fear, the band’s first top ten hit, was well sung and played, but didn’t
quite capture the multi-layered vocal effect of the original. One extra voice
would put this right.
The hits were all included; Flowers
in The Rain, and Fire Brigade, complete with alarm bell, and which I
have to admit brought tears. Maybe because Carl had been performing it live
himself so recently. Definitely because it captured all the magic of the
original.
Not content with the better-known
songs, the band showcased other highlights of the Move catalogue with a
scattering of b-sides and album tracks. Omnibus was a real highlight;
“Save the girls upstairs for later / now I wonder if I can shag them
all…?” Reminiscent of the original front man’s tremendous sense of humour
and fun. Cherry Blossom Clinic has always been a personal favourite and
this version revived the spoken intro from the version on the ‘Shazam’ album
and incorporated another amusing lyric change.
An excellent version of the 1970 single
Lightning Never Strikes Twice closed the first set and got a great
audience reaction before the band returned to the stage to perform two more
numbers from the live “Something Else” live EP. Sunshine Help Me,
another firm favourite really rocked and Something Else, the old Eddie
Cochran hit was perfect to end with. Thoroughly enjoyable and I certainly hope
to be at the next London gig.
The Move was Carl Wayne’s first love,
their success an achievement of which he was immensely proud. The justice this
band do the songs and the honesty and energy with which they perform them forms
the most fitting tribute to him around right now, a tribute that is made by true
fans. These guys really seem to ‘get it’, capturing the real essence of
where the band and the songs were coming from, something Carl was always adamant
very few people understood.
Somehow, I believe he’d approve.
http://www.theymoved.com