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Sir Cliff Richard @ Durban ICC Arena 2010
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t’s over 50 years since Cliff Richard and the Shadows first performed on stage and I, for one, never thought I would be lucky enough to ever see them live (especially together and in Durban). Yet, last night (Sat 6 Mar) there they were in Durban’s ICC Arena performing to a fully-booked house.
Although the ravages of time have taken place to a certain extent, one would never believe that these accomplished musicians are nearing their seventies. Sir Cliff’s energy still abounds and he is lithe enough to put many a younger person to shame.
It was 1958 when Cliff first hit the music charts with “Move It” – a song which was originally intended for the B-side of his début single – which shot up to no#2 on the UK Charts. To this day Cliff admits that it was the iconic rock and roller Elvis Presley who inspired him to write and perform, with both appearing on the charts at the same time.
At last night’s concert Bruce Welch of the Shadows quipped that more Elvis records have been sold since his death than when he was alive to which Sir Cliff replied “I am not that competitive”.
That competitive he may not be, but there is no doubt that more of his songs have reached the British Top 20 than any other artist. And with record sales of over 250-million, Cliff (together with Elvis) is the only artist to ‘make the UK singles charts in all of its first six decades (1950s – 2000s)’ (www.wikipedia.com).
However, mention must be made of The Shadows – former schoolmates (and original members)Bruce Welch (guitar), Hank Marvin (guitar) who are joined on stage by Brian Bennett (Drums) and Warren Bennett (keyboards). With a sound that has remained entirely their own they proved that that they still have the magic (and the moves).
What do I mean by the latter? They perform in unison with ‘choreography’ accomplished only by the masters of the music profession.
They came to the fore during Sir Cliff’s breaks with “Apache”, “Geronimo”, “Shindig”, “Atlantis” and “Foot Tapper” among others. Hank added to the ambience with quirky, off-the-cuff comments proving that he hasn’t lost his humorous edge.
The sum of the reunion is a journey back in time to the days when rock and roll was king; when we went ‘On a Summer Holiday’; girls were regarded as ‘Living Doll’s; Sir Cliff committed himself to being a ‘Bachelor Boy’ and we will always remain ‘The Young Ones’.
Don't miss Cliff Richard and The Shadows on their one and only reunion tour! |
