Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)

As a teenager I was a big fan of Cockney Rebel. But I didn’t think it would be nearly fifty years before I got the chance to see them in concert. That last sentence should have read “nearly forty eight years”, but covid meant that the original gig was postponed twice. As a reward for our patience, those who bought tickets when they first went on sale were promised a piece of “merch”. This turned out to be a special poster, but I was told by one of the FOH staff, who I’d acted with in the play, to “see him afterwards” and he’d sort out something better.
The Lancaster Grand is not that big a theatre anyway, but because I was one of the first to book tickets, we were sat right in the centre of the front row - much to the envy of a few friends I spotted elsewhere in the audience. It was a great concert. Steve Harley remained seated as it was obvious he was struggling with standing and walking. But that did not in any way diminish his singing and guitar playing, which were top notch. As were the rest of the band (though only the drummer had been in the original line up) and we were treated to a journey through fifty years of hits. Steve plays quite a few acoustic gigs these days, but this was something different as it was the full electric band.
Seeing my friend after the show, I was told to follow him and wait at the back door of the box office. He went in and reappeared with two t-shirts - result! Definitely a case of who you know, not what you know.
I think that is now the last of the covid delayed concerts. Any I go to from now on are new ones, booked since restrictions were removed. As Steve himself said last night - you don’t really know how much you love live music until the chance of seeing it is taken away from you. It’s been a long two years…