The heyday of rock’n’roll spanned the Atlantic and left a legacy of dozens of great tunes – and Rave On is a whistlestop tour through many of them.
The two-hour show is split between the two decades, starting with Elvis and finishing (out of chronology) with Buddy Holly’s Rave On, with pit stops for skiffle, blues, and soul along the way – and a healthy dose of The Beatles.
The short length of most songs from the era means the band can squeeze in lots of hits, but sometimes the tempo is a little too frantic: it works for Cliff Richard’s debut Move It, but Son of a Preacher Man isn’t given the room it needs to raise goosebumps.
The group show versatility, with drummer Mike Keane swapping his kit for a cardboard box, bassist Joe Butcher strumming a double bass as happily as his guitar, and Rob Gathercole stepping out from behind the ivories to play washboard.
Guitarist Dan Criscuolo shares vocals with band leader Chris Weeks and guest singers Denver Cuss. Inevitably with such iconic songs their voices are more fitted to some tunes than others – Cuss is more Lulu than Springfield, for example – but they play tribute without falling into caricature.
It’s a snappy, toe-tapping trip through the period, interspersed with trivia about the artists, producers, and recording studios that made the hits possible. Great nostalgia for those who already love it, and a fun introduction for those hearing it for the first time.
- Rave On: The Ultimate 50s and 60s Experience is touring nationally, see https://www.raveontour.com/ for details.
