Solid Silver Sixties review - St David's Hall, Cardiff

Lined up like a play-stack turntable no less than four legendary acts took the St David's Hall audience back to the swinging sixties on Thursday evening. Wayne Fontana, Dave Berry, The Merseybeats and former Searcher Mike Pender may all be celebrating a half-century performing popular music but all are undoubtedly still at the top of their game when playing to a large audience.

60s revivalists New Amen Corner got the show off the ground recreating the brassy sounds of the original Amen Corner’s Bend Me, Shape Me and The Equals Baby Come Back. They also provided backing to Wayne Fontana who performed an entertaining and humorous set which included his signature classics The Game of Love and Um Um Um Um.

Then it was the turn of The Merseybeats fronted by formative members Tony Crane and Billy Kinsey moving the audience out of their chairs with powerhouse performances of Wishin' and Hopin' and Sorrow. Ending the first set with Jeff Beck’s Hi Ho Silver Lining, one wondered how this show could get any better. But it did.

While the legendary Dave Berry unleashed his own unique "strange effect” on the audience with classics such as The Crying Game and Little Things, Mike Pender similarly brought back fabulous memories of classic Searchers hits including Sweets for My Sweet and Needles and Pins. With over three hours worth of classic hits performed its clear good music can last forever, lets hope its not too long before we see these guys back in Wales again!

~Andy Howells