At the turn of the millennium presenter and book club advocate Richard Madeley featured twice in the top ten ‘TV Moments From Hell’. Undisputed number one was his impression of Staines Massive comedy character Ali G. At number 7 was an incident which those of us who are old enough to remember it found completely perplexing. For reasons that remain unclear an erstwhile mild mannered Welsh rock and roll star play attacked Madeley during an interview on the regional news show ‘Calendar’ (Ed – scroll to the bottom of this post to watch that little gem). For this alone some of us will always think more of him (see also Jarvis Cocker at The Brit Awards). Anyway, next May Shakin’ Stevens is coming to Blackpool so the time is coming to don ‘lipstick, powder and paint’ and enjoy some classic rock and roll and 1980s hits.
For those unfamiliar with him Michael Barrett, better known as Shaky or Shakin’ Stevens, is a performer of rock and roll and related genres who initially performed with The Sunsets but made it big as a solo artist. He has had four UK number ones including This Ole House, Green Door and Oh Julie, as well as 29 other Top 40 hits. If you are still relatively young you may be most familiar with him thanks to his ubiquitous festive hit; Merry Christmas Everyone has featured in the UK Top 40 every December since 2007. During the 1980s he spent more time in the UK singles chart than any other artist.
In his heyday Shakin’ Stevens was a purveyor of classic rock and roll covers. More recently he has changed direction and new album ‘Echoes Of Our Time’. Blues, roots and Americana take their place in what his own website describes as a surprising record, borne out of research into his family tree. The Opera House concert on May 5 next year will include his classic hits, tracks from the new album and some surprises.
Shakin’ Stevens said “I can’t wait to get back on the road, and introduce the songs from ‘Echoes Of Our Times’ to people who have seen me perform in the past, and those who have not.”
Tickets for the Blackpool leg of the 33 date national tour are now on sale available at www.ticketmaster.co.uk. The Friday night concert starts at 7pm, and ticket prices are from £24.75 to £38.50.
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