When Dr Hook met Skegness
- Posted on April 16, 2007 4:36 PM
- 2 comments
Dennis Locorriere Celebrates Dr Hook Hits And History
Embassy Theatre, Skegness
By Katie Spain
When I was asked to go to "Skeggy for a night of classic music" I had no idea what I was in for. I'd never heard of the place, and until a month ago, I thought 'Dr Hook' was a character out of Peter Pan - not a well known and much loved band.
In a bid to 'fit in with the new family', I played the role of dutiful girlfriend and agreed to accompany them. After all, I'm always up for the opportunity to enhance my geographic and musical knowledge. So, off to Skeggy and Dr Hook we went. I'm now a fan of one and have sworn off the other for life - can you guess which?
The trip began with a strong sense of anticipation. There's nothing like a trip towards the unknown. When I told people I was heading to "Skagness", they laughed. When I added Dr Hook to the equation, they nearly fainted. The only people who reacted with any hint of excitement where those on the wrinkle side of fifty. In which case, my revelation was met with "Oh my, you lucky thing!"
I must stress that Dr Hook is special to my potential in-laws. Their eldest son played 'Millionaire' at his wedding (it may even have been the bridal waltz... I'll get back to you on that one). My lad's dad plays their 'Best Of’ CD over and over again while his mum smiles when 'A Little Bit More' hits the stereo (must be all those sexy memories). My boyfriend is partial to 'Sleeping Late' (quite literally) and his sister groans in mock exasperation about them all… as did I - until I saw them live.
A trip to Skegness is an adventure at the best of times. When it's on the first decent hot day of the year and you're in the back of a convertible, it's even more of an achievement. Especially when you're passing through fields of yellow and the pollen count hits extreme. We arrived wind-whipped but in good spirits. I was expecting Brighton without the pebbles; I got Brighton without the pebbles, the cafes, or the 'vibe'. I couldn't help but wonder... just what type of people would be at this concert? I soon found out.
A high calorie dinner of deep fried starters and even deeper fried mains set the mood for the night. I was amazed they didn't batter the wine... they should have, it might have tasted better. My companions didn't flinch though - except to stress about arriving on time. Who arrives dead on time these days? Surely modern concerts don't start at 7.30pm on the dot. "But it says so on the ticket... no admission to late-comers!" Shock, horror... our resident 'stress pot' was right.
Why such an early start? The walking sticks, blue rinses and wrinkles gave us our first clue; the place was teeming with OAPs. I had to launch into impromptu 'freshly licked hanky' awareness mode. Death by Nanna spittle is not pretty.
Part of me wondered whether the oldies would surprise me by rocking harder than your average 'Astoria' mob. Unfortunately, the lack of pre-show movement in the entire front section soon stopped my imagination in its tracks. Despite a great support set, polite applause met each song and typical concert movement was non-existent. No head bobbing, no foot tapping, no swaying - nothing. Honestly, I've seen more action in a Sunday service. Who knows, I thought... "Maybe they're saving the energy for Dr Hook". It’s a good thing they did… because boy did they play - for a whole two hours.
It’s been twenty years since former band-member Dennis Locorriere treated us to what he does best – and although I didn’t live through the 70s, the concert made me wish I had. The inclusion of a number of songs written in collaboration with his renowned song writing friend, the late Shel Silverstein added an extra touch of magic. We were spellbound.
Of the Silverstein Tracks, Sylvia’s Mother is perhaps most widely known. ‘Wonderful Soup Stone’ however, hit a nerve for me. The songs tell a story and even as a relatively new fan, the entire set had me entranced. I can't say that for most groups of today... top of the ipod list or not.
We'd joked before arriving about yelling out requests; strangely enough, it was almost possible. Some people were so close to their idol they could touch him. The rest of us could quite easily chat to him between songs. And that we did. There was no doubt the crowd loved him... and still do. It's rare to see a first class band in an intimate venue these days. It is rarer still, to have a feeling of genuine interaction with a star. We didn't need to make a single request because the band played them all - and then some. We sang along to them all and stopped only when silenced by the woman in front of us. Behind us, a woman repeatedly elbowed her over-enthusiastic hubby "Shut up Allen!”
When the music is amazing and the memories are plentiful, it's hard not to vent excitement with a touch of foot-tapping and the odd lyric or two. The crew had obviously done an amazing job - the sound rang clear, the lights provided just enough understated atmosphere and when the band left the stage and Dennis launched into 'Cover of the Rolling Stone'. As he urged us to shed inhibitions and sing along, everyone obliged (except the woman in front of us). It was a pity... as Dennis said, there's nothing like spending the night regretting your silence.
Heckle of the night had to go to the woman further up on our row; "You got me flustered all those years ago darling!" Her comment summed it up really; for one night (in not-so-picturesque Skegness), we had the time of our lives. For me, a priceless memory was forged; for others, memories were re-visited. Dennis even stayed back to meet the fans and a venue full of fans went home smiling. Now that, is the way music should be.
Have you seen Dr Hook or Dennis Locorriere live? We want to hear about it. Please post your reviews, memories and random thoughts in our comment section.
Comments (2)
Mrs Angela Baldwin
I have seen Dennis Locorriere live each year since 2000 when he released his first solo CD 'Out of the Dark'. He has since released another "One of the Lucky Ones". These are the first two albums I have ever had where I have enjoyed all the tracks equally, on most records there is at least one which you could skip, but not with Dennis. The tracks are all different with different beat or emotion, I am a real fan of the man and his music. I must add, I also saw him live when he was part of "Dr. Hook".
Posted on April 30, 2007 3:29 PM
Maggie & Suzie
Hits and History was superb, when will we see you again. We live in Kent any chance of Leeds Castle???? We miss you xx
Posted on May 18, 2007 7:09 PM
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