By IAN BROWN
Ahhh 1967 and 1969, two great years in the 60s for a proliferation
of unsurpassable singles by the likes of The Love Affair...The Move…The
Herd...Small Faces...Union Gap...Moody Blues…Pink Floyd and Amen Corner.
Fast forward to 14 September 2007 and the intimacy of the Boom Boom Club where
the 'New Amen Corner' delivered two magnificent hour-long sets reprising the
best of those two years and a smattering from 1968 for good measure.
Although no original members of Amen Corner are present, links to that seminal
60s band are there. The seven-piece NAM feature the powerful vocals of Glen
Leon, the brass section of Frogman Curtis and Pee Wee Fenton and the all important
Hammond of Mike Lavender providing the bedrock and kaleidoscopic imagery of
those hazy summers' of love. Featuring new guitarist, Will Hicks, who seemed
more at ease as the evening progressed, the band covered 30 songs in total.
Everlasting Love, Young Girl, Out Of Time, Nights In White Satin, See Emily
Play, Summer In The City, Let's Go To San Francisco, With A Little Help From
My Friends, Flowers In The Rain, Small Faces melody, California Dreaming, Mighty
Quinn, plus a selection of Amen Corner hits were just some that featured, and,
as a second encore, a storming version of Sam & Dave's 'Hold On, I'm Comin',
that both encouraged synchronised swaying and hearty communal singing!!!
A certain promoter had been urging me to see this band for some time having
extolled their virtues as one of the great tribute bands to the sixties. You
know what? He wasn't wrong!! They are back in Sutton at the Boom Boom on 29
December; go see them!!!