‘Bop Til we Drop’ is the name of our new show for the 07 tour
and the show has a load of new features. By the time you walk out of the theatre
you would have heard Rock and Roll, Blues, Soul, and a slice of country all
filled with the usual harmony plus the fun the show always offers the Barron
Knights legion of followers.
A few very funny anecdotes that’s happened in the last 46 years will
be mentioned and when you consider the Barron Knights toured with the Beatles
and the Rolling Stones plus 28 world tours there must be a few moments of
madness that folks may like to hear about.
Last year the guitarists playing the ‘William Tell Overture’ was
a very popular addition so that will be repeated in ‘Bop Til We Drop’
but the very short Flamenco piece ‘Malaguena’ that Pete played
in 06 will now be a big feature as it has become one of the most requested
parts of the show.
New member Len Crawley is not new to us. He has been a mate for as long as
the band has been formed and has always wanted to join the band so now Butch
has hung up his guitar we needed a great player and musician so Len was the
man to take over.
Call Up the Groups and all the other big hits will be sung as well as songs
about ‘Camilla’, ‘viagra’, ‘Having senior moments’,
etc.
The Barron Knights have sung at Buckingham Palace, performed over 300 times
at the London Palladium. 14 World wide hit records to their credit and still
they ‘Bop Til they drop’
Barron Knights are. Pete Langford, Lloyd Courtenay, Mick Groom, Len Crawley.
More information on the Barron Knights is available on the website if you click the ‘HISTORY’ icon.
Contact: Pete Langford 01525 210071 / Mob.07860 635593
The following was a review of the Barron Knights/Fortunes show in "The Beat" by Ralph Gowling
REVIEWBEAT:
Wycombe Swan, May 26
By Ralph Gowling
The Barron Knights and The For tunes triggered near anarchy
at the Wycombe Swan. Fortunately it did not require any intervention from
the police station next door. No, this was the kind of anarchy most artists
would love to see from an audience because it is about the biggest thumbs
up you can get for a show. Despite being a regular concert-goer, I have not
witnessed anything like this for years. The Barron Knights and The Fortunes
had powered their way through several numbers to close the show, bowed and
waved to a standing ovation, and trooped off clearly thinking the night's
action was over. The lights went on throughout the auditorium in the usual
signal that it was time for the audience to go home. But most of them stayed
on, clapped and kept calling out: "More, more". Nothing new there.
Many audiences do it, but quickly give up when they realise the lights are
going to remain on and that the artists won't be coming back on stage. This
time though the crowd stayed and stayed. Several minutes went by and one or
two people gave up and made for the door. Then to wild applause a clearly
bemused Pete Langford, The Barron Knights' front man, re-appeared and announced
he would look for the rest of the artists. They came back to more applause,
some having already changed out of their stage gear into something more casual
for the drive home. A spot of consultation was needed on
stage before all eight artists launched into some dance, clap and sing along
Chuck Berry material, with Pete still able to find the energy to do the American
rock 'n' roller's famed "duck walk".
The show is a slimmed down version of the highly successful Call Up The Groups concert that has been on the road for several years now. But Call Up The Groups 2 is only slimmed down in terms of the number of artists on stage because The Tremeloes and Marmalade are absent. It brims over with music and humour and clearly had the seal of approval from the Wycombe Swan audience.
The Barron Knights and The Fortunes opened the concert with The Beach Boys number one "Do It Again", bringing some much needed Californian sunshine on yet another rainsoaked day in May.
The Barron Knights - down to four members in Pete, fellow
original Butch Baker, Micky Groome and Lloyd Courtenay because Duke D'Mond
remains sidelined by health problems - took over for most of the first half.
This seemed a nice touch by the Barron Knights, regarded by the other Call
Up The Groups bands as "The Guv'nors", because it effectively gave
The Fortunes the head-
line spot in the second half. Clearly no egos here. Just a happy team. The
Barron Knights inevitably had the audience in stitches with some of their
antics and their clever and humorous play on words in songs, but they also
showed what fine harmony singers they are with an Everly Brothers medley.
Butch's facial expressions are enough to get an audience laughing without
him even opening his mouth. Unaccompanied, he treated the crowd to his hilarious
impressions of a traditional pub folk
singer. You don't need accompaniment with a genuinely funny man like this.
One standout number the Barron Knights have reworked to inject their humour
is David Bowie's "Space Oddity".
After the interval The Fortunes showed why many of their
peers hail them as the most polished 60s act on the circuit with their immaculate
harmonies and musicianship. Pete introduced them by quoting Sir Paul McCartney
as saying: "The voice of the 60s was Rod Allen from The Fortunes."
Judging by the length of the applause, a highlight was Rod's powerful interpretation
of "From A Distance", a
song with stirring words and wonderful highs and lows.
The Fortunes - Rod, Michael Smitham, Paul Hooper and Bob
Jackson – reeled off their hits from the 60s and 70s, including "Here
It Comes Again", "Freedom Come, Freedom Go" and "Storm
In A Teacup". It might have been a rainy day outside but the group's
"Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling Again" - a big hit in the United
States - still went down well with the audience. Bob's one-time presence in
Badfinger gives The Fortunes a chance to showcase his vocal prowess on "No
Matter What" and "Without You". The Fortunes closed with the
song that started it all off for them, "You've Got Your Troubles",
and then the Barron Knights joined them on stage for the finale numbers. Pete
and Butch linked up with Fortunes lead guitarist Michael for a frantic romp
through the "William Tell Overture" and Rod produced a soaring "The
Wonder Of You" with a little help from the two
Barron Knights.
Sizzling stuff to end a show but so sizzling it brought that
bout of crowd anarchy to the Wycombe Swan.
ps - the following was a write-up in Encore magazine
