A Night At The Opera for 10cc

Tuesday 5^TH May 2009

The announcement booms out asking everybody to take their seat, Val and I are tucked nicely in the stalls as Graham’s Guests for this show and we wait with anticipation...

“The Curtains Up and it’s time to do the show”

“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN WILL YOU

PLEASE WELCOME TO THE STAGE

MR GRAHAM GOULDMAN”

The Curtain lifts and on to the stage walks the lonely figure of Graham to be greeted by 4 bar stools, 4 Microphones and 4 Acoustic Guitars and an encouraging warm welcome from his home town fans.

After a brief introduction to old and new faces, we are then treated to a mini Acoustic showcase of Grahams song writing talents for various artists in the sixties, beginning with a solo performance of PAMELA, PAMELA, before announcing RICK FENN to the stage. The duo then perform HEART FULL OF SOUL. Each song brings with it a memory and Graham shares these with us creating a cosy and reflective atmosphere within the venue.

MICK WILSON makes up a trio and BUS STOP is performed superbly. Last but certainly not least Graham introduces KEITH HAYMAN as a replacement for MIKE STEVENS for this UK Tour, who orchestrates the wonderful backing vocals of NO MILK TODAY. Keith has a lovely aura around him and has a silent charisma which is underplayed. The local Manchester crowd were at this point somewhat confused and muted as to the schedule of this 10cc show which Graham sensed, and announced

“DON’T PANIC YOU WILL SEE US BACK LATER FOR THE FULL 10CC SET“.

The four then launch into LOOK THROUGH ANY WINDOW followed by FOR YOUR LOVE, exit Mick, Keith and Rick leaving Graham to conclude with a solo performance of LOVE’S NOT FOR ME…… Curtain down at 8pm, Lights up…..ice cream!

Refreshments out of the way, the audience settles again as the Son Of Man starts to bellow out over the P.A. lights fade, curtain up and WALL ST SHUFFLE reverberates through the army of large speakers that front both sides of the stage synchronised with a vast lightshow.

All the usual hits follow with enormous applause THINGS WE DO FOR LOVE, GOOD MORNING JUDGE, I’M MANDY FLY ME, DONNA, THE DEAN AND I, SILLY LOVE, ART FOR ART’S SAKE, before a sensitive version of OLD WILD MEN to the rocky rendition of THE SECOND SITTING FOR THE LAST SUPPER with one or two lyrics having to be changed to pacify the present times we all live in. Rick Fenn is soon hitting the perfect intro notes to FEEL THE BENEFIT 13 minutes of pure heaven……

A lot of Photographs for the tour souvenir programme were supplied by myself Dave Jarvis to Glen Dower at the tour promoters FLYING MUSIC and to Graham himself via Emma at Miracle Artists. Signed “To David Thanks for all you’ve done. Graham Gouldman 10cc”

WAX gets a reprise with BRIDGE TO YOUR HEART, a track which Graham tells the audience is a great favourite of all the boys in the band, although for Val the song lacked an edge without Andrew Gold on lead vocals .

Silence descended as Mick Wilson snared the audience with his truly captivating display of I’M NOT IN LOVE.

The show went too quick “MORE MORE MORE”

READY TO GO HOME was the first song of the finale but we were going nowhere …with bums still on seats Mick challenged the audience to get up and dance to the upbeat tempo of the final song of the night RUBBER BULLETS.

Backstage after the show, we mingled, before the band rushed off for their Chinese, but not before being dubbed affectionately as the old wild men of rock.

We then slowly made our way out of the Opera House and Val and I bumped into Merton Paul a close friend of Graham and his family, we had a lovely chat before the cold night Manchester air gripped us, which did not deter the awaiting gathering of fans at the stage door, hoping for a fleeting glimpse and maybe an autograph from the band.

Val and I then started to hunt the city streets to locate where I parked the bloody car……..

Valerie Aldred and Dave Jarvis