Unless you’re Taylor Swift or Oasis it’s not easy to sell gig tickets in the UK. The cost of living, rising ticket prices and a glut of bands on the road at the same time means it’s a challenge for to fill venues.
One sector bucking the trend is tribute acts, many of whom are selling out theatres up and down the country.
With Father Time catching up with the original legends of rock, audiences clearly hungry for nostalgia.
The Classic Rock Show, one of the best tribute acts on the circuit, rolled into Aberdeen on Wednesday night to celebrate a genre that just won’t die.
The Classic Rock Show at the Music Hall brought hits from all the greats
The Classic Rock Show is almost a live jukebox, delivering the greatest rock anthems of all time from the likes of Queen, Pink Floyd, The Who and Dire Straits.
This ambitious production delivers an 8-piece band with multiple vocalists, backed by an elaborate lighting setup and video displays that create an immersive backdrop for rock’s biggest songs.
It was a busy Music Hall full of rock fans who from the look of them came of age during the heyday of Led Zeppelin, Cream, and Fleetwood Mac.
You must be top musicians to deliver this material accurately and that’s what we got last night.
A band full of top musicians
When he’s not doing his best Robert Plant impression with The Classic Rock Show you’ll have heard Jesse Smith’s astonishing voice in the Strictly live band on Saturday nights.
American guitarist Pete Thorn has great pedigree too, having worked with the likes of Don Henley. His tasty soloing on a tribute to Jeff Beck really stood out.
Along with Jesse Smith, vocalists Rudy Cardenas and Jess Harwood were hugely impressive too, covering the insanely tough vocal range that these songs demand.
Harwood stepped forward for a terrific rendition of Heart’s Alone, and Rudy Cardena’s fun audience schtick helped to break up the night.
Rock music can be rather earnest. But there was some fun during the night, particularly when a woman from the audience was whisked onstage to dance with Jesse Smith during Dancing In The Dark.
This was a great value show too, with the band performing for close to three hours across two sets.
A long set and a grand finale
The energy certainly shifted after the break, as the band powered through the heavier hits and despite a few creaky knees the audience got out of their seats to rock.
The Music Hall’s echoey design is better suited to Mozart than Motorhead, but the sound crew did a good job of taming the acoustics for stellar version’s of AC/DC’s Hells Bells, the Guns N Roses belter Welcome To The Jungle and a full-length version of the epic “Bat Out Of Hell”.
The dinosaurs of rock that strode the world in the ‘70s are near extinction, but last night proved that time just won’t forget the music they made. Tremendous.
You can buy tickets for future Music Hall performances here.
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