LondonNet Gig Preview
Once In A Lifetime (David Cassidy, David Essex, The Osmonds, Bay
City Rollers)
25/06/05,
7:30pm
Wembley Pavilion
Wembley Stadium Complex
Empire Way
London HA9 0DW
Tube: Wembley Park
UKP44
Not But Twice
Resurrection of the biggest 70's pop idols makes for a once
- okay, twice in a lifetime musical experience.
It should be sensory overload met by a fury of more aged screams
as a horde of 70's teen heartthrobs invade Wembley Pavilion in June.
It'll be difficult to believe that the clock hasn't been turned
back thirty years as many of the faces who filled television screens
and made teenage girls scream in their bell-bottoms return to rekindle
that passion on a grandiose package tour.
David Cassidy first endeared himself to American and UK audiences
on TV, as "Keith Partridge", a member of the traveling
family rock n' roll band, the Partridge Family. He was able to survive
the unraveling of that show to have a successful solo career as
a pop-singing heartthrob. More impressively he was able to survive
career purgatory and return to prominence with a little help from
Las Vegas and VH1 in the late 90's.
The tour's English David, David Essex, resonated much stronger
in his native land. He outstripped his tour mates in critical success
and respect and nearly equaled them in commercial success. He made
the most of his stardom, using his talent to become a crossover
success in both stage and screen and prominently contributing to
charitable efforts in Africa. With this year seeing the re-release
of many of his 70's albums, Essex has returned to his roots.
Like all of the 70's teen idols, the Osmonds made their mark on
TV. Forming before the Partridge Family, as well as not being fictional
band, the Osmonds nonetheless followed their lead in a sense, with
a series of television appearances on the Andy Williams Show and
similar venues skyrocketing them to fame. Donny and Marie have met
the most solo success since the group disbanded, but the rest of
siblings met with moderate prominence playing country as the Osmond
Brothers.
Edinburgh's the Bay City Rollers shared a similar fate to their
counterparts. For a few years between the twilight of glam rock
and the dawn of punk, the Bay City Rollers almost achieved world
domination. The tartan-wearing quintet collectively made teenage
girls worldwide swoon with such massive, tuneful pop-rock hits such
as "Saturday Night" and "Bye Bye Baby" (a cover
of the Four Seasons hit) for a few turbulent years in the mid-70's.
At their height, hordes of screaming fans reached Beatle mania levels.
By the end of the decade, personal tensions and the creative drain
that followed caused them to burn out rather than fade away - only
to return two decades later on this large-scale tour package.
This should be a good, albeit a second, "once in a lifetime"
chance for those who loved the 70's teen idols the first time around
to relive their youth.
Steve Marshall
Tickets also on sale for Birmingham, Brighton, Manchester,
Newcastle & Nottingham.
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