Review: Alan Price, 'Night at the Flamingo' - Grand Opera House, York (From York Press)

Review: Alan Price, 'Night at the Flamingo' - Grand Opera House, York

12:03pm Wednesday 21st October 2009

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Alan Price transformed a night at the Opera House in York into a ‘Night at the Flamingo,’ the famous club that was to London what The Cavern Club was to Liverpool.

Joined by Zoot Money, Bobby Tench, Chris Farlowe and Maggie Bell, Price’s dry raconteur style was as engaging as his music.

The set opened with ‘Hear Me Crying’ – an early Animals song followed by ‘Black Magic Woman’ that enabled Tench to showcase the smooth and fluent tones of his guitar.

At times the show was more like an after-dinner speech punctuated by some great tunes as Price regaled his audience with witty anecdotes, all delivered in that familiar warm Geordie accent, reinforced by his infectious smile and big personality. The format begs comparison with his asynchronous counterpart Jools Holland. The latter is without question a great piano player and band leader, but Price arguably matched Holland in those departments, but surpasses him when it comes to singing and providing continuity through his effortless bonhomie.

It’s therefore unlikely anyone in the audience at York would object to this Geordie boy being given his own TV show… but they would probably insist on it being Sooner rather than Later!

The case for such a delight is only strengthened by the awesome rendition Zoot Money gave of ‘Please Stop The Wedding,' and when Price himself played and sang ‘House of the Rising Sun,' the piano solo was as recognisable as any signature tune, and stunning in it’s execution.

Well worth rediscovering…

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