REVIEW
THE BILLY JOEL SONGBOOK
PERFORMED BY ELIO PACE
AND HIS BAND
Palace Theatre, Westcliff on Sea
19th September 2018
✭✭✭✭✭ 5/5
THE BILLY JOEL SONGBOOK
PERFORMED BY ELIO PACE
AND HIS BAND
Palace Theatre, Westcliff on Sea
19th September 2018
✭✭✭✭✭ 5/5
There's a moment not long before the end of the evening, where Elio Pace stands atop his piano and teetering on the edge of it, makes out to do a backward flip on to the stage below. The audience gasp in anticipation - but he’s just teasing us. As he sensibly jumps down sans flip, he smiles, “You didn't really think you’d be getting me doing a backflip for your twenty seven quid did you?” To be honest it wouldn't have surprised me.
What you do get for your twenty seven quid is what must be one of the most hardworking acts currently on the circuit. The Billy Joel Songbook performed by Elio Pace and his super talented band played the Palace Theatre, Westcliff on Sea to an audience of over 400 last night, some of which, according to Elio, have seen his show over 30 times. There’s no doubt that there is a huge popularity for Joel’s music today and Pace has certainly cornered the market with this first rate tribute act.
Pace doesn’t pretend to be Joel but plays piano and sings his songs as pretty good as you’re ever going to get. Testament to this is the fact that Joel’s original band members from his very first tour asked Elio to front their reunion gig at New York’s oldest rock and roll club, The Bitter End, when Joel declined the invite. This, as Elio tells us, was more than a dream come true for him. Pace has been a fan of Billy Joel for over 30 years after being introduced to the Innocent Man album; so getting to perform Joel’s songs at the club where the likes of Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Neil Diamond and Jackson Browne, to name but a few, have performed, was a joy in itself.
Elio’s enthusiasm for his singer-songwriting hero is infectious and those members of the audience who may not be die-hard Joel fans, will certainly come away with a wealth of knowledge about the man whose songs were all about the music. Pace tells us that Joel began his musical life as a classically trained pianist and how he sees him as a composer who fell in love with rock and roll at a time when he became aware of the Beatles who stormed into the USA in the sixties.
Pace too, is clearly an accomplished pianist and throughout the evening takes us through over 30 of Joel’s back catalogue. It’s at this point that you come to realise just how many of Billy Joel’s songs you know as he covers almost every hit from My Life, Longest Time, Leningrad, New York State of Mind, Allentown, Scenes From An Italian Restaurant, Innocent Man, Just the Way You Are, River of Dreams, Tell Her About It and Piano Man, Uptown Girl and lots, lots more.
Pace’s energy, enthusiasm and knowledge for Billy Joel and his work is boundless and he has a superb band to back him. With the sound of the saxophone integral to so many of Joel’s songs, 29 year old Luke Pinkstone displays fabulous musicianship and keeps up with Pace’s piano playing licks beautifully. Equally as talented are Mikey Ciancio on Drums, Matthew Newton on Keys, Chris Pearson on Bass and Tom Wright who plays guitar like a demon and at the age of just 23 is certain to go on to bigger and better things.
The other thing that you come to appreciate with this show is just how eclectic Joel’s music is covering jazz, soul, pop, rock yet always with the classical undertones that were primarily his first love, this show is an opportunity to learn and appreciate just how great a composer of music the 69 year old, New York born singer-songwriter really is.
Elio Pace and his band kept the Palace Theatre audience entertained for almost 3 and a half hours last night and for my mind, it was worth every penny of that twenty seven quid! Don't miss the chance to see Elio and his band this year before they go on to other ventures.
Review: Kim Tobin
More info on Elio Pace click here
What you do get for your twenty seven quid is what must be one of the most hardworking acts currently on the circuit. The Billy Joel Songbook performed by Elio Pace and his super talented band played the Palace Theatre, Westcliff on Sea to an audience of over 400 last night, some of which, according to Elio, have seen his show over 30 times. There’s no doubt that there is a huge popularity for Joel’s music today and Pace has certainly cornered the market with this first rate tribute act.
Pace doesn’t pretend to be Joel but plays piano and sings his songs as pretty good as you’re ever going to get. Testament to this is the fact that Joel’s original band members from his very first tour asked Elio to front their reunion gig at New York’s oldest rock and roll club, The Bitter End, when Joel declined the invite. This, as Elio tells us, was more than a dream come true for him. Pace has been a fan of Billy Joel for over 30 years after being introduced to the Innocent Man album; so getting to perform Joel’s songs at the club where the likes of Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Neil Diamond and Jackson Browne, to name but a few, have performed, was a joy in itself.
Elio’s enthusiasm for his singer-songwriting hero is infectious and those members of the audience who may not be die-hard Joel fans, will certainly come away with a wealth of knowledge about the man whose songs were all about the music. Pace tells us that Joel began his musical life as a classically trained pianist and how he sees him as a composer who fell in love with rock and roll at a time when he became aware of the Beatles who stormed into the USA in the sixties.
Pace too, is clearly an accomplished pianist and throughout the evening takes us through over 30 of Joel’s back catalogue. It’s at this point that you come to realise just how many of Billy Joel’s songs you know as he covers almost every hit from My Life, Longest Time, Leningrad, New York State of Mind, Allentown, Scenes From An Italian Restaurant, Innocent Man, Just the Way You Are, River of Dreams, Tell Her About It and Piano Man, Uptown Girl and lots, lots more.
Pace’s energy, enthusiasm and knowledge for Billy Joel and his work is boundless and he has a superb band to back him. With the sound of the saxophone integral to so many of Joel’s songs, 29 year old Luke Pinkstone displays fabulous musicianship and keeps up with Pace’s piano playing licks beautifully. Equally as talented are Mikey Ciancio on Drums, Matthew Newton on Keys, Chris Pearson on Bass and Tom Wright who plays guitar like a demon and at the age of just 23 is certain to go on to bigger and better things.
The other thing that you come to appreciate with this show is just how eclectic Joel’s music is covering jazz, soul, pop, rock yet always with the classical undertones that were primarily his first love, this show is an opportunity to learn and appreciate just how great a composer of music the 69 year old, New York born singer-songwriter really is.
Elio Pace and his band kept the Palace Theatre audience entertained for almost 3 and a half hours last night and for my mind, it was worth every penny of that twenty seven quid! Don't miss the chance to see Elio and his band this year before they go on to other ventures.
Review: Kim Tobin
More info on Elio Pace click here
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