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Picture
​The Bluejays - Rock n Roll Revolution
​Palace Theatre, Southend-on-Sea
SUNDAY 18TH FEB AT 8PM
The Bluejays quite literally rocked up to the Palace Theatre, Westcliff on Sunday 18th February and, on the very first date of their very first UK tour, certainly didn't take long to win over the Southend audience, which, from where I was sat in the stalls was packed full of eager rock 'n roll fans ready for a night of nostalgia.

The Bluejays are the winners of the National Vintage Award for Best Band and they kicked off a whopping 34 date tour around the UK with an impressive first night in Southend.  Don't, however, let the fact that they won a 'vintage' award make you believe that they are a bunch of ageing rockers, strutting out songs of days gone by; oh no, no....these guys are as young and good looking as the rock 'n roll legends they portray in this two hour tribute heralding the era where music would change the world for ever.   

The band take you on a musical journey through 1955 to 1959 and cover songs from artists such as Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, The Everly Brothers, Eddie Cochran and Little Richard, to name but a few.  As someone who actually wasn't around during that era, it was astounding to realise that I knew so many of the songs played during the evening:  Rock Around the Clock, the song which would launch the rock 'n roll revolution, Elvis's That's Alright, Johnny Cash's Fulsom Prison, Buddy Holly's That'll Be the Day,  and lots, lots more, making you appreciate just how much of an impact this music had not only the first time around but also for future generations.

Lead vocalist, Oliver Seymour Marsh fronts the band with Adam Martin on lead guitar, Chris Reid on bass, Dan Graham on drums and Matt Wycliff on piano - all of whom provide some excellent backing vocals and also get a chance to perform in their own right and in particular Matt Wycliff with Ray Charles' Mess Around  and notably some great drumming from Dan Graham in Wipeout The Surfaris classic.  Oliver Seymour Marsh does a fabulous job of completely encompassing the persona of every performer he portrays, showing the subtle characteristics of each singer.  He and the rest of the band provide some marvellous musicianship. 

Of course this era wasn't just about the excitement of this new music which would evolve from its black, country and gospel roots which would become relevant to a much wider audience of more middle classed, white, music lovers; it was about the emotions and messages that this type of music carried to its listeners.  Girls, in particular would find themselves swooning to the sounds of Pat Boone and Buddy Holly.  Female singers also came to the fore with the likes of Peggy Lee and Connie Francis and songs from these artistes were beautifully portrayed by Amelia Rendell with some lovely backing harmonies  from Louisa Beadel and Chloe Edwards Wood whose musical talents are also highlighted with their playing of the tenor and baritone sax.

Each member of the band also each take it in turn to provide a little bit of historic information and trivia throughout the course of the evening; such as discovering that Buddy Holly's That'll Be the Day was inspired by a line spoken by John Wayne in one of his movies.  Pre- show trivia from the screen above the stage also informed us that Elvis Presley had a pet turkey called Bow Tie.  Who knew?  One for the Quiz Night fans there.

There's also lots of humour to be had during the evening, not least with the ongoing attempt by the band to try and sell their CDs to the audience - even providing their own little jingle, stealing the How Much is That Doggy in the Window song and turning it into How Much is that CD in the Foyer!  Cheeky chaps!

I believe that the group consists of a number of musical theatre performers and I instantly recognised Matt Wycliffe from when he appeared at the Cliffs Pavilion in Million Dollar Quartet a couple of years ago.  Other members of the group have appeared in shows such as Buddy and Dreamboats and Petticoats and their musical theatre pedigree certainly shines through.  It's clearly a combination that works and there is obviously an audience out there who can't get enough of the sounds of the fifties.  The Southend audience couldn't wait to get up and start jitterbugging and jiving and were in their element with Cliff Richard's Young Ones, Wipeout and couldn't sit down with the Tutti Frutti, Hound Dog, La Bamba, Shake Rattle and Roll and See You Later Alligator medley.

Rounding the evening off with an encore of Chuck Berry's Johnny B Goode gave the audience no excuse to remain seated and, with the group also hanging around for photo opportunities, I daresay there were a fair few CDs sold in the foyer afterwards!
​
The tour continues.......for more information go to:  www.thebluejays.co.uk

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