REVIEW
✭✭✭✭✭ 5/5
SWEENEY ENTERTAINMENTS PRESENTS
present
T-REXTASY
The Palace Theatre, Southend-on-Sea – Sunday 1st December 8pm
✭✭✭✭✭ 5/5
SWEENEY ENTERTAINMENTS PRESENTS
present
T-REXTASY
The Palace Theatre, Southend-on-Sea – Sunday 1st December 8pm
T-Rextasy keep Marc Bolan’s music alive
It’s been over thirty years since Marc Bolan’s untimely death in a car crash in 1977, whilst at the top of his career. Since 1992, T-Rextasy, with lead singer DanielZ, has kept the flame alive. Appearing at the Palace Theatre, Westcliff, the band completed the last performance of a ten date acoustic tour. On this tour Marc’s songs have been reinterpreted to include arrangements for strings played by the Mavron String Quartet. The addition of strings to old hits seems to be the way of the world these days. Indeed Rod Stewart’s new album You’re in My Heart has done just this.
The performance, which was described as an intimate acoustic evening began with DanielZ, dressed like a Marc Bolan clone wearing an orange feather boa and green Loon trousers. The boa soon disappeared, and seated on a high stool he looked in danger of tipping forward, as he constantly reminded us, due to the steep rake of the stage. He worked his way through the T-Rex song book, initially without the strings, to a very respectful and quiet audience. Here he was accompanied only by Neil Cross on guitar, Rob Butterfield on bass guitar and John Skeeter crashing away on the drums. They all remained seated for this ‘intimate’ evening, which as the singer said, he wasn’t used to, as he liked to bop around at his ‘electric’ gigs.
They started with a rousing rendition of 20th Century Boy, followed by a less familiar B side of Sitting Here, which the singer said they rarely sang. This was followed by Marc’s 1972 release Solid Gold Easy Action, which we were told, was inspired by the Stones' Satisfaction and it was the anniversary of that hit for Marc.
There was no glitz, glam or glittery outfits on display, but the audience were obviously T Rex fans as they were softly singing along to the hits. In fact, DanielZ asked them to ‘rev’ up a bit for Life’s a Gas as it was the last date and Essex had a reputation for being ‘out there.’ Some wag in the audience called out that they were simply ‘listening.’
After a while the Mavron quartet arrived and the string arrangements started. Throughout the show there were songs from the albums, Futuristic Dragon, Bolan’s Zip Gun, Electric Warrior, Slider etc. with numbers such as Dawn Storm, Light of Love, and Ride a White Swan that DanielZ joked was kept from Number One because, ‘You lot,’ bought Clive Dunn’s Grandad. As the audience was certainly mature, he was probably right. He also sung London Boys, from the opera that Marc never finished.
Some of the diehard fans were calling out song titles when asked if they could guess what was coming i.e. Rabbit Fighter. The singer was friendly and relaxed and even had a short Q and A interlude, answering whether he thought he would have the success with the tribute band that he did. He was very humble and explained that when he started he would just do gigs in pubs. However, his success took off; he got a record deal, met stars such as David Bowie, Marc Almond etc. and even had a successful tour of Japan. He plays festivals although, he stated that for reasons that are the same as Brian May, he has refused to play at Glastonbury. It was all beyond his wildest dreams. The band were even asked if there were any songs they didn’t like and Neil Cross and DanielZ agreed they disliked Tame My Tiger, and the singer also added, Do I Love Thee, but didn’t explain why.
The performance, which was described as an intimate acoustic evening began with DanielZ, dressed like a Marc Bolan clone wearing an orange feather boa and green Loon trousers. The boa soon disappeared, and seated on a high stool he looked in danger of tipping forward, as he constantly reminded us, due to the steep rake of the stage. He worked his way through the T-Rex song book, initially without the strings, to a very respectful and quiet audience. Here he was accompanied only by Neil Cross on guitar, Rob Butterfield on bass guitar and John Skeeter crashing away on the drums. They all remained seated for this ‘intimate’ evening, which as the singer said, he wasn’t used to, as he liked to bop around at his ‘electric’ gigs.
They started with a rousing rendition of 20th Century Boy, followed by a less familiar B side of Sitting Here, which the singer said they rarely sang. This was followed by Marc’s 1972 release Solid Gold Easy Action, which we were told, was inspired by the Stones' Satisfaction and it was the anniversary of that hit for Marc.
There was no glitz, glam or glittery outfits on display, but the audience were obviously T Rex fans as they were softly singing along to the hits. In fact, DanielZ asked them to ‘rev’ up a bit for Life’s a Gas as it was the last date and Essex had a reputation for being ‘out there.’ Some wag in the audience called out that they were simply ‘listening.’
After a while the Mavron quartet arrived and the string arrangements started. Throughout the show there were songs from the albums, Futuristic Dragon, Bolan’s Zip Gun, Electric Warrior, Slider etc. with numbers such as Dawn Storm, Light of Love, and Ride a White Swan that DanielZ joked was kept from Number One because, ‘You lot,’ bought Clive Dunn’s Grandad. As the audience was certainly mature, he was probably right. He also sung London Boys, from the opera that Marc never finished.
Some of the diehard fans were calling out song titles when asked if they could guess what was coming i.e. Rabbit Fighter. The singer was friendly and relaxed and even had a short Q and A interlude, answering whether he thought he would have the success with the tribute band that he did. He was very humble and explained that when he started he would just do gigs in pubs. However, his success took off; he got a record deal, met stars such as David Bowie, Marc Almond etc. and even had a successful tour of Japan. He plays festivals although, he stated that for reasons that are the same as Brian May, he has refused to play at Glastonbury. It was all beyond his wildest dreams. The band were even asked if there were any songs they didn’t like and Neil Cross and DanielZ agreed they disliked Tame My Tiger, and the singer also added, Do I Love Thee, but didn’t explain why.
Song after song followed, which of course included the well-known ones such as Metal Guru and Telegram Sam, which, according to DanielZ, was written about Marc’s white powder dealer in L.A. The Mavron Quartet was particularly effective on Children of the Revolution.
In the second part of the show the audience became a little livelier. They began to sing along and jig around to the music, particularly for a rousing I Love to Boogie, Jeepster, and Get it On. There were even a few people dancing in the aisles. The string arrangements which for some of the earlier numbers were dominated by the guitars, became more prominent. In some instances they had a feel of ELO.
Looking back now at what was deemed Glam Rock in the past, mutated into Cosmic Rock, and Punk. Bands such as the Ramones and later the Damned, admitted being influenced by Marc Bolan and T Rex in ways that would not have been thought of when the artist was alive. As for T-Rextasy it is more than just a tribute band. The singer DanielZ is a serious artist with a powerful voice and a serious love of Bolan’s music, paying tribute to the singer, but bringing more to the songs than just that.
T.Rextasy are the only band to have been authorised and endorsed by Marc Bolan’s Catalogue Management, and are now officially recognised as the world’s No.1 group dedicated to the greatest glam rocker of them all.
Many members of the audience told me that they follow the band around and regularly come to the Palace to see them with their non-acoustic shows.
The band’s tour continues, without the Mavron Quartet, for their usual ‘electric’ gigs and will return to the Palace Theatre on 7 Feb 2020
Box office Tel. 01702 351 135 - https://southendtheatres.org.uk/
For the rest of the tour dates see http://www.trextasy.com/
Review- Jacquee Storozynski-Toll
In the second part of the show the audience became a little livelier. They began to sing along and jig around to the music, particularly for a rousing I Love to Boogie, Jeepster, and Get it On. There were even a few people dancing in the aisles. The string arrangements which for some of the earlier numbers were dominated by the guitars, became more prominent. In some instances they had a feel of ELO.
Looking back now at what was deemed Glam Rock in the past, mutated into Cosmic Rock, and Punk. Bands such as the Ramones and later the Damned, admitted being influenced by Marc Bolan and T Rex in ways that would not have been thought of when the artist was alive. As for T-Rextasy it is more than just a tribute band. The singer DanielZ is a serious artist with a powerful voice and a serious love of Bolan’s music, paying tribute to the singer, but bringing more to the songs than just that.
T.Rextasy are the only band to have been authorised and endorsed by Marc Bolan’s Catalogue Management, and are now officially recognised as the world’s No.1 group dedicated to the greatest glam rocker of them all.
Many members of the audience told me that they follow the band around and regularly come to the Palace to see them with their non-acoustic shows.
The band’s tour continues, without the Mavron Quartet, for their usual ‘electric’ gigs and will return to the Palace Theatre on 7 Feb 2020
Box office Tel. 01702 351 135 - https://southendtheatres.org.uk/
For the rest of the tour dates see http://www.trextasy.com/
Review- Jacquee Storozynski-Toll
T.Rextasy, presented by Sweeney Entertainments, return to venues across the UK with a brand new acoustic show, accompanied by the Mavron quartet. This special concert will transport audiences back to relive the good old days of the 1970’s.
Marc Bolan, with his band T.Rex, was one of the most flamboyant and charismatic stars of the original glam rock era. With Bolan's special ingredient of Rock-a-Boogie songs, the band had a string of huge hits throughout the 1970s including Love to Boogie, Telegram Sam, Jeepster and 20th Century Boy.
T.Rextasy have now been performing around the world for over 25 years, a career that ironically out lives Marc’s very own T.Rex. The band is now accepted as the world’s only official live tribute band dedicated to Marc Bolan & T.Rex, and the only band endorsed and approved by Marc Bolan’s family, estate, original ex-members of T.Rex, and Bolan’s catalogue management. The band has been described by many as ‘beyond the boundaries of tribute’.
T.Rextasy – The Acoustic Show will bring audiences the music of Marc Bolan and T.Rex as never seen, or heard before! For this specially created, totally acoustic interpretation of T.Rex, T.Rextasy will be accompanied by a string quartet.
Sweeney Entertainments, co-founded by Julie and Peter Sweeney, has been providing a wide repertoire of top-quality touring shows for theatre and corporate events for over eighteen years both in the UK and internationally and now boasts a repertoire of fourteen touring productions. The company saw its busiest year to date in 2018 and now has even more performances on offer, at a growing number of venues, and with the strongest audience figures to date. Julie said: “We are really excited to be presenting this intimate evening of classic T.Rex. This acoustic concert show, accompanied by a string quartet, will being a really special event! A must-see for lovers of the music of T.Rex.”
Danielz, lead vocalist and lead guitarist, said “I absolutely love playing the songs of T.Rex. It’s the actual buzz one gets of going on stage and giving the audience a live experience. Fans are coming to have a good time, and when I see people smiling and doing just that it makes it really worthwhile.”
This intimate evening features a range of classic Bolan songs and audience Q&As plus the band will be in the foyer for a meet and greet after the show! This will undoubtedly be a unique experience that shouldn’t be missed.
Marc Bolan, with his band T.Rex, was one of the most flamboyant and charismatic stars of the original glam rock era. With Bolan's special ingredient of Rock-a-Boogie songs, the band had a string of huge hits throughout the 1970s including Love to Boogie, Telegram Sam, Jeepster and 20th Century Boy.
T.Rextasy have now been performing around the world for over 25 years, a career that ironically out lives Marc’s very own T.Rex. The band is now accepted as the world’s only official live tribute band dedicated to Marc Bolan & T.Rex, and the only band endorsed and approved by Marc Bolan’s family, estate, original ex-members of T.Rex, and Bolan’s catalogue management. The band has been described by many as ‘beyond the boundaries of tribute’.
T.Rextasy – The Acoustic Show will bring audiences the music of Marc Bolan and T.Rex as never seen, or heard before! For this specially created, totally acoustic interpretation of T.Rex, T.Rextasy will be accompanied by a string quartet.
Sweeney Entertainments, co-founded by Julie and Peter Sweeney, has been providing a wide repertoire of top-quality touring shows for theatre and corporate events for over eighteen years both in the UK and internationally and now boasts a repertoire of fourteen touring productions. The company saw its busiest year to date in 2018 and now has even more performances on offer, at a growing number of venues, and with the strongest audience figures to date. Julie said: “We are really excited to be presenting this intimate evening of classic T.Rex. This acoustic concert show, accompanied by a string quartet, will being a really special event! A must-see for lovers of the music of T.Rex.”
Danielz, lead vocalist and lead guitarist, said “I absolutely love playing the songs of T.Rex. It’s the actual buzz one gets of going on stage and giving the audience a live experience. Fans are coming to have a good time, and when I see people smiling and doing just that it makes it really worthwhile.”
This intimate evening features a range of classic Bolan songs and audience Q&As plus the band will be in the foyer for a meet and greet after the show! This will undoubtedly be a unique experience that shouldn’t be missed.
Q & A WITH DANIELZ
Lead vocalist and lead guitarist for T.Rextasy
Lead vocalist and lead guitarist for T.Rextasy
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WHY DID YOU FORM T.REXTASY?
“In 1992 I was an original musician who was promised recording deals from various companies, always let down at the last hurdle. I decided to then to form T.Rextasy, to go out playing the music of Marc Bolan – an artist that I had always loved while growing up through my teens and older. As Marc died in 1977, I wanted people to experience the energy, excitement, and the wonderful songs and performance that he gave – always 100%. It was this that drove me to push the band as far as I could.” DID YOU EVER SEE MARC BOLAN/T.REX LIVE, AND IF SO, HOW DID IT COMPARE TO YOUR CONCERTS? “Yes, I saw Marc/T.Rex four times, twice in Germany, in 1972 and 1973 (my dad was in the Forces, so my family was based there for a few years), and then twice in England, in 1976 and 1977. Marc’s concerts were crazy – fans screaming and dancing, singing and shouting. They most certainly were not a serene affair. I try and re-create at least an atmosphere of those times, albeit at some venues times have changed and acting in that way is frowned upon! However, I do try to encourage fans to get involved with the gig as much as possible, as it’s a rock’n’roll gig after all. My costumes are based on Marc’s originals, and as I own some of his original clothing, I have been able to get some things made very close to them. We play, as Marc did, 100% live, raw, and raunchy, just how T.Rex would’ve been back in the day – this is what makes the experience exciting." |
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"A few years ago, we even had an original member, Dino Dines (Marc’s keyboardist) join the band, until his demise. I think having original members join a tribute band says a lot for our credibility and us as a live unit, not to mention receiving endorsements from Marc’s own family, and his record company.”
TELL US A LITTLE MORE ABOUT YOUR BAND MEMBERS?
“Well, there’s me, Danielz – I take on lead vocals and lead guitar. Neil Cross, who plays rhythm guitar and does backing vocals, Rob Butterfield who plays bass guitar and does backing vocals, and John Skelton who plays drums and percussion. I’m very fortunate with my musicians as they are skilful and loyal and love playing the music.”
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO CREATE THIS ACOUSTIC SHOW?
“Julie Sweeney from Sweeney Entertainments approached me with a fantastic idea for a new show. ‘Acoustics with a String Quartet’ would add another dimension to the tracks and give fans an alternate way to listen to them. Most of Marc’s songs were written on acoustic guitar anyway, so it’ll give a pure indication as to their originality.”
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT PERFORMING ACOUSTICALLY? “Performing acoustically gives a more personal and one to one feeling with the audience. It also enables one to take things a little easier and chill with the crowd. They feel as if they can call out and join in a little more too.”
“Well, there’s me, Danielz – I take on lead vocals and lead guitar. Neil Cross, who plays rhythm guitar and does backing vocals, Rob Butterfield who plays bass guitar and does backing vocals, and John Skelton who plays drums and percussion. I’m very fortunate with my musicians as they are skilful and loyal and love playing the music.”
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO CREATE THIS ACOUSTIC SHOW?
“Julie Sweeney from Sweeney Entertainments approached me with a fantastic idea for a new show. ‘Acoustics with a String Quartet’ would add another dimension to the tracks and give fans an alternate way to listen to them. Most of Marc’s songs were written on acoustic guitar anyway, so it’ll give a pure indication as to their originality.”
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT PERFORMING ACOUSTICALLY? “Performing acoustically gives a more personal and one to one feeling with the audience. It also enables one to take things a little easier and chill with the crowd. They feel as if they can call out and join in a little more too.”
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HOW WILL YOU APPROACH THIS PRODUCTION DIFFERENTLY TO YOUR USUAL T.REXTASY CONCERTS?
“My approach with these gigs will be one of a more settled and relaxed appearance, as we’ll be sitting down as one with the audience. I’ll answer questions some may want to ask, whether they be about T.Rex or T.Rextasy.” WHAT SHOULD THE AUDIENCE EXPECT TO SEE? “The audience should expect a ‘more relaxed Danielz’ and the odd song that they wouldn’t get from our usual electric gigs.” WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SONG TO PERFORM FROM THIS SHOW? “I don’t have a fave song to perform as I enjoy them all, since it was me who chose the set list. I guess playing acoustic, I would favour the more ballad-like numbers, as they have so much feeling.” HOW DIFFERENT DO YOU FIND IT PERFORMING WITH THE STRING QUARTET? “Although playing acoustic is much more relaxing, one has to concentrate a lot when playing with a string quartet as they go by their notes and what’s written down, so really, it’s difficult to reel off on a tangent, like I can with my band - it’s much more ‘by the book’ with strings, so beginnings and endings especially have to be well rehearsed! It’ll be a challenge, but an enjoyable one.” |
Tickets from: www.southendtheatres.org.uk Box Office: 01702 351135