ShareThe Flashback Festival at Thoresby Estate Nottinghamshire on Friday 19th August 2016
Images and Review by Kevin Cooper
Whilst you cannot rely upon the British weather, what you can rely upon is having a great time at the Flashback Festival at the delightful Thoresby Estate, as the crowd that braved the weather last night showed.
It was left to Clem Curtis, founder member of The Foundations, to start things off and he and his six piece band did not disappoint. Treating this wet but appreciative crowd to a trip down memory lane, he opened with Knock On Wood, with Baby Now That I’ve Found You quickly following. A member of one of the most successful but short lived soul outfits, he delivered such highlights as Ain’t No Stopping Us Now, You’re My First My Last My Everything before finishing his set with The Foundations 1968 hit, Build Me Up Buttercup.
Up next was Imagination with its only original member Leee John, whose outfits and outrageously sexy dance routines in the 1980’s had to be toned down before the BBC would let them on Top Of The Pops. The hits just flowed as In The Heat Of The Night was followed by In And Out Of Love and a mash up of Stir It Up, One Love and Exodus. Finishing with Body Talk and Just An Illusion, he had the crowd singing and dancing.
With tartan scarves being held aloft, the spirits of the crowd rose with the appearance of Les McKeown’s Bay City Rollers who were once more rocking to the Shang-A-Lang sound of the music. Showing that he is still the cocky heart throb who starred down from many of this crowds bedroom walls, he conducted a mass sing-along to the likes of Summer Love Sensation, Be My Baby and Give A Little Love.
Keeping the stage warm for headliner Lulu was the Earth Wind & Fire Experience featuring long time member, guitarist Al McKay. Along with twelve highly accomplished musicians they delivered such hits as September and Boogie Wonderland which were not simply a rehash of their glory days but a fresh spin on those oldies which absolutely delighted this crowd.
But it was the pint sized Glaswegian that stole the show as she opened her mouth and let that raspy voice rip on songs such as Relight My Fire and The Man Who Sold The World. Her sixties hit Shout really perked up the crowd as did a reggae tinged To Sir With Love. There were tracks from her latest album Making Life Rhyme with Faith In You being a fans favourite, and as she ran around the stage, her infectiousness made this crowd momentarily forget about the weather.
All too soon it had come to an end and this sodden crowd had to go home, at least so that they could dry out and do it all over again.
