ShareThe Osmond Brothers performing their Up Close and Personal Tour at The Royal Concert Hall Nottingham on Thursday 25th September 2014
Images and Review by Kevin Cooper
Up close and personal was the name of the latest Osmond Brothers tour and tonight at the Royal Concert Hall they certainly lived up to it. The trio of Merrill, Jay and the now not so little Jimmy, were greeted by a standing ovation as they showed why they are still in the business after over five decades of entertaining their adoring fans.
Starting the show was a nostalgic trip through their back catalogue with the help of vintage film footage showing the brothers singing close harmony barbershop as pre-teens on the Andy Williams Show. Then straight after, showing that they still have all the boy band moves, it was a real treat to hear Get Ready, Down By The Lazy River and We’re Having A Party.
All of their hits were there; Let Me In, The Proud One, One Bad Apple and Save Me. The brothers were impressive back then and even more so tonight as they launched into an a cappella rendition of the first song they ever performed on TV; The Auctioneer. The songs flowed so easily; there was I Can’t Live A Dream, a beautiful version of the song made famous by The Batchelors, I Believe, during which you could have heard a pin drop in the auditorium, and a grown up version of Long Haired Lover From Liverpool which sounded very bluesy.
Of course no performance from The Osmonds would be complete without the obligatory Puppy Love and Paper Roses, but at this concert it was the audience who did all of the serenading, with the brothers standing by looking absolutely delighted.
There were also some great songs from their new CD, Can’t Get There Without You, and family members were not forgotten as film footage of them was the back drop when the trio sang Remember Me, a great track from the album.
What followed was a medley of songs where the theme was brothers, such as Long Train Runnin’ by The Doobie Brothers, The Blues Brothers’ Soulman, The Everley Brothers’ Bye Bye Love and the Righteous Brothers, You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling. Finishing with He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother the entire audience were brought to its feet in appreciation.
Before finishing the set with Love Me For A Reason, the backdrop was illuminated with pictures of The Osmonds with Andy Williams, their mentor and lifelong close friend, as this trio paid their own tribute with a moving rendition of Moon River.
There is a reason why they have been in the business so long, and tonight they showcased just what that was. They were professional from start to finish and they gave the crowd exactly what they wanted – pure nostalgia. Their voices were pitch perfect and the harmonies were delightful. They are the consummate performers as they spread more than a little magic amongst their fans with their enthusiasm and genuine warmth.
Encoring with my personal favourite Crazy Horses, they showed just why they have sold over 100 million records worldwide. They made it look so easy. For me, the atmosphere was fantastic; the audience had been on their feet for most of the evening and it was a great celebration of an amazing family who epitomise show business at its very best. I hope that they do tour again because I will be one of the first in the queue to buy a ticket.