Mike + The Mechanics performing their Word Of Mouth Tour at The Royal Concert Hall Nottingham on Friday 24th February 2017
Images and Review by Kevin Cooper
Mike + The Mechanics, founder Genesis member Mike Rutherford’s side project, is still going strong as their performance before a capacity Royal Concert Hall showed last night.
Despite the sad loss of singer Paul Young in 2000 and fellow Mechanics vocalist Paul Carrack’s decision to concentrate on a solo career in 2004, they left big boots to fill in the lead vocalist department. But filled they have been by two front men who have an incredible chemistry on stage, each man emphasising a different element of The Mechanics’ sound, from the exuberant anthemic power pop of Canadian singer Tim Howar to the really moving soulfulness of the delightful Andrew Roachford.
With an album to promote which is not yet available, it was new song Are You Ready that began the proceedings with Howar on lead. With its rousing chorus, the crowd were immediately onside as he bounded around the stage much to the amusement of his band mates and overlooked by Mike Rutherford on headmaster duties.
There were other new tracks such as Save The World, Wonder and album title track Let Me Fly which were all well received as though they were Mechanics’ songs which we have been singing along to for years. There was a brilliant Land Of Confusion from Rutherford’s Genesis days but a real highlight was Roachford’s massive hit Cuddly Toy which had everyone up on their feet. And just when you thought that it could not get any better, Howar belted out I Can’t Dance and the crowd went wild.
Finishing with The Mechanics’ oldies Over My Shoulder, All I Need Is A Miracle and for the encore, The Living Years and Word Of Mouth which just served to show just how great a find Howar is.
With a set that lasted nearly two hours, this crowd wanted more, and that was the only thing that Mike + The Mechanics could fix. The best concert of the year so far and with Paul Carrack coming to the same venue next week, they will be a hard act to follow.