Thursday 29 October 2009

The Final Reunion-Win tickets to win tickets and DVD for Cliff Richard And The Shadows


IF YOU didn't manage to get tickets for the sell out Cliff Richard & The Shadows tour then this could be the next best thing.
At London's O2 Arena their performance last month was filmed live, and the Odeon in Festival Park is giving fans a opportunity to soak up the atmosphere with a particular viewing of the show on Thursday next week.
Cliff Richard first recorded and performed with The Shadows in 1959. Exactly 50 years later and 20 years since they last performed together in concert, they're together for this final national tour so this could be your only opportunity to look these music storys take to the stage together.
The exclusive screening will give local Cliff Richard & The Shadows fans the chance to enjoy all their favourite hits including Living Doll, The Young Ones, Apache and Bachelor Boy in stunning audio and visual quality.
Rachel Brown, general manager at the Odeon Stoke says: "With new technology we can now provide local cinemagoers with a complete range of screenings to suit all tastes – everything from music concerts to football.
"We're looking forward to welcoming Cliff Richard & The Shadows fans through our doors to enjoy a truly unique music experience."
For further information or ticket booking call the filmline on 0871 22 44 007 or head to the Festival Park Odeon Box Office. Cliff Richard and The Shadows, The Final Reunion will also be released on DVD from November 9 priced £19.56.
The Sentinel has teamed up with the Odeon to offer five lucky readers the opportunity to win a pair of tickets AND a Cliff Richard and The Shadows, The Final Reunion DVD.

Monday 26 October 2009

curry house's praises, Cliff sings


Sir Cliff Richard and Hank Marvin. They have visited a Tyneside Indian restaurant following a Shadows reunion show.
Sir Cliff and guitarist Marvin popped into Raval Restaurant on Newcastle Gateshead Quayside after their show at the Newcastle Arena.
Sir Cliff, who was born in India, ate the Lucknow rogan josh - a dish typical to the area where he once lived.
The restaurant's owners said Sir Cliff told them it was the good he had tasted.
Manager Avi Malik said it was particular to get such praise from someone who knew so much about Indian cuisine.
Mr Malik said: "Sir Cliff said he eats in places all over the world but our Indian food was real Indian food, the best he had ever tasted, and it was a treat to be here."
Sir Cliff and Hank Marvin also tucked into lobster and mango, and dehi bela - lentil "doughnuts" in yoghurt and coriander.
The two were invited to look around the kitchen to watch food being prepared.
Hank Marvin, who is originally from Newcastle, but now lives in Australia, spoke to staff about the positive changes that had taken place in his home town.

Thursday 22 October 2009

Doing it by rote, Cliff Richard returns


Pop star Cliff Richard, it appeared like a good idea to catch Britain's evergreens he kicked off his big 50th anniversary reunion tour with his original band the Shadows, who went separate ways 20 years ago. But as Simone Signoret famously said, nostalgia ain't what it used to be.
I was a kid in England when Richard was among the crop of embarrassing British singers trying their best to emulate Elvis, Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran and the rest. With names like Billy Fury, Marty Wilde and Vince Eager, they gyrated onto the BBC with lame cover versions of U.S. hits and rinky dink originals from London's fiercely anti rock Tin Pan Alley.
Richard and the Shadows at least wrote their own material, but hearing it all repeated with soulless efficiency in their O2 Arena concert Monday brought back those dog days when Elvis seemed so far away and the Beatles, Kinks and Stones hadn't arrived yet.
Extremely well preserved physically, Richard and the two leading Shadows, Hank Marvin and Bruce Welch, looked immaculate in their polished attire and did their unctuous best to please, but resembled the resident Stepford Band in the way they performed.
Richard sings in tune but with no character in his voice, and the songs are trite and repetitive, lacking wit, emotion or passion. The guitar players delivered their narcoleptic chords while taking two somnolent steps forward, two steps back.
They played all the hits that have long pleased their fans in the U.K., Australia and Europe but almost never in the United States, and the sold out auditorium was filled with glad smiling people.
It's odd that the crowd at the Led Zeppelin reunion looked pretty much the same, all white hair and wrinkly, but were so very, very change.

Thursday 15 October 2009

Sir Cliff Richard birthday thanks fans, CONGRATULATIONS


Sir Cliff Richard celebrated birthday at Sheffield Arena last night with a little help from The Star. We made a alone cake featuring edible montage of photos of him through his career. Lucky lifelong fans Angela Childs, 55, and husband Michael, 69, of Selly Oak Road, Jordanthorpe, won our prize to present it on behalf of all readers.And 69 year old Cliff was thrilled to make history as the first person to celebrate in the venue's new purpose built 150 seat SIS Arena Club restaurant and events room, where the cake was handed over. Cliff Richard, Sheffield Arena - REVIEW AND PICTURESAhead of last night's show, he thanked all their fans for 50 years of support: "Thank you for being so loyal for all these years. I can't live without you. And I hope I never have to."Thank you for all your birthday wishes and God bless you all."Housewife Angela and retired pipe fitter Michael handed Cliff a singing birthday card, featuring a version of Stevie Wonder's Happy Birthday. In typical style Cliff joined in. Michael fought back tears of joy as he said: "We've always been fans and rock and roll has been my life. I can't believe we've met Cliff."Sir Cliff also gave the new SIS Arena Club his approval: "I've been in the main Arena before but I can't remember what it was like back here it's very good."Sponsored, designed, built and fitted by Sheffield building interiors company, SIS, the new venue replaces a former temporary marquee area, catering for themed pre show meals. Now with an extra 50 seats, a new air climate control and integrated sound system, it is available for private functions.Arena Commercial Manager Gillian Stainrod said: "We're honoured to have been able to welcome Sir Cliff. He's such a gentleman and a music story."

Saturday 10 October 2009

Cliff Richard and the Shadows


Cliff Richard and the Shadows, after 50 years of on off partnership they have reunited for one final hurrah in celebration of their golden anniversary, Glasgow in cluding two dates. While they could never hope to refootage the hunger and impact of their 1950s avatar, a bunch of silver they made a tight sound haired rock 'n' rollers. Sir Cliff, the showbiz trouper in his shocking pink jacket, was in fine expressive voice. The two hour plus set was divided between vintage rock 'n' roll and wholesome bobbysoxer pop, such as Lucky Lips and Livin' Doll, the latter introduced by Cliff with a speech deriding the short termism of modern pop vehicles such as The X Factor.During one dreamy interlude, the sight of Cliff, now in a pristine white suit, was too much for one fan, who shouted "I Love You". But that was a rare hot-under-the-collar moment in a cosy nostalgia trip culminating in Summer Holiday, the prophetic Bachelor Boy, Move It and a joyful Young Ones.

Thursday 8 October 2009

Sir Cliff Richard and The Shadows say goodbye at Echo Arena


THERE’S nothing like a final, last-to-chance-to-see, farewell tour and The Shadows enjoyed the first one so much a few years ago they decided to do it all over again.
But this time they had Sir Cliff along with them and after all, saying goodbye is never easy and if you’ve had a career as long as theirs it’s bound to take a little while to get round everyone.
A sold out ECHO Arena the biggest crowd I’ve ever seen there proved that the demand is still there for two acts who are old enough to be grandfathers to most of the acts recenttly in the charts.

Tuesday 6 October 2009

Cliff and the shadows are back after 20 years


UNTIL last month, in 20 years they hadn’t performed together, but when Cliff Richard and The Cardiff tonight shadoes recevie, it’s sure to be a night to remember, writes Lydia Whitfield.
Fifty years on from when they first recorded and performed, this reunion and final tour lasts four months and takes them to Europe, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
Grandparents their original fans, but they will be sure to be going wild in the aisles when the band takes to the stage at the CIA tonight.
Cliff remains the only UK artist to have reached No 1 with a single in five consecutive decades.
And his reunion with the band Hank Marvin, Bruce Welch and Brian Bennett promises to be a suitably impressive send off tour. Fellow original Shadow, Jet Harris, left the group in 1962 after a row and now lives on the Isle of Wight, but is not joining the tour.
They are still surprised that half a century ago, rock bible, the New Musical Express, criticised Cliff for his ‘violent hip swinging exhibitionism’ under a headline asking ‘Is this new boy singer too sexy for Britain?’
And Manchester’s Chief Constable drafted in extra police for a Cliff gig ‘because we all know the trouble that this wild young man can incite’.
“The tour is going rather brilliantly,” says Cliff, who is entering his 70th year he will be 69 on October 14.
“I wasn’t actually worried about it as we’ve been around a long time. These guys wrote most of the stuff, so they know it and I’ve been singing it since the day I was born. So I feel confident and quite rightly it’s turned out how I expected. It’s not easy, but it’s been good.”
Cliff and The Shadows dominated British pop in the late ’50s and early ’60s, enjoying solo and joint success, and starred together in feelgood flicks ‘Summer Holiday’ and ‘The Young Ones’.
In 1959, The Shadows (then still going by their original name, The Drifters) landed an EMI recording contract of their own, and throughout the ’70s and ’80s toured regularly, enjoying Top 10 successes, and often competing with Cliff for the No 1 spot.
Between them they achieved no less than 19 No 1 hits, including; ‘Living Doll’, ‘It’s All In The Game’, ‘Travellin’ Light’, ‘Bachelor Boy’ and ‘Apache’.
They were taken aback at how 250,000 tickets for this Reunited tour sold out immediately and their new album Reunited leapt into the Top 10 within a week of release.
Known as the Peter Pan of Pop since rocketing up the charts aged 17, baby faced Cliff experimented with Botox when he hit 60, but wasn’t keen on the way his eyebrows drooped.
He isn’t worried that many of their lyrics are about being young, but for the tour has changed the lyric of A Girl Like You, to ‘a girl like you, a guy like me’ instead of ‘Boy like me’.
But he says, “I don’t worry about it at all. The Young Ones, for instance, is a state of mind.”
Cliff Richard and The Shadows perform at the CIA tonight and on Tuesday, October 20. All tickets are sold out. Ring 029 2022 4488 for returns

Saturday 3 October 2009

GEEKY DAVE AND CLIFF RICHARD TV'S


David Cameron faces embarrassment during the Tory audience as he is portrayed on TV as a geeky cross between Cliff Richard and David Brent.
More 4's When Boris Met Dave is to be shown on Wednesday, the same day the Conservative leader is due to deliver his key speech. It documents the time he was at Oxford with London Mayor Boris Johnson and both were in the notorious Bullingdon Club.
A tennisobsessed it also show nerd desperately trying, and failing, to be cool.