| Performance Title | The Bee Gees - Robert Stigwood Organisation |
| Performance Date | 27 March 1968 |
| Performance Day | Wednesday |
| Performance Time | 19:30 |
| Main Performers | Liz and Lindsey |
| Orchestra or Band | The Bee Gees and Their Orchestra (Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Maurice Gibb, Vince Melouney, Colin Petersen),
Grapefruit (John Perry, George Alexander, Geoff Swettenham, Pete Swettenham),
The Foundations (Clem Curtis - vocal, Allan Warner - guitar, Tony Gomez - organ, Peter Macbeth, Tim Harris - drums, Eric Allandale - trombone, Pat Burke, Mike Elliot - saxophone),
Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich (David John Harman - lead vocal, Trevor Leonard Ward-Davies - bass guitar, John Dymond - rhythm guitar, Ian Frederick Stephen Amey - lead guitar, Michael Wilson - drums) |
| Conductors | Bill Shepherd |
| Set List | Grapefruit:
'Delilah'
The Foundations:
'It's All Right',
'Baby Now That I've Found You'
'Help Me' (with Liz and Lindsey),
'Back On My Feet Again'
Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich:
'Hold Tight',
'If I Were A Carpenter',
'Little Darlin',
'Rosie',
'Cinderella Rockefella',
'Zabadak',
'Bend It',
'Paint It Black',
'The Legend of Xanadu'
The Bee Gees:
'New York Mining Disaster 1941',
'To Love Somebody',
'Jumbo',
'The Singer Sang His Song',
'I Have Decided to Join the Air Force',
'I Started a Joke',
'Let There Be Love',
'Words',
'I Can't See Nobody',
'Morning of My Life',
'Really and Sincerely',
'Massachusetts',
'I've Gotta Get a Message to You',
'Spicks and Specks',
'Words' |
| Performance Notes | "We have seen group wars and feuds before, but nothing like the battle for fans between the Bee Gees and Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich at the Royal Albert Hall last week. This time they brought in the Army and Royal Air Force!The result was something like a pre-war Hollywood musical, with a massed choir, marching band, a 67-piece orchestra, and blazing rifles.The audience screamed ecstatically throughout, proving the success of the special pre-tour concert presented by the Bee Gees and their manager Robert Stigwood.
Between the Foundations and Dave Dee, compere Tony Hall filled in the five minute gap with some intelligent chat; that went on just a bit too long, and induced somebody to shout "You're talking a load of rubbish." But this did not deter Tony from lecturing on the faults of pop on TV for some minutes, resulting in a slow hand clap.
Then came the most entertaining act of the evening by Dave Dee and his merry minstrels. They made a dramatic appearance with their backs to the audience shrouded in cloaks and thundering out the theme from Magnificent Seven, in deference to the inspiration for their hit 'The Legend Of Xanadu'. They dropped the cloaks in turn to face the audience and bash out 'Hold Tight', then a showpiece for Dave on 'If I Were A Carpenter' which he sang surprisingly well.
Dozy drew some laughs with his routine with Dave on cod versions of 'Cinderella Rockefella' and 'Rosie', and 'Zabadak' saw a great deal of mobbing by enthusiastic fans, warded off by elderly attendants, all of whom were wishing the London Symphony were on and not the cream of British pop. During 'Bend It', the Dave Dee lot decided to send up the Bee Gees spectacular by having six soldiers march on stage and blaze away with their pop guns, or bazookas. They were the men of the Somerset and Cornwall Light Infantry, the Guards having declined to participate.
After the interval, the group who have replaced the Stones and Beatles as ace scream inciters of the British Isles and Commonwealth proved they are as willing to experiment as stick to their guns on musical ideals.
The Bee Gees insist on writing individual material to their own high standards, but are happy to risk the ridicule of cynics by flirting with a 67-piece orchestra, not to mention the surprise appearances of an RAF marching band which invaded the stalls during 'I've Decided To Join The Airforce', and a mixed, and somewhat elderly, choir, who popped up among the audience, to "ooh" and "ah" behind the massed voices of the Bee Gees.
The audience seemed more baffled than impressed by these apparitions, especially as the blue uniformed brass blowers were inaudible, but this is the stuff of which pop showmanship is made.
The boys appeared in darkness with their backs to the audience (funny, didn't another group do that?), while the kids screamed in waves, until the lights came up on '1941 Mining Disaster' and they rushed the stage. Barry was dressed in blue, Robin in a wine red jacket, and the rest in varying shades of black and blue. Their voices came through very clearly on the up tempo 'Jumbo' which deserves to be a big hit but, sadly, the vast orchestra was practically inaudible. One violinist was so upset he gave up playing, and even more must have been shocked when a posse of girls broke through their ranks to get at their idols, knocking priceless instruments flying, and sending elderly hearts ticking unsteadily.Robin and Barry were featured on their solo numbers, Barry excelling on the beautiful 'With The Sun In My Eyes'. He should move around more on stage, and was proved when he threw away his guitar and did a few leaps which drew double hysteria.Most of the time they tend to be static, due to the sombre character of their songs.
If they keep up the high standard of opening night, it's going to be a riot-torn tour."
(Chris Welch, Melody Maker, 6 April 1968)
Original photographs of this event are held by Mirrorpix |
| Related Archival Material | Programme (RAHE/1/1968/38) |
| URL | http://www.mirrorpix.com/id/00116957 |
| https://thirdlight.royalalberthall.com/pf.tlx/.Zx.ZF2.B7eXX |
| https://thirdlight.royalalberthall.com/pf.tlx/2y92y7n2SWqvo |