Venue:
London Palladium
Date: 08/05/2025
This was the third of three Go West gigs with the Sinfonia Smith Square orchestra to celebrate 40 years since the band’s debut album. The build up to the short tour was marred by an illness to Richard Drummie which meant that singer, Peter Cox was flying solo, albeit with the help of the regular GW band, three backing singers and the orchestra.
The first night at the beautiful Bridgewater Hall in Manchester was a terrific gig. Peter was a little nervous at the start, understandably so, especially when he had to announce that his wingman was unable to be there, but the audience lifted the mood. The setlist was a strong mix of those 80’s/90’s classics mixed in with some of their more recent tracks. The arrangements by Rob Taggert were wonderful, giving plenty of space for the brass section to stretch out.
The second gig, at Birmingham’s wonderful Symphony Hall, was even better than Manchester. Everyone on stage had relaxed into their roles and Peter seemed more at ease with the fact that he was carrying the show. His voice is still one of the best around, as it has been for 40 years, and these two shows showed it off to full effect. Once again, the audience were up for a great night and the gig shaved the Manchester one by a gnat’s whisker.
A few days later we were back; at a packed London Palladium for the final show of the run.
Go West’s band is one of the very best around and has been with them for many years. The engine house of Phil G on drums and Vinzenz Benjamin on bass is phenomenal; they are in high demand around Europe and you can see why, instantly. Keyboards are handled by Lyndon J Connah who also contributes backing vocals at every GW gig. The newest addition to The Mighty Band is guitarist David D’Andrade who also added his backing vocal to cover Richard’s missing voice.
The guitar position in Go West has always had big shoes to fill because the band’s original guitarist was Alan Murphy, one of this country’s most unique and innovative players. David is the closest I’ve heard. He has a brilliant tone and a lightness of touch whilst also KILLING the big solos which were Murphy’s domain. He has an old head on young shoulders but also brings that modern technique and, having spoken to him a few times, is steeped in the history of the great players. A real find.
For these shows, the band had an additional three singers who were sensational, filling out the sound and reminding everyone that Go West always had great singers on their tracks; Kate Bush on The King is Dead, for instance; so Kelly, Hayley and Sam; You did a fine job.
The set roared out of the traps with Don’t Look Down from that 1985 debut with Peter Cox scaling the heights of some of those notes like Sherpa Tensing going up Everest. Slower songs like Eye to Eye and Goodbye Girl benefited greatly from the excellent orchestral arrangements but the two centre-pieces of the set were two tracks from that ‘difficult second album,’ Dancing On the Couch.
From Baltimore to Paris and The King is Dead are two gems that the fans hold very close to their hearts and, with the addition of the orchestra, they sparkle and shimmer in the beautiful, warm lighting. PC sings them like he’s living every word and David’s guitar, especially on the former, is a delicate and powerful mix, bringing to mind both Alan Murphy and Prince at the same time.
The Home Run of Tracks of My Tears, We Close Our Eyes and King of Wishful Thinking has the old place jumping, with the communal singing raising the roof and bringing huge smiles to everyone on stage. Peter thanks absolutely everyone involved, including the Crew who had worked miracles wiring and micing up everything to make the sound at all three gigs really good but, on this night at The Palladium, it was pin-drop perfect.
And then it’s over.
Three wonderful shows which, at The Palladium, produced one of the all-time great Go West shows; and I’ve seen dozens.
A really special night in a very special place. Well done to Peter and everyone who helped to put on the shows.
The audience:
The Faithful were out in force with people flying in from America, Japan and Europe just for these shows. A Go West crowd is always up for a big night out and these gigs were no exception.
It made me think..
As Peter said, “You don’t often get the chance to sing with a live orchestra so, give it some welly.” We, and he, certainly did.
We Close Our Eyes, brilliant single. Don’t think I ever heard another song from them. Sounds like a fun night
Sounds incredible Niall a great review to return to. You know how much I love the band and as you say Peter Cox has one of the great voices.
Beautifully produced and crafted singles, I remember. Don’t know why they weren’t bigger.
I remember an episode of The Tube they were on, which was the first time I’d heard them. One of Murphy’s strings broke, and they carried on. Love the first two records of theirs.
I’ve seen them a few times on our mates’ weekends at Butlin’s. They are always good value.
I remember hearing their 1986 gig at Hammersmith Odeon broadcast on Radio 1 and vowing to buy the LP.
I did, albeit about 35 years later. You can’t hurry these things…
Their debut performance on The Tube was one of the best mainstream band appearances ever, I think. I don’t think the first single was even out, and here was this apparently unknown band although bolstered by some notable session players (Pino Paladino, Tessa Niles, Kate Humble*, Alan Murphy, Tony Beard). They played a sort of prog-pop-soul-fusion crossover, with some great songs like Innocence. The record always seemed a bit bland in comparison to the live fire that they had. I was a touch disappointed that every subsequent appearance on TV seemed to have a different lineup to that first one, even with brilliant ringers e.g. Peter John Vettese from Jethro Tull, Carol Kenyon… there must have been one hell of a budget behind them, but maybe it’s easier to hire session players and give them the notes to play rather than maintain a salaried band lineup.
* no, not that one.
Alan Murphy was a permanent member for the first two albums and Pino played on both but was subbed live by Jez Lochrie for many years, (Jez’s son, Ben has recently finished a stint in the band as guitarist; and a very fine one at that.
The budget for the second album was huge, so much so that, when it didn’t sell as well as the first, the A&R man was sacked and the record company didn’t speak to Pete or Richard for a year.
I think Graham Edwards was the bass player for a while – he later was part of The Matrix songwriting and production team and is thus all over many gazillion sellers.
I’m not sure why the second album tanked. Too grown up sounding?