Sweet are back again at Michael Eavis’ favourite venue the Cheese and Grain in Frome tonight, with support from Terrorvision frontman Tony Wright.
He starts proceedings with an acoustic set, packed with funny anecdotes and a new Christmas song is given an airing, in keeping with the festive atmosphere in here tonight with the icicle decorations hanging and the Frome Frost Fair happening outside.
Crowd suitably warmed and the Action starts when Sweet kick off with the hit of the same name from the 1975 album Strung Up. It’s an immediate delight to watch singer Paul Manzi’s theatrical manner that perfectly suits the band’s style and fills in the gap the original frontman Brian Connolly left. He is a fantastic all-round performer with a mighty rock voice.
The rest of the band hold their own just as strongly, with bassist Lee Small giving a pitch-perfect vocal contribution to New York Groove, stamping every part of it rightly as a Sweet success. Move over Alicia Keys. And, Ace who? It’s also great to see that Andy Scott still has his signature hair and is keeping the glam dream very much alive, not only for himself but for the fans too.
The hits just keep rolling throughout the set, including Hell Raiser, Teenage Rampage, Fox on the Run and a beautiful version of the nowadays much-underrated The Six Teens. The guys have made things slightly heavier with a rockier edge, perfectly suited to the belter that is Set Me Free. Makes you think how much credit this band deserves with such a successful back catalogue, so no wonder the delighted crowd are here in their droves tonight.
Of course there has to be the Wig Wam Bam / Little Willy mash-up and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house….from laughing, giggling, smiling, dancing and all of the feel-good things that these songs evoke.
The set finishes with the familiar siren call of Ballroom Blitz. Thank you Sweet for a night of rock, laughs, nostalgia and dancing. It’s just what we needed.
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