REVIEW: LIPSTICK ON YOUR COLLAR @ THE PALACE THEATRE

🎭 Lipstick On Your Collar

📍 Palace Theatre, Palace Avenue, Paignton, Devon, TQ3 3HF

🗓 Friday 5th August 2022

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A ROCK & ROLL REVELATION

Last night saw the first visit to Torbay from The 50's & 60's Show Lipstick On Your Collar. This group of versatile musicians and singers gave us two and a half hours of unashamed nostalgia and the energy coming from the stage was surely enough to power the entire bay!

This show takes you on a musical journey of jukebox hits, starting with the explosion of rock and roll in 1955 with songs from the likes of Bill Haley, Buddy Holly and Brenda Lee, through to Beatlemania and the swinging sixties with the music of The Hollies, Dusty Springfield and Cilla Black to name just a few.

The songs are performed in chronological order and the audio visuals at the back of the stage show images of the artists whose music is being performed alongside television footage and newspaper articles detailing the big events from each year.

The group is led from the front by lead vocalist and producer of the show Nicola Seeking-Smith. She has a fantastic voice and is equally great at singing rock and roll hits such as Great Balls of Fire, pop songs like Please, Mr Postman and belting out huge ballads such as I Who Have Nothing.

Her rendition of Fever sent chills through the body and when she concluded You're My World the audience went wild.

As well as her vocal talents she has a great stage presence. She was likeable from the start and had great banter with the audience which added to the party atmosphere in the theatre.

Nicola is backed up by an incredible band, who are obviously masters of their craft as well as having great singing voices themselves. From the programme I assume that the band are changeable depending on availability and at Paignton we had Dan Caney on bass & guitar, Curtis Lavender on guitar, keys, sax and bass (what a chameleon!), Tomek Sowinski on piano, Thomas Parrish on guitar and Toby Drummond on drums.

The music was performed with great authenticity and you can tell that they wanted to stay true to the original tracks and so what you get is raw rock and roll performed to the highest standard.

Each band member were also given their time to shine, whether that be musically or vocally. I loved their energy and the way that they would move seamlessly from one instrument to another, sometimes mid-song!

The entire group had good singing voices and never tried to sound like the original artists, which I loved about it. So rather than hearing some bad impressions of the artists (which is what I was half expecting) we were treated to great musicians performing fantastic timeless songs and looking like they were having the time of their lives doing so.

During the second act, there were audience members jiving in the aisles and by the end of the evening the entire auditorium were on their feet enjoying the party.

The lighting design was fantastic and really helped to lift the production even higher.

Overall, this was a thoroughly enjoyable night out and I'm sure that this show is going to keep growing and getting better and better.

Lipstick On Your Collar is currently touring the UK until 12th November 2022. For a full list of tour dates as well as show information visit www.lipstickonyourcollar.co.uk.

The show will be touring again next year and will be back at Paignton's Palace Theatre on Friday 11th August 2023. Tickets on sale soon.

So C'mon Everybody, don't be a Stupid Cupid! Dust off those Blue Suede Shoes & head out for a great nights entertainment with Lipstick On Your Collar.

Neill Kovacic-Clarke

All views are my own and I pride myself on being honest and free from influence.