Say hey rock'n'roll with Showaddywaddy at Bier Keller, Bracknell
Liz Crosthwaite • Published 7 Jan 2013 09:30
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MUSIC biz veterans Showaddywaddy are 40 years old this year, but rather than wallow in denial or succumb to a reverse midlife crisis by becoming accountants, they're celebrating with a massive tour.
The inagural date of the six-piece's UK jaunt is at Bier Keller, Bracknell, so The Guide caught up with bass player and one of the two remaining original members of the retro rockers, Rod Deas, to find out more.
"At the age of starting I couldn't think much beyond the next year," Rod said of the band's unexpected longevity despite line-up shifts and changing decades. "I do not think anybody thinks they are going to be going this long! It's quite remarkalbe and fortunate. "We have never stopped - we have never gone off the road, and our fans have grown up with us! We still do the hits, that's what people want to hear and we have a lot of them - 24 Top 40 hits. Any new names that come in [to the band] just play the same songs.
"We do change the set around and do other songs by other people that we like but pretty much it is the same as it was 40 years ago - just not quite as much energy! We have always done Jailhouse Rock - we have probably done it more times than Elvis did!"
Looking back on 40 years of music-making, Rod picked out a few key memorable moments.
"We were one of the first, if not the first band, to be broadcast to the Eastern Bloc to 300 million people, in the early 80s. There's been gigs all around the world. I'll never forget playing the Glasgow Apollo. It's knocked down now."
Not to mention the fact that the Queen Mum personally requested to meet the band after one of their Royal Variety performances.
"50 years seems a long way away [for the band]," the 64-year-old added, of the possibility of a half century aniversary. "I couldn't see me doing Showaddywaddy in 10 years, but there may still be a Showaddywaddy in 10 years. Age is a funny thing. You feel the same as you did when you were in your twenties!"
Tickets to the gig tomorrow (Friday) at 7.30pm cost £20 from www.wegottickets.com/event/191712
This article appeared in Bracknell News 07 Jan 13
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