Tag Archives: Tony O’Hora

News: All change at The Sweet

Glam rock, Music news, Rock music, , , , , ,

Vocalist/multi-instrumentalist, Tony O’Hora, has left The Sweet. In a statement put out by the band on social media the musician is said to have left for “personal family reasons”. Led by Andy Scott, one of the two surviving members of the classic-era foursome, the band’s line-up had been stable for a  good number of years and attracted many favourable reviews for the sheer professionalism and quality of their live shows. However, lead singer/bass-player, Pete Lincoln, left earlier in the year and is now followed by O’Hora. Old Sweet hand, Steve Mann, is stepping in once again to assist the band on their remaining 2019 dates. Lee Small comes in as a permanent member playing bass.

The band’s full statement is reproduced here:

“Tony has left Sweet. A month ago Tony handed in his notice to quit Sweet citing personal family reasons. We were unsure how to deal with his request as it had happened previously. This time however it was serious and though difficult, we have had to make changes to move forward. We respect his decision and wish him well for the future. So with the future in mind I can now reveal how the band will look going forwards to 2020. Let me start by saying that having to replace two members in quick succession is not something I would recommend to anyone but it gives one great satisfaction when it comes together. Steve Mann will be rejoining Sweet for all dates in November and December including the “Still Got the Rock Tour UK”. Our last show in Kelbra in September featured Steve and it was brilliant to have him on stage with us again. Our “newbie” is Lee Small. He will play bass and add another brilliant voice to the band. To say I am very pleased is an understatement. Paul Manzi will now be the Frontman, lead vocals and occasional guitar. Anyone who saw us perform at Kelbra will have seen him in full flow. So there it is – Sweet – looking forward to the future and seeing you at one of the 34 shows in November and December. Not forgetting our Australian fraternity and our upcoming appearance on Rock the Boat 2019 departing Sydney 19th October.”

I’ll be catching the band on their 2019 UK winter tour – watch this space for a review.

15665419_1172245969537558_7242702935148297652_n

Tony O’Hora (right) with Andy Scott (left)

Related posts:

Interview with Andy Scott
Sweet 50th anniversary concert in Berlin
Sweet in London and Bilston 2017
The Sweet versus Bowie: the riff in Blockbuster and Jean Genie

Sweet at The Robin 2, Bilston 19/12/16

Glam rock, Live reviews, Rock music, , , , , , , , ,

While this time of year often provides opportunities to see The Sweet at various provincial theatres around the country it is always nice to see the band at a proper dedicated rock venue. And the Robin in Bilston, near Wolverhampton, is packed out with Sweet fans from across the UK and further afield.

Tonight the band are going to “heavy it up” declares Andy Scott, following a deluge of requests from fans in the run-up to the gig. What this means, therefore, is that as well as those unforgettable Sweet hits, the audience also get a taste of the band’s brilliant 1974 rock album Sweet Fanny Adams, with ‘Set Me Free’ and ‘Into The Night’ from that album making a welcome appearance on the setlist, alongside ‘AC-DC’. The band produced some excellent hard rock back in the day and it’s nice to see that side of the band being properly celebrated, in addition to the more obvious but still equally wonderful glam rock side. It certainly hits the spot as far as the audience are concerned.

andy

Of course, before The Sweet even began churning out those glam anthems, they had a run of ridiculously cheesy but inanely catchy bubblegum, hits penned for them by songwriting due Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman. For many years, the policy of Messrs Scott and co was to forget these even existed but in recent years they’ve made their way back into the setlist. But now the ephemera of the bubblegum era is completely stripped back and they are re-invented as chilled-out, folky, acoustic sing-alongs. Surprisingly, it works – and the audience lap these up, too.

15665419_1172245969537558_7242702935148297652_n

Of course, no Sweet gig would be complete without those glam mega-hits: whether it’s the Chinn-Chapman covers like ‘Hellraiser’, ‘The Six Teens’ and ‘Wig-Wam Bam’ or the self-penned hits like ‘Action’ and ‘Fox on the Run’. Add in some majestic versions of ‘Lost Angels’ and ‘Love is Like Oxygen’ and the inevitable ‘Blockbuster!’ and ‘Ballroom Blitz’ for an encore and it’s a perfect Sweet mix.

15541409_1172244142871074_8863915494036301433_n

There are numerous 70s pop-rock bands ploughing the 70s circuit, many of them continuing to offer a night of nostalgia and guaranteed fun; even if, like Sweet, you will only find one or two original members these days. But few, if any, offer the degree of perfection, professionalism and top class musicianship as Andy Scott and his colleagues, Pete Lincoln, Tony O’Hora and Bruce Bisland do.

15590555_1172245879537567_5486936696815948188_n

Sadly, I never got to see the classic irreplaceable Sweet line-up of the 70s. But I’ve seen numerous line-ups over the past quarter of a century and this is undoubtedly the strongest since then.

Glam rock and hard perfection. Keep at it boys

Setlist:
Action
New York Groove
Hellraiser
The Six Teens
Set Me Free
Into The Night
AC-DC
Lady Starlight
Lost Angels
Co-Co / Funny Funny / Poppa Joe
Teenage Rampage
Wig-Wam Bam / Little Willy
Love Is Like Oxygen
Fox On The Run
Blockbuster!
The Ballroom Blitz

http://www.thesweet.com/

Photo credits: Eileen Handley

Related posts:
Sweet at Bilston 2014
Sweet at Dartford 2015
Blockbuster – origins and influences

Sweet at Orchard Theatre, Dartford 22/11/15

Glam rock, Live reviews, Rock music, , , , , , , , , ,

Sweet are a melodic hard rock band who play catchy, well-written rock songs with beautifully vocalised harmonies. But some rock fans are a bit snobby about Sweet because Sweet are glam rock and glam rock is not for serious rock fans. Well what a lot of nonsense that is. For sheer musical professionalism, tuneful melodiousness and unforgettable songs, there are few rock bands to match Sweet.

The tour is billed as Finale. “But let’s make one thing absolutely clear,” says guitarist Andy Scott. “No way is this the fucking finale.” Phew, they almost had me worried there. But as Scott, stalwart of the band since 1970, tells the Dartford audience tonight, he’s not really qualified to do anything else.

The current Sweet line-up (guitarist Andy Scott, drummer Bruce Bisland, vocalist/bass player Pete Lincoln and Tony O’Hora on keyboards, guitar and vocals) have been together since 2011. And they’ve proved themselves to be one of the most durable and easily the best line-up of Sweet since the days of the classic Connoly-Scott-Tucker-Priest formation back in the 1970s. Musical talent oozes out of every pore, even though they are a man down down tonight. Drummer Bisland has been ordered to rest for a month by doctors due to muscle fatigue. Sweet’s stage manager, Adam, has gamely filled the drum stool at the eleventh hour. And while there are some truly awful experiences of “roadie gallantly stepping up at the last minute” in rock history there are also some very good ones, too, and tonight is the latter. He does a great job, knowing both the band and the songs like the back of his hand.

I’v seen Sweet many times, of course. But so many of the things I want from a Sweet concert are there in spades tonight. There is a riotous version of Action, a hard-rocking version of Hellraiser, a majestic version of Love Is Like Oxygen (dedicated to Brian Connoly, Mick Tucker and the people of Paris), a pounding version of Wig Wam Bam, an anthemic version of Fox on the Run and, as befits two of the best songs ever written in the history of British popular music, spectacular versions of Blockbuster and Balroom Blitz. But there’s more, too: more well-crafted melodic hard rock in the form of brand new song Defender, a beautiful acoustic version of Lady Starlight. And this is followed by more acoustic delights as the early pre-glam rock bubblegum-era material (Co Co, Poppa Joe and Funny Funny) is given new life by being given the stripped-down, seated, guitar and vocals treatment. The Sweet goes all Bob Dylan as you will – but it works!

If you are a fan of melodic hard rock but have hitherto denied yourself the chance of seeing Sweet. Get over yourself. You are missing out. This band are brilliant. Go and see them!

Setlist:
Action
New York Groove
Hellraiser
Peppermint Twist
Defender
Lady Starlight
Co Co
Poppa Joe
Teenage Rampage
Wig Wam Bam
Little Willy
Love Is Like Oxygen
Fox On The Run
Blockbuster
Ballroom Blitz

http://www.thesweet.com/

2015-11-24 21.27.23 (1)

Previous review: Sweet at Bilston