The Beach Boys and Herman's Hermits

“That's Why God Made The Beach Boys” - These words were lifted up in the air on a huge sign, in the middle of the concert, by some fans in the first row. From the third row, I agreed: breathtaking music, miraculous sounds and stunning atmosphere, reviving the joy of the first Beach Boys years. Definitely the beach, the car radio and the US would have been so poor without them. Hundreds of fans, irrespective of nation, continent, age or colour of the floral shirt, came to see them in Milan. What they all had in common was the thrill of the expectation, the gorgeous smile of being there and the lyrics in mind, waiting to be sung on every chorus. Minutes before the beginning of the concert, some oldies songs were played, as a beautiful anticipation of a sensational concert. I was enthralled to hear my favourite song - "Be My Baby" - said to be considered by Brian Wilson "the perfect song"- and "In The Still of the Night" by The Five Satins. Moreover, during the concert, I was impressed to hear fantastic covers sang by The Beach Boys, such as the one and only "Why So Fools Fall In Love", the classic "Rock and Roll Music", the colourful "Do You Wanna Dance?" and "California Dreaming". The band was high above expectations and surely beyond words! Brian, Mike, Al, David and Bruce smiled, danced and flirted with the mesmerized audience, as if they were back in the '60s California again. All the fans were excited to discover the fresh and vivid Beach Boys, eager to share their sparkles of joy, their blissful music and sunny dreams with the public. From beginning to end, everyone, regardless of age, danced, shouted and waved arms. The night was young and so were we. I was thrilled to hear the tunes I love, but also discovering new releases worthy of being playlisted. I was impressed by how many Italian people perfectly knew and sang all the lyrics, as if America was their mother country. Song after song, the ecstasy grew. Surfin' melodies ("Surfer Girl", "California Girls"), shinny beats ("Wouldn't it be nice", "I Get Around") and emotional songs ("Then I Kissed Her", "Good Timin'", "Heroes and Villains"), all mingled in an exceptional sensorial experience. Personally, I was touched by the flute in the delicate "God Only Knows", by the saxophone on the tunes of "Kokomo" and by the serenity of "Don't Worry, Baby!". I simply loved "Good Vibrations" and "I Get Around"! After 2 and 1/2 hours, brilliant rhythms and rounds and rounds of ecstatic applause, The Beach Boys offered another tribute to the fans shouting "We want more!": three of their greatest songs - "Kokomo", "Barbara Ann" and "Fun Fun Fun". Still, we all wanted more. Still, it was the best concert ever. This review is also available on my personal website: http://www.oldiesmusicblog.com/

The Happy Together Tour was one that I had my eye on for a long time, even before the tickets were released, and I couldn’t believe it when the day finally came. All of the acts were absolutely fantastic, but Herman’s Hermits really stood out for me, and it seemed the entire crowd! It’s hard to believe that these guys formed way back in 1963, but boy have they still got it! They sure have.
The vibe at the show was great, everyone was energised and buzzing from the previous acts. The sound was fantastic, and the lighting added spectacularly to the performance value. When Herman’s Hermits came on stage, they were welcomed by a reasonable applause, but it appeared that the audience didn’t know what they were in for – by the end of the set everyone was jumping around, shouting, and singing along.
Nostalgia is a great thing, and hearing tracks like No Milk Today and Mrs Brow, You’ve got a Lovely Daughter had the crowd reminiscing and singing along. Even the younger members of the audience were jamming along to the catchy hooks and melodies half way through their set. This really was a gig for everyone, one not to miss!