Glam rock stars Sweet, Rubettes and Mud 2 keep the Seventies vibe going

There are a few sixties and even eighties packages doing the rounds these days, but apparently very few from the seventies.
Sweet headline the Glitz, Blitz and 70's Hits tourSweet headline the Glitz, Blitz and 70's Hits tour
Sweet headline the Glitz, Blitz and 70's Hits tour

However, that omission is being corrected in the latest Glitz, Blitz and 70’s Hitz tour which hit the road this month.

Celebrating the ‘Glam’ rock era, this is the fourth such spectacular and follows previous tours in 2005, 2003 and 1999.

This time around, the line-up is headlined by The Sweet, who have been on two previous Glitz tours; The Rubettes, who have featured in every tour; and Mud 2 – making their debut.

Mud 2 is the former backing band of Mud singer Les Gray.

Les died in 2004, but the band has continued his musical legacy by performing the original group’s many hits, such as Tiger Feet’, Oh Boy, Dyna-Mite, The Cat Crept In and Lonely This Christmas.

The Rubettes, who burst onto the scene in 1974 with Sugar Baby Love, and kept the momentum going with bits like Tonight, Juke Box Jive, I Can Do It and You’re The Reason Why can still boast three original members in lead

singer and guitarist Alan Williams, bassist and ex-Tremelo Mick Clarke and drummer John Richardson.

“It’s quite nice to be touring the UK again.” Alan said. “I think we last toured Britain about five years ago, we’ve mainly been touring mainland Europe as the music of the 70s is still very big there while it

seemed to dry up in the UK.”

One of the reasons about the lack of 70s tours is that there aren’t many of the bands still around. Alan said: “I’ve got the dubious distinction of being one of the few lead singers of the Seventies still in a band.”

Alan says he is planning to continue performing.

“I originally planned to retire 15 years ago, but the phone kept ringing, I’m pretty fit and still enjoy it, so while the audiences still want us, we’ll continue.”

Headlining the Glitz, Blitz and 70s’ HItz tour is Sweet, who transformed from a ‘bubblegum’ band (Poppa Joe, Little Willy), to a bona fide rock band.

Massive chart success came their way with Blockbuster, Teenage Rampage, Action (covered by Def Leppard) and Love is Like Oxygen’, but this may be the last time that we see them on UK stages.

Andy Scott became Sweet’s guitarist in 1970 and is still with the band today along with Pete Lincoln (ex-Sailor), Bruse Bisland and Tony O’Hara.

“For Sweet to be going back out on tour in the UK for what will probably be the last time is a real thrill,” said Andy.

“Performing is at the very heart of what we do and though fashions change our songs have lasted through five decades.”

But Andy explains why this may be the last time. “As I get older, I don’t want to do four nights in a row doing two hours a night. What we need to do is a little bit less and do bigger places. In Europe, bands like us get between three and five thousand a night in the audience.”

The Glitz, Blitz and 70’s Hitz tour, starring Sweet, The Rubettes and Mud 2 rolls into the City Hall, Sheffield on Wednesday, November 25.

Tickets are available from the box office, tel 0114 2789 789 or www.sheffileldcityhall,co.uk and all the usual agencies.

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