dorral Posted March 15, 2015 Report Share Posted March 15, 2015 Valr and I decided to go to Skipton yesterday,Val drove, we arrived late afternoon after a meal we went straight to the theatre It turned out to be a cattle auction market by day that is turned into a theatre, seating approx 350 people.Seats were unreserved so you could sit anywhere. The show was opened by Jai,he has a nice voice but no stage presence,he either stood or sat in the same spot whilst singing.All his songs sound the same,he has no interaction with the audience at all. After the interval Gareth's family came in,there must have been at least 12 of them,What a difference from Jai,Gareth came bounding on stage waving and shouting "Hello Skipton" just at that moment one of his sisters walked in front of the stage taking his Nan to a better seat. G bent down,waved to her and said "Hello Nan" There was no keyboard set up when we went in only Pete's guitar so we were a bit dis-appointed knowing he wouldn't be playing.The 1st song he sang was "free" then he sang a couple more of the usual songs.After that he said he was going to sing a brand new song him and Pete had wrote together,it turned out to be "Hold On" After he had sung Angel on my Shoulder for Mothers day for his mum he said lets Party,everyone got up on their feet and went to the stage.Gareth knows how to party,he rocked that stage jumping around,his sisters and family were very noisy.Gareth got 2 girls one after the other from the audience to sing Spirit in the Sky,they were both brilliant singers,G told the to carry on ,him and Pete acted as backing singers for them. Gareth was struggling with his voice in parts he couldn't reach some notes,he kept putting his hand to his throat and massaging it,after he had been on stage for 1 and a quarter hours he asked Pete what they were doing next,they had a bit of a discussion,then Gareth said he was sorry but it was the last song. A couple of snippits, Gareth thought it was very funny to be playing "On a Farm" he'd never done it before,he said the smell of Manure was very good for clearing his lungs,he said come on lets all say Baaaaaaaa Gareth looked really well last night he was glowing,his hair looked nice, he was dressed imaculate and had lovely shiny shoes.(take note Jai ) If Gareth was wearing his new tanning range,he looked much better than he does with his usual tan. Gareth was selling after the show,his CD, a signed picture and a photograph taken with him for £10. We were a little bit disappointed not to hear any new songs,or see him play the keyboard,but as always it was a brilliant show. It was lovely to meet and sit with Linda,she arrived early and had a chat with Paul and Pete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternal Posted March 15, 2015 Report Share Posted March 15, 2015 Dorral how wonderful to read a review of a show. I had no idea you were going to (or even thought you may go too). Well if the manure and being on a farm are helping Gareth,long may it continue. How lovely you thought Gareth looked "glowing". It must be all those healthy meals he posts about on twitter. The voice is a bit of a concern so let's hope his hectic singing schedule this year doesn't damage it. Thanks again. All the snippets make it a lovely read. BTW Shiny shoes impress me every time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khelda Posted March 15, 2015 Report Share Posted March 15, 2015 Thanks Doris for your great review, shame about his voice though, he really should rest it more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorksheather Posted March 15, 2015 Report Share Posted March 15, 2015 Thanks Doris, I enjoyed reading your review from Skipton , it sounds a good show ,rather like the others he has done in the past , but it does seem to be taking a long time with Gareth's voice problems . I'm sure the place doesn't smell of manure , I know someone who had a stall there at a craft fair . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val4Gareth Posted March 15, 2015 Report Share Posted March 15, 2015 Thanks for your lovely report Doris. That was a nice surprise. Sounds like the same show as last years gigs. Must admit I was expecting him to sing some more new music. Hopefully next time Very disturbing to hear about Gareth's voice again. So glad you decided to go and that you enjoyed the gig. Have to agree with you re Jai McDowell. He did nothing for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dorral Posted March 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2015 Heather, no it didn't smell of manure,Gareth was very amused with the theatre and it's dual use,he said he'd never been there before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maria_1981 Posted March 15, 2015 Report Share Posted March 15, 2015 Thank you for your lovely report Doris i'm glad you was able to go, it is worrying about his voice though hearing that he was still struggling with his voice in parts and rubbing his throat, I asked him on Twitter if his voice has fully recovered and he said no, that he is getting there but it could take up to a year I felt like saying that's worrying but just told him to take care instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garethsmelody Posted March 16, 2015 Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 Thank you for your report Doris. Loved reading it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest NicolaJayne Posted March 16, 2015 Report Share Posted March 16, 2015 Thank you for your fantastic report Doris, the Skipton Gig sounds great would love to have been there. Though I did expect there would be at least one new song not heard before. Gareths local gigs are lovely and so nice to see his family there. I was surprised though that he didn't play the organ as he did at Islington. And it went down so well. I have to agree though about Jai his voice was nice enough but he did nothing for me and when he did try to interact with the audience no one could understand him as his accent was so strong. We're the Cherry Bomb girls also a supporting act? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindajan Posted March 17, 2015 Report Share Posted March 17, 2015 Lovely to read your report of the gig, Doris, and also to spend some time with you and Val. I only finally decided to go earlier in the week having checked where Skipton is and finding that it's only about as far from where I live as Leeds and Bingley, which I've been to several times. Most of Gareth's gigs this year seem to be at holiday resorts and/or mainly on the East or South coast. I know that I'm lucky that he is doing 'Mad About The Musicals' and panto in Crewe towards the end of the year, but I didn't want to wait that long to see and hear him again. The journey went well - bit slow through Colne - but arrived in Keighley at about 4.15pm (2 hours after I set off) and called into McDonalds to use the facilities and get something to eat and drink. Then I continued on to Skipton (I always try to arrive with lots of time to spare, so that I can find the venue and park without any problems). It was around 5pm when I pulled into the car park at the Mart Theatre, having seen a lovely poster of Gareth playing guitar on the approach road. I spotted Gareth's car - surprised he was there that early - and went for a wander to get my bearings. At that moment, Pete (the guitarist) drove in and I had a few words with him - he had driven up from London. Then Paul came out of the venue and I was able to have a little chat with him as well. I asked him how Gareth's voice was and he said that it wasn't great and that Gareth was struggling a bit. This was obviously worrying as I'm sure we're all hoping that his throat is well on the mend by now. Paul then helped Pete in with his various bags and guitars. I went for a little drive around Skipton but soon went back to the venue. parked and waited for the doors to open. Val and Doris arrived around 6.30pm and we all went in together. As Doris has said, it is a working cattle auction market so lots of concrete and rather chilly. We had a drink at the bar and then went into the performance area. We got seats on the third row of the floor (where the cattle would be at an auction!), there was also raised, tiered seating on three sides and a raised stage at the front - certainly a unique and unusual location for a theatre. Finally Jai came on to do his set, although he tries to chat between his songs he never really engages with the audience and doesn't manage to get us involved in his songs either. (He needs to watch Gareth's performance and learn something about stage presence, I feel.) Only right at the end did he finally mention Gareth - other support acts constantly mention the main performer which always excites the crowd. Anyway just the interval to go now before Gareth's performance. At the end of the interval, Gareth's family and friends came in. The group included Wendy, Nicola, Charl (and her boyfriend), Jess and other family and friends. Already in the theatre were Wendy's mum (Gareth's nan) and one of Wendy's sisters (Angie, I think). Wendy sat at the back of the floor area on the other side to us and the younger group sat in the tiered seating to the right of the stage (from our view). Just as Gareth came on stage, one of his sisters was leading his nan and auntie across in front of the stage and when he noticed he said, "Oh! Hello Nan." Although I'm certain that Paul was watching most of Gareth's performance, he was not at all visible and was standing at the back along one of the aisles leading out of the theatre (as he was for some of Jai's set). As soon as Gareth ran out onto the stage shouting 'Hello Skipton', the atmosphere became alive. I think these are the songs he performed, although they are not totally in the correct order (and I may have forgotten some): Free Sunshine Anyone Of Us Stay Suspicious Minds Sentimental Hold On Tight All Of Me Angel On My Shoulder Unchained Melody Summer of '69 Don't Stop Me Now Livin' On A Prayer Spirit In The Sky Nothing surprising or new in the set list and, as Doris said, he didn't play keyboards. Between songs he had the usual banter with Pete, especially about which song was next. Also Gareth was massaging his throat during songs and employed his normal tricks to avoid a few high notes. Although he sounded good, it seemed obvious that he has some way to go before his voice is thoroughly recovered. Angel On My Shoulder was dedicated to Wendy (of course), especially as it was Mothers' Day on Sunday - Gareth's sisters came down and pulled Wendy to the side near the front to dance (Gareth didn't seem to have noticed this until the end of the song). This was followed by Unchained Melody and Wendy got her mum up to dance to this, presumably because it's one of her mum's favourites. After this Gareth encouraged everyone to get to their feet for the rockier songs and many went up to the stage. All too soon, Gareth and Pete seemed to be having an almost non-verbal discussion about what should happen next, then Gareth announced the final song (groans all around). Two of the girls he got up to sing with him could not only sing well but also knew how to perform, taking the microphone off him and Gareth encouraged them to carry on while he and Pete sang backing vocals! Then that was the end and there was no encore, just an announcement that CDs and posters would be on sale and photos with Gareth could be taken. As usual there was a good queue of people waiting to see Gareth. Jess and Wendy were selling the CDs and Charl was around somewhere. Surprisingly I saw no sign of Paul, as he's normally around having a chat with fans. When I got to see Gareth, he gave me a lovely hug and asked how I was. I asked about his voice and said I'd seen him rubbing his throat. He was clearly not happy about it and said that it's not very strong at the moment. I told him to look after his voice and that I was excited about panto being in Crewe and that I'd be there a few times! Then Jess took a photo and after another hug I moved away. I hung around to watch Gareth chatting to other fans, then went to chat to Nicola who I've met several times before and is always very appreciative of the support for Gareth. Shortly after, Gareth finished and left the area. It was lovely to see Gareth again and I'm very pleased that I went. The drive home went smoothly. Now the next thing I've got booked is Redditch ... in October! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorksheather Posted March 17, 2015 Report Share Posted March 17, 2015 Thank you Linda for posting your excellent informative review of your visit to Skipton to see Gareth , which I really enjoyed reading . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khelda Posted March 17, 2015 Report Share Posted March 17, 2015 Thank you for your great report Linda, sounded like people had fun at the do, Such a shame that his voice is not healed yet. Great also that you could chat to his family and Pete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garethsmelody Posted March 17, 2015 Report Share Posted March 17, 2015 Thank you Linda for your report. I felt like I was in the venue. So sorry about Gareths voice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest NicolaJayne Posted March 17, 2015 Report Share Posted March 17, 2015 Thank you for your lovely detailed report of the show Linda, I really enjoyed reading it, and with all your travelling miles to see Gareth, no one deserves it more to have the Panto in your home town. I was born and bred in Keighley, so know Skipton well, lovely little market town. Makes me feel quite homesick. It is a worry that Gareth is still suffering with his voice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternal Posted March 17, 2015 Report Share Posted March 17, 2015 Wow a gig that I didn't realise anyone from here was going to and we have such great reports from it. Thankyou. Lindajan what an informative report. Give up the day job and take up reviewing Gareth's gigs!! Good to see the set list. Surprised there was no playing the piano but as we know with Gareth, there is usually a reason for such things. Obviously one focuses on the report of the throat and the note avoidance. One hopes with a packed year ahead of singing, the voice is going to be ok. Glad you had a fantastic night and how lovely of Gareth's family to be present too. Am hoping you decide to visit another gig before Redditch in October Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val4Gareth Posted March 17, 2015 Report Share Posted March 17, 2015 Thank you for your lovely report Linda and for the set list. . Very worrying about Gareth's voice. I just wish he'd cut back on singing the rocky numbers to give it a chance to heal properly. Sounds like a great night. I'm with you on the surprise Chris. Before the gig I was talking to June (she used to post but has lost her login details) She went to Skipton and she said she'd send me a report so i could post it up. I was so grateful when thinking it would be the only one we'd have. Now we'll have at least three. She's going to e-mail it to me tonight so I'll post it up as soon as I receive it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ValR Posted March 17, 2015 Report Share Posted March 17, 2015 Thanks so much Doris and Linda, you are both much better than I am at describing the evening, and I really enjoyed the company. As always it was a really brilliant evening though I do think Gareth had to curtail it because of his throat problems, feel so sorry for him that he is still suffering. Looking forward to reading June's report as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest NicolaJayne Posted March 18, 2015 Report Share Posted March 18, 2015 That's great that you are getting June's report Val, shame she can't get on here. I also thought that no one from here was going to this gig so have really enjoyed reading all the reports and will look forward to reading June's too, the more the merrier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val4Gareth Posted March 18, 2015 Report Share Posted March 18, 2015 Here is the report June sent to me. I've given her the link to this thread so that she can read the other reports if she wants. I hope this is ok On Strurday I went to see Gareth at the Mart Thratre in Skipton, it was so lovely having Gareth doing a gig so close to home, and being in Skipton we got a free hotel (my sister’s house). I went with my sister Jean and her friend Anne, my friends Karen and Jill (I know Jill from Pilates and she came to see Gareth for the first time on his Acoustic Tour in Manchester, after which she booked to see him again in Skipton We all met at Jean’s house and got a taxi up to the Mart Theatre, I was really impressed how nice it was there, we had a drink in the bar before going in … I had reserved seats at the front, so I was fairly close to the stage. Jai came on about 7.40 for about 40 minutes and then there was a break. Gareth came on about 8.45, he looked amazing, his first song was “Free” and he sounded amazing too … he also sang Sunshine, Anyone of Us, All of Me, Stay, Sentimental, Suspicious Minds, Hold on Tight, Angel on My Shoulder and Unchained Melody … Then we all got up for the last part, I was stood right in front of Gareth, I can’t explain how fantastic that was for me, as when I was sat down even though only about 3 metres away I can’t see him clearly so being stood about 3 feet away is just heaven … to be able to see him perform on stage and the last few rockier songs too, when he’s giving it some … WOW. He sahg Summer of 69, Don’t Stop Me Now, and when he sang Livin’ on a Prayer I must have been so mesmerised watching him it took me a moment to realise he had put out he hand to me when sing “Take my hand …” His last song was Spirit In The Sky during which three girls (one at a time) got up on stage two of which were really good, Gareth left them with the microphone and went and joined Pete with backing vocals. Gareth was on for about an hour and then after wards he did a Meet & Greet where you got a signed CD & Poster and photo with Gareth. Gareth family were there but sorry I couldn't see who, I know Wendy was as Gareth mentioned her re Mothers Day and Angel On My Shoulder. It was a fantastic gig and meeting Gareth afterwards was the perfect end to an amazing night. I have some videos that I will put on Facebook / Twitter, you are welcome to bring them on here . Love June x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garethsmelody Posted March 18, 2015 Report Share Posted March 18, 2015 Val thank you . June thank you loved reading your account of your day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest NicolaJayne Posted March 18, 2015 Report Share Posted March 18, 2015 Another lovely report, thank you Val for putting June's report on here for us all to see. I have loved reading all the great reports on here as it doesn't seem at the moment that I am going to be seeing Gareth in person anytime soon. Maybe June could get her details sorted and back to posting on here as she is an avid Gareth fan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest NicolaJayne Posted March 18, 2015 Report Share Posted March 18, 2015 Forgot to say really looking forward to seeing June's pics and videos, hope we can get them on here too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorksheather Posted March 18, 2015 Report Share Posted March 18, 2015 Thanks to June for writing out a great report on Gareth's Skipton gig . I'll look forward to your videos, and thanks Val for posting . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternal Posted March 18, 2015 Report Share Posted March 18, 2015 Another surprise. A report from June. Thanks for posting it Val. We can always get June logged back in if she wishes. Just let us know and we will be only too happy to help. Loved the report. Nice to know about the friends she went with too. Sounds like she had a fabulous night. Would be a real bonus to see any recordings taken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val4Gareth Posted March 18, 2015 Report Share Posted March 18, 2015 June has uploaded Free and All Of Me from Saturday. You can hear how much Gareth is struggling with his voice. Still sounds great though. Stay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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