Colin Bailey and Friends, Dales Festival of Food and Drink, Leyburn
THIS was the first evening concert organised during the three-day food festival.
Headed by Colin Bailey, a Dalesman who has been entertaining in these parts for more than 30 years, he and his friends span three generations.
It was refreshing to see a line-up of teenage musicians along with adults taking the stage.
Starting with a couple of tracks from Jersey Boys, though in a slightly lower key than Franki Vali, they then performed a mix of ballads and popular music from down the years. The first set ended with The Living Years by Mike and the Mechanics.
The audience was encouraged to join in, which was easy, as the words were printed on the programme. After the break, the second set began with a selection from the musicals and moved on to Abba, Showaddywaddy and Billy Joel. For a finale, they chose Knock Three Times and finally, Simply the Best.
Bailey sang most of the songs but was happy to share the stage with Amy Fudali and the younger musicians, who were all well received by the appreciative audience.
The music was interspersed with the right level of narrative, and I was particularly heartened by Bailey's insistence that sound levels should be right for the venue.
Poor weather affected audience numbers but there is a chance to see Bailey and Friends on their forthcoming tour of the Dales. They are well worth hearing.
Philip Sedgwick
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