UK Concert Reviews

Monkeemania 2002 U.K.

‘Never Enough’.

I arrived home yesterday after travelling across Britain following the Monkees 2002 tour.  I have known that the guys were coming since last March so it has been a very long wait but well worth every minute of it.

The first show was held at the Clyde Auditorium in Glasgow on the 21^st March.  Each show followed the same format although the songs performed, the shirts worn and the jokes told varied from one show to the next.

In Glasgow David perform his ‘Oliver’ medley but criticism from the press caused him to leave it out of the other five concerts that I saw.  ‘Girl’ was not sung in all the shows, ‘Manchester Boy’ was only song in Manchester.  I can only remember ‘She Hangs Out’ appearing in Birmingham and London.  Micky singing ‘Since I fell for you’ left me rooted to the spot as always listening intensely, although it had an extra special edge to it in Manchester.  ‘Circle Sky, Porpoise Song and Listen To The Band’ was just amazing.  They seem to have a power to them that I have never heard before.  I am not to keen on ‘Valleri’ or ‘Steppin’ Stone’ but to watch these songs being performed live was just brilliant.  Micky only got behind the drums once whilst singing ‘Mary, Mary’, which is just as well as it was hard to see him.  Boy wasn’t he brilliant.

Both the guys looked really good in all the clothes that they had chosen to wear during their performances.  Micky wore leather trousers, which he looks brilliant in.  A black jacket and a red shirt was worn during the first few songs followed by a red and black shirt, which was not worn in ……………   The black shirt with a white design on it saw Micky through ‘Goin’ Down’ and a few other numbers too, then a quick change into the blue silk shirt for ‘Since I fell for you’.

David also wore leather trousers, which I know thrill a fan or two.  He teamed them with a white shirt and black jacket, removing the jacket after a few numbers claiming that he was hot.  This brought clapping and cheering from the audience who were hoping he was about to repeat his ‘Flash Tour’ performance and remove all his clothes.  He later changed into a red shirt and dark trousers but for the last two concerts he wore a black sparkly shirt instead of the red one. 

Micky and David spent a lot of their time close to the edge of the stage, which gave the audience plenty of opportunity to take photographs.  If David noticed that he was about to have his photo taken he would pose, loving every minute of the extra attention he was being given.  Both Micky and David interacted with the audience, throwing out witty remarks to comments made at them by the crowd. 

The audience fed of the guys and equally the guys fed of the audience.  Loving every minute of it, having fun and laughing equally as much as the people who they were entertaining.  They interacted with each other brilliantly and their timing on the whole was perfect.  The showed an enormous amount of enthusiasm and had the vitality and energy of men half their age.

We heard all the old jokes like ‘I have four daughters all girls’ and the one about hiding your own Easter eggs.  New ones were added like ‘The face that launched a thousand lunch boxes’, a reference to Helen of Troy.  A new sketch was added which left me laughing so much that my stomach hurt and tears rolled down my face.   There were several jokes referring to alcohol, which must have been their way of dealing with the bad press they received in the past.

Tour merchandise included a new C.D. entitled ‘Monkeemania 2002 Live In Toronto’, which has 19 tracks all songs that are performed during the concerts.  A C.D. that everyone who goes to the concerts have to buy to remind them of what a great time that had in years to come.  The also had the Live in Vegas C.D for sell. There was a hat with the logo on, a choice of three 2002 tour t-shirts one of which is called a shinny t-shirt especially for women fans.  There was also two tour t-shirts from last summer’s tour and last years tour programme, which I must say was a disappointment as I thought it would be nice to have a new one.  My favourite item is the key ring, which as the logo and date on it.

The guys had brought an eight piece backing group with them consisting of the usual people they work with. Aviva got to pinch David’s bum and he kissed her too so she was the envy of half of the audience.  Dave Alexander did his Meat Leaf impression and the horn section did they funny dance whenever they could. All this added to the fun and excitement of each concert. 

The audience were given the treat of their life but all too quickly the tour was over but I know that thousands of people had a wonderful time and will carry the memory with them forever because Micky and David are still Monkeeing around after all these years.  Thank you guys.

The song list is not in order and is only what I remember.

The song list.

Circle Sky.

I’m A Believer.

Daydream Believer.

I Wonna Be Free.

I’ll Love You Forever.

Steppin’ Stone.

Alternate Title.

Porpoise Song.

Listen to the Band.

Oliver Melody (Glasgow only).

Since I Fell For You.

For Pete’s Sakes.

Pleasant Valley Sunday.

Clarksville.

Girl I Knew Somewhere.

Look Out Here Comes Tomorrow.

Girl (not all shows).

No Time.

It’s Nice To Be With You.

That Was Then, This Is Now.

Manchester Boy. (Manchester only).

She Hangs Out. (not all shows).

Mary, Mary.