28 April 2016
Jeff Lynne’s Electric Light Orchestra
At the O2
Reviewed by Don Urquhart
The Venue
We’ve been to a few shows at the O2. For Bob Dylan we were too high up and off to the side to see much of what was going on. We had a bit more of a view for Miranda Hart and Peter Kaye but the seats at the side are so banked that crampons and ropes would have been handy. On the way to the loo, one had to grab other members of the audience to keep one’s balance, and this created an atmosphere of anticipation and disdain along our row. For the ELO we were in the posh seats, in the belly of the hall at the back in lightly-banked tiers.
Mouths to Feed
I first came across the ELO in 1977. Out of the Blue knocked my socks off and I was soon devouring their complete oeuvre. And they are a rock ensemble you can use arty words about. I remember attempting to share my enthusiasm with a workmate. They created such a rich classical/rock mix. You mean they’ve got a violinist, he sullenly replied. These days Jeff Lynne uses a big team – three keyboard players, two cellists and a violinist together with three guitarists and a drummer. Richard Tandy, an ELO original, still plays piano. It’s a lot of mouths to feed, but it’s a big auditorium and our seats cost twice the price of a depressing afternoon at The Emirates.
On Our Feet
For 45 minutes we were entertained by an excellent outfit called The Feeling whose lead singer claimed that they sought to emulate ELO, but I thought they had a lot of Supertramp and The Eagles about them and were none the worse for that. For a septuagenarian Jeff Lynne is in remarkably good voice. His group’s MO is perfect replication of their studio successes and boy do they manage it. In front of us we had a line of yuppie types who seemed to drift straight in from Canary Wharf in time for Tightrope, for my money one of Jeff’s blander numbers. Then there was a bit of a wait while Jeff argued with his team about what came next, but that was the only hiccup and they were soon into Evil Woman which had the yuppies and the row in front of them on their feet and that’s where we all were for most of the next 90 minutes. At Mamma Mia and Bjorn Again I had been uneasy about wobbling around and joining in, but these were my heroes and the top item of my bucket list was being expunged.
All Over the World
It takes a lot for me to feel able to bond with Dockland yuppies but for a short period these were my best mates as was everyone else in the whole world. While All Over the World was playing a tear came to my eye despite it being among the most cheerful of anthems. It was something to do with me being in love with it for the thick end of four decades.
Microphone Location
Pointless to recite the set-list, but in Strange Magic everyone sat respectfully for one of the great love songs of the pop canon. It was followed by Rockaria with its explosive use of a marvellous soprano. Jeff took us though Telephone Line, Turn to Stone, Sweet Talkin’ Woman and Mr Blue Sky. It was great good luck that kept the microphone from my vicinity thus avoiding the amplification of my tuneless, approximate but sincere contributions. Me and several thousand others, I guess. Thanks Jeff, Richard and co. I can now die happy.
Please click here if you would like a weekly email on publication of the Shaw Sheet
