The Sweet live at ‘Stars and Stripes Festival,’ Mt. Clemens, Michigan
July 2nd, 2011
Well, The Sweet are a band that for years and years, I admired and loved to be honest, back in those old teenage years and ‘Teenage Rampage’ couldn’t have been a better song for thinking with the rebel mindset! Ha ha!
I know, I know, what am I thinking writing that? Kids reading this today may well be influenced …!
I don’t think so somehow, as certainly all the kids I know today that are teenagers growing up, certainly appear to be – sadly – a lot smarter than we probably were and they are certainly a LOT more aware of what is going on in the world today, the only sad part is … Teenagers of today, very often just don’t care … So many don’t feel they need an education and that somehow or another, they’ll get by … Sad indeed that they can be so naïve, but … They are just kids, right?!
Anyway enough on that, yes I did love The Sweet, but sadly in my years of UK concert going from late 1978 to 2000, somehow or another I missed checking the band out in whatever shape or form they were in … Shame.
Of course original vocalist Brian Connolly passed away in 1997 from a heart attack, original drummer Mick Tucker passed away sadly from leukemia in 2002. Two classic Sweet line-up survivors remain today, guitarist Andy Scott who in fact was not a founding member, but was in the most successful line-up and original founding member Steve Priest on bass and vocals.
Both have their own versions of ‘The Sweet’ today.
Steve Priest is a solid bass player, who is still winning recognition for bassist of the year - http://www.thesweetband.com/press/Buzzle.jpg - and Stuart Smith on guitars / vocals, an immense talent in his own right - Check out the band / project, Heaven and Earth: http://www.heavenandearthband.com – Richie Onori on Drums (Also from Heaven and Earth), Joe Retta on vocals, great voice and front man and the band is completed by the very talented Stevie Stewart on keyboards / vocals. They are still playing big festivals across the US and Andy Scott’s Sweet is doing what...? Low key gigs across the UK ..?
Editor's additional note:
It seems I was quite wrong in my original estimation of Andy Scott. As the guy certainly seems to be out on the road, across most of Europe and the Eastern Bloc even, touring much more than the Sweet line up over here.
Seriously, I say all the best to both of them, enjoy it while you can right guys?
Editor's additional note:
It seems I was quite wrong in my original estimation of Andy Scott. As the guy certainly seems to be out on the road, across most of Europe and the Eastern Bloc even, touring much more than the Sweet line up over here.
Seriously, I say all the best to both of them, enjoy it while you can right guys?
The Sweet onstage at Mt. Clemens, Stars and Stripes 2011!
Photo Alun Williams©
Sorry, it’s just how I see it, also this line up of The Sweet late last year released the much recommended ‘Live in America’ album, perhaps I can do a retrospective review of that here to give you another clue on this act.
So the stage was set, there was a heat index here of around 100°F but there was a slight helpful breeze, phew, a scorcher indeed and a storm was threatened!
They hit the stage with ‘Action’ and I have to say, I love it! What a great song, without doubt as for a couple of years, Def Leppard took it and covered it as their own opener! Vocals are good and the band looks like they are having fun, even in the heat!
‘Hell Raiser’ fires up next and the wind is starting to get up and the sheeting around the stage is flapping, making it hard to take good pictures, but the crowd is up for it and enjoying the band.
Stuart Smith, what a player, I love his style, seriously good stuff!
Stuart Smith - Throwing shapes! Photo Alun Williams©
With ‘Teenage Rampage’ next, memories come flooding back from those teenage years of my own! It’s good stuff and it’s an appreciative crowd for sure, but there are some spots of rain coming down and it’s not looking good …
The Sweet - July 2nd 2011
L to R: Richie Onori, Stuart Smith, Joe Retta, Steve Priest and Stevie Stewart
Joe introduces ‘Love is Like Oxygen’ but the weather is really looking bad, the rain starts coming and before too long, people are running for cover as it becomes torrential and thunder is rumbling, but the band is still on and then it’s worse than ever and the band has to leave the stage, so they’re not electrocuted!
Joe Retta centre stage at Stars and Stripes. Photo Alun Williams©
The Sweet live at Stars and stripes ..., storm approaching! Photo Alun Williams©
Steve Priest with Joe Retta and Stuart Smith - Photo Alun Williams©
The storm continues for around thirty to forty minutes and people are still in front of the stage chanting, ‘We want Sweet, we want Sweet!’
As the storm and rain seems to abate, the crew gets up trying to dry everything that couldn’t be covered or what was covered after a lot of the rain hit already. An announcement is made that Sweet will return to finish their set!
The show must go on and go on it does!
At 8.15pm the band returns with an absolute killer rendition of ‘Set Me Free!’ They were here to play a show and that’s what they were going to do and the crowd welcomed them back with open arms.
Stevie Stewart keys and Stuart Smith’s guitars completely rock out here, some great Hammond rockin’ from Stewart and the interplay between both him and Smith is great!
Anyone still thinking these guys are pop rock are seriously mistaken, as they rock!
There were a few spots where some of the levels seemed a little off, but Stevie Stewart’s keyboards were on the side of the stage where the rain got through hardest. These guys are lucky they’re not getting shocked!
Stuart Smith - Ready to strike! Photo Alun Williams©
‘Fox on the Run’ for whatever reason, back in the day became my favourite Sweet tune, but I don’t know now after hearing ‘Set Me Free’ first hand, reminded me that so much of their album material deserves to be heard, I think I’m going to start digging out the old material!
The band were now back into their groove and ‘Sweet F.A.’ is up next and there’s more crowd taking notice of the band and rightfully so. Once more the keyboard work from Stewart interacting with Stuart Smith’s guitar work is excellent.
I have to make clear though, not so much mention of the other players is simply because they’re keeping it tight and Steve Priest’s supporting vocals are right there, to Joe Retta who’s doing a grand job throughout.
Richie Onori is a spot on, powerhouse drummer, who’s a joy to see play … I know I’m biased! LOL!
‘Blockbuster’ has all the crowd cheering , even if the USA wasn’t it’s most successful release territory and the band’s combined harmony vocals, show clearer here than at any other time, how strong together they are.
The Mt. Clemens crowd from the stage towards the end of the set. - Photo Alun Williams©
Sadly, ‘Little Willy’ is played, but since it was the band big breakthrough single here hitting number three back in ’72, hardly surprising that it gets such a great reception.
The song ‘AC/DC’ from the ‘Sweet Fanny Adams’ album, obviously caused a stir back in the day when it was released, but put simply it rocks, again emphasizing this band is beyond a shadow of a doubt, first and foremost a rock band and looking at the rock t-shirt’s (Thin Lizzy, Metallica, AC/DC, The Cult, Rolling Stones, etc) on the fans here, I think it speaks for itself! I had my England shirt on proudly …!
‘Ballroom Blitz’ closes the set to great applause and I know the fans would’ve liked more, but it was a festival and there were two final band still to play, who probably had to drop one or two songs of their own, from their sets, to allow Sweet to complete theirs.
Top - Stuart Smith, 'Well I guess we'd better get this cleaned up!'
Bottom - Stevie Stewart - 'How's my Macbeth here?!' Joe Retta to the side chats with out of shot Steve Priest.
All photo's Alun Williams©
A good and truly eventful show by this very good band, who I hope to see again, in the not too distant future! Thanks guys!
Rating: 4 out of 5 – All things considered, with the storm and everything else, I know for sure it would be better in a better situation and weather wise!
The impressive sky at Mt. Clemens, after the storm passed.
Photo Alun Williams©
Official band site:
Another couple of pictures showing the clean up effort after the storm. It suddenly hit so hard, I was just running to keep the camera dry!
