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Concert Review: The Monkees magic casts its spell at Echo Arena
THEY were the group regarded as the TV answer to The Beatles. It seemed fitting, then, that 45 years after they were formed, The Monkees were kicking off their 12-date reunion tour in the city where it all began.
The last time Davy Jones, Peter Tork and Micky Dolenz last shared a stage together was 14 years ago, and despite a truncated, rather sparsely filled Arena, anticipation was high.
I’m a Believer was the first song, and if it was a reference to their confidence they could pull off another tour it was well founded.
Wearing a raking black trilby, Micky Dolenz still had rock ’n’ roll running through him like letters through a stick of rock, while Peter Tork grooved away in a red silk Mandarin shirt and the ladies still screamed for Manchester-born and one-time Corrie actor Davy Jones, even if he does bear a passing resemblance these days to Ken Barlow.
“I used to be a heart-throb,” joked Davy. “Now I’m a coronary.”
But, judging by Mrs Davy Jones, the slinky Cuban dancer who joined him on stage for a shimmy to Daddy’s Song, he’s still got it.
Missing member Michael Nesmith was referenced early, with surprising candour. If the audience didn’t sing, said Micky – they sang and danced all through it – they would be involuntarily entered into a Nesmith lookalike competition. “Boo,” said Davy. “A fate worse than death,” muttered Tork.
