John Dowell reporting...

Now this was a gig to be approached with interest. Publicity said this was
going to be an Andy Unplugged type event, being recorded over two nights,
with a view to releasing a live cd in the future. Salisbury would be a
frantic drive after work but this would be worth it!

Then a couple of lucky breaks. I'm actually called away on business to
Winchester on the Friday afternoon, which is just 20 minutes drive from
Salisbury! With travel costs now covered by my company expenses, I also
manage to get a full tank of petrol during the fuel shortage, which ensures
my return journey after. The gig is on!

I understand Andy has played here before but the venue is new to me. It's a
disused church which has been converted, with a simple raised stage and
circular wooden tables (plus a bar of course!) I'm quietly sipping a pint
when I recognise Woody -a regular contributor to CATR- from the photos on
his website. I go and say hello and he kindly introduces me to other Sweet
fans. I'm so deep in discussions I don't notice the lights are fading and
the show is about to begin...

First up is a video show of film clips charting Sweet /Andy's career,
cleverly edited to a Sweet megamix soundtrack. Full marks to Kevin Smith and
Stewart Roney for putting this together - it runs for about 15 minutes and
rumour has it they could be thinking of sprucing it up for possible future
release. The quality of the video and editing is superb so it'll be well
worth looking out for!

Kris Gray then introduced Andy who came on to chat with some Sweet glam
stage clothes from the 70s- an indication of the relaxed and informal
evening that will follow. But first, a last minute opportunity to visit the
bar and chat to new friends before the fun begins.

Steve Grant and Ian Gibbons who will augment the sound with guitar and
keyboards join Andy on stage. First up is Kruggerrands, almost
unrecognisable when stripped down to an acoustic riff with some classy lead
by Steve. For a moment I'm reminded of Jon Bon Jovi and Ritchie Sambora's
reworking of Livin' On A Prayer...

Between songs Andy would chat and reminisce, recalling how the next song, Be
With You Soon, was discarded in favour of Honeysuckle Love on the first
album. It chugs along nicely with the help of an understated drum machine
and begins to take on a Poppa Joe - type feel with some steel drum
keyboards. Everyone's grinning and having a good time.

The anecdotes and humour kept flowing between songs. Evidently last night
had been a great success and the guys celebrated at the bar with five
bottles of champagne. Then another five back at Andy's place. Then the
serious drinking started. Steve admitted he was still feeling a little
frail!

Away from the Sweet mantle, Andy was able to dip into a few quality cover
versions. All Along The Watchtower and Joe Walsh's Life's Been Good were
stylish additions to the set, although the latter wasn't as tight as Andy
would've liked. "That one won't be on the album" he laughed. There was also
room for a new number; the bluesy Mend A Broken Heart. It was influenced by
some of the artists in Andy's studio recently, though he didn't reveal if it
would be on the new album or not.

During the Question And Answer session that followed, Andy kept us chuckling
with irreverent stories of the glory days. How his glam trousers split on
stage and the roadies stuck his crotch back together with silver gaffer
tape. How Brian leapt from an upstairs window onto an adjacent roof just
because " he thought he could do it...". The story of the little boy who
turned up at Mick's house asking why there was a dog barking on the
beginning of Action (it was actually Brian's laugh!). Andy has a droll sense
of humour and his memoirs would make interesting reading...!

There was even a mystery object section when Andy brought on a strange metal
foot pedal for us to identify. It actually turned out to be the onstage
effect used to make the siren intro to the next number...Blockbuster! We all
did our campest Steve Priest impressions to sing along as required! The set
drew to a close with a soft reggae Fox On The Run, complete with Skinhead
Moonstomp riff in the keyboards.

The best however was still to come and had been saved for the encore. First
there was Dream On, after a false start due to a keyboard programming
problem. Then Andy dedicated the last number to "absent friends...especially
Brian". The world stood still for a moment, as a haunting and sensitive
instrumental version of Oxygen followed, with Andy's mournful guitar playing
the melody. For classic reworking of Sweet hits this even knocks Bluesbuster
into a cocked hat. An absolute highlight of the evening to finish on....

Andy came out to the bar afterwards, relaxed and resplendent in a pair of
natty shorts! A childhood dream came true for me as I finally got to meet
the great man, albeit just for a quick photo and autograph.

There was time to buy one of Kevin's black and silver Andy Unsweetened T
shirts but all too soon people departed for long journey's home or in search
of a curry house. In fact that's my only complaint about the evening...it
was so good it seemed to be over in a flash!

It was an opportunity to enjoy a wider range of Andy's music history and the
quality of songs like Natural and of course Oxygen really shone through the
"unplugged" arrangements. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy various incarnations
of AS Sweet, but it was also fantastic to see the only performing member of
the original Sweet taking centre stage rather than leaving front man duties
to Jeff. A totally unique and intimate experience.

I hope Andy thinks about doing more like this in the future- especially for
the poor souls who couldn't travel because of the fuel strike. I can't wait
for the cd to come out, especially for the new classic version of Oxygen,
which deserves to be heard again and again...