Gig review: The Sweet at Holmfirth Picturedrome

The band served notice of intent as they began the set with a blistering rendition of their hit Action which was swiftly followed by the album track New York Groove, originally a hit for fellow Glammers Hello, Sweet covered it on their 2020 album ‘Isolation Boulevard’.

The ‘Boulevard’ connection continued with a track from the 1974 album ‘Desolation Boulevard’, Burn On The Flame.

The five-piece band was on top form as they turned up the power with the classic hits Hell Raiser and The Six Teens and followed them with four newer tracks including the latest single Everything.

Original member and guitarist Andy Scott (who joined the band in 1970, was entertaining in his stage announcements, but was deadly serious in his attack on anti-vaxxers, saying that the more people who didn’t get vaccinated endangered the live music scene.

The rest of the band were consummate musicians with new-boy Tom Cory (from the Andy Scott produced-band The Novatines) on keyboards, Lee Small on bass, ex-Cats In Space vocalist Paul Manzi and Bruce Bisland (who has been behind the drum kit for 30 years).

The sell-out audience was on its feet for the anthemic Teenage Rampage, which is always a crowd-pleaser and tonight was no exception.

Now, back ion the day, The Sweet was classed as Glam Rockers – and before that, their music was placed in the ‘bubblegum’ genre. But in a live setting – and on the band-composed single B-sides – the band could out-rock anyone and it was this side of the band we were seeing on stage. But that didn’t deter them from paying homage to the ‘bubblegum’ era with a medley of Wig Wam Bam and Little Willy.

The hard rock returned with the tour de force that is Love Is Like Oxygen which gets a Progressive twist as the band launches into ELP’s Fanfare For The Common Man in the middle section.

The main set ended with Fox On The Run but the band returned for a two-song encore comprising the song for which the band will always be remembered – Blockbuster, and Ballroom Blitz.

It might have been only a 90-minute set, but it was 90 minutes of hard rock, classic hits, great music and everybody went away happy.