photo supplied by Factory Facebook page.
Well…prior to Friday night i’d promised Andy,Tony,Jaffa and Lol a review of the gig. I cannot write a dispassionate ‘review’ as Sarah H has already posted the night was full of nostalgia, memories and emotion, bang on Sarah. It wasn’t just a gig it was an event. Forty four years on from writing the first review of Factory for my column the years as ive already posted melted away. From launching off with Call of The Wild to closing with Born to Be Wild the guys set the Carlisle on fire, displaying an energy many a younger band would struggle to find. Castle on The Hill, Angel from the Sky, Behind Blue Eyes (loved it) a reference back to the Daltrey days, Am I Mad all simply great. By the time Lols Jig/Jig a Jig arrived, Tony your fiddle playing and acrobatics..amazing I was watching the huge smiles on the faces all around me. And there you have it the crux of a gig the way you make your audience feel, clearly mesmorised.
So many memories and emotions running through so many years. And for the younger guys there a chance to see what talent Hastings has produced and continues to do. Time Machine sounded as powerful, if not more so, than 1970!
The ‘encore’ of Same Old Story and Born To Be Wild closed a night we’ll all remember for a long time. And speaking of a long time, I don’t think I can hang on another 40 years to write the next review! Come back soon. And Lol I expect you to use those sticks I gave you, even if they are nearly as big as you!
Yvonne Cleland… May I add – Andy as host, guitarist, vocalist and keyboard player and athlete was a dynamo who held it together as a show, Laurie on drums was a daemon whose faces, antics, singing and drumming were mesmorising and held the music together – along with Jaffa who also kept the rhythm section together with superb bass-playing, and whose clear vocals moved me to tears at one point, and last but not least the extraordinary Tony Qunta whose virtuoso playing on guitar and violin is something I will never forget. What jigs. What a night. Unbelievable. I’m so grateful I could be there. I want more. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Andy Qunta… Thanks, Colin! Everybody has been very kind! We gave it our all, and had a great time! See you at the next one! Yes – there will be a next one!
Mark Praid… A first time for me and I was smiling through and through. A great show.
Peter Millington… Did anyone video this memorable event? Such things weren’t possible in the early 1970s but surely now it must have been captured.
Phil Thornton… very nostalgic for me ! – my first experience of bands was going to Factory practices at ‘Hatters’ and roadieing for them in order to get in to their gigs free ! I was about 14 at the time and should not have been in most of the venues !!
Dave Nattress… To Factory and all the guys and girls who have posted follow-up messages, somehow this really, really, touched us all and that it was so very, very long ago since we last saw the band – 40 years, or so, obviously made it so much better and such an incredible event. Just think back, what the heck have we all done in the last 40 odd years, where we’ve been, loved, lost, maybe loved and found again, where we’ve worked, friends and family we’ve lost, friends and families we now have – all the good and bad that’s happened in this world, so very much in that time and for those of us lucky enough, we got back together for a few hours. Sorry, this has got a bit of a screed – I’m just knocked out and jet/time-lagged, that Factory were so good!!!!
Andy Qunta… Well put, Dave! I know what you mean!
Mike Curtis… It was quite simply a very special evening. And I can tell people that “I was there”. Still buzzing!
Jim Breeds… My legs ached so much the next morning! I was hopping up and down and bouncing on my toes most of the night. It seems that I may not be 18 any more! When did that ‘appen!?
Playlist:
photo by Terry Wright
