Shakin’ Stevens brings the greatest hits tour to Bexhill

Shakin’ Stevens is bringing his greatest hits tour to Bexhill with a live gig at the De La Warr Pavilion on Wednesday March 6 from 7.30pm.
Shakin' StevensShakin' Stevens
Shakin' Stevens

Shaky is the most successful welsh artist of all time, and the highest selling British artist of the 80s, but this show is not about churning out his old hits such as Green Door, This Ole House, and Oh Julie.

Instead, Stevens will be reinventing these classics with the new signature rootsy Americana sound found on his previous album Echoes Of Our Time - his highest charting new release since 1983.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He said: “I’ve been going through my catalogue of songs in preparation for the tour, and re-introducing myself to the many and varied styles of music I’ve recorded during my solo career. From country rock to cajun, classic rock to latin, and blues to Americana I’ve had the pleasure of re-discovering the ‘jewels’ from my repertoire that are so well-liked. Of course there’ll be hits and some songs that I haven’t performed live on stage for a decade or two...so some surprises! I’ve also included well-known songs from other artists whose work I admire, together with album tracks and newer songs, bringing it right up to date. I can’t wait to get back on the road and to have a great time with the audiences.”

From the age of 15, Shaky - then Michael Barrett - sang with a band, performing in pubs, clubs and church halls, eventually even getting them a gig at the famous 2i’s. Starting from nowhere, and with “just pure determination,” Shaky soon became an unrelenting force in British music.

He commented: “I’m a great believer that you only get what you put in – and I put it in everything I could. When I started we were travelling in vans, at that time we couldn’t afford B&Bs, so after the gig the band would all climb in the back of the van with our fish and chips and then wake up in the morning - six sweaty musicians, all the gear around us, and you’d think - oh god. Then we’d go have a shave, a wash down and onto to the next gig. So it’s perseverance – I was determined to get there in the end. It took me a long time to get there, but here I am.”

The Greatest Hits – And More tour sees him travel across 18 cities in the UK, as well as Europe.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Shaky has an abundance of 33 hits, with 15 Top 10 singles that he describes as “brought up to date, but still recognisable.”

He is working on a follow-up to Echoes Of Our Times and will “keep on with the rootsy style.” Shaky said: “It suits and it’s a move forward for me. We recorded songs at the same times as Echoe’ so we’ve got stuff there to look at that could fit in. There definitely won’t be a photograph of me on the front cover, we’re not going back to that...I’ve got a lot, lot more to give yet.” Tickets from www.dlwp.com or 01424 229111.