From: Stuart Borthwick
Dave Simpson Tuesday October 28, 2003 The Guardian
"The last time Kevin Rowland appeared on a British stage, he was recovering
from cocaine addiction and therapy. He was also wearing a dress and being
bottled off by the 1999 Reading festival crowd. Here, he strides from the
wings and announces: "Some of these songs won't be how you remember them.
The world has changed, so why shouldn't we?"
For the next 90 minutes, this umpteenth line-up of British pop's most
soulful chameleons reassess their back catalogue, remodelling the songs,
changing lyrics and interspersing narratives. There is new material and only
two "hits" - Come On Eileen and Geno, delivered to pandemonium - but,
perhaps surprisingly, Rowland is good for his promise not to pander to
nostalgia.
The most surprising aspect of this tour is that it leans towards a 1980s
album that was a commercial disaster. But while the failure of Don't Stand
Me Down effectively finished Dexys in 1986, the album has since been
acknowledged as Rowland's Pet Sounds, and he is relishing the opportunity to
perform its symphonic soul before an appreciative audience. "Come arrnnn
Kevin!" shouts someone. "I'm on!" he retorts. In sunglasses and beret, he
seems more relaxed these days. But on close inspection, the burning
intensity remains.
The decision to play theatres is bold and fruitful. The note-perfect band
are looking sharp, clad in 1930s suits (except violinist Lucy Morgan,
shimmering in a dress that probably isn't Kevin's).
Promoting Pete Williams to co-vocalist seemed an odd decision, but the
bassist, still alarmingly youthful, has a glorious voice and makes a fine
visual foil for Rowland. The only real wobble is an ill-advised cover of the
Commodores' Nightshift; many other songs outstrip their recorded versions.
But when a near 20-minute version of This Is What She's Like - a song that
failed to chart - prompts a standing ovation, it is proof that one of pop's
best-loved outfits have pulled off the unthinkable: a comeback that doesn't
soil their legend, and may even enhance it."
