Mike and the Mechanics, Portsmouth Guildhall, REVIEW: ‘An immaculately executed show’

Although much has changed since their self-titled debut was released in 1985, Mike and The Mechanics’ current line-up has been touring together for almost a decade and it showed on Saturday night at the Guildhall.
Mike and the Mechanics were at Portsmouth Guildhall.Mike and the Mechanics were at Portsmouth Guildhall.
Mike and the Mechanics were at Portsmouth Guildhall.

Led by a charismatic Tim Howar, the band began with a slow-building performance of The Best is Yet to Come from their last album Let Me Fly, before playing 1995 hits Another Cup of Coffee and A Beggar on a Beach of Gold.

There was something for everyone in the rest of a highly polished first half; the room’s Mike Rutherford enthusiasts enjoyed a compromised version of Genesis’ Land of Confusion, while those old enough to remember the late 80s showed their appreciation for a long and lively take on Cuddly Toy – the biggest single of singer Andrew Roachford’s namesake band.

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The balance of old, new and borrowed continued after a short interval, with another Genesis cover Follow You, Follow Me played acoustically ahead of 2017’s Don’t Know What Came Over Me and What Would You Do? – one of only three new tracks on the band’s soon-to-be-released collection Out of the Blue.

The night’s newer tracks were met with a slightly muted response from the crowd, but there was more enthusiasm for a finale full of classics. The Living Years, All I Need is a Miracle, Over My Shoulder and Word of Mouth brought an immaculately executed show to a close, proving once again that when it comes to writing and performing soft-rock hits, few do it better than Mike and The Mechanics.

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