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In the Opera House's promotional
material, the concert was billed as "The Definitive Drifters", which immediately
aroused my suspicions as to the credibility of the group which were coming. There
seems to be a proliferation of 'Drifters' groups, and the tag "definitive" could
easily have been a mechanism for avoiding lawsuits over the right to use the name on its
own. I know of at least one internet group which seems obsessed with discussing who
are and who are not bona fida Drifters. I was delighted when I read newspaper
articles proclaiming them to be the genuine article however and the evidence could clearly
be found in the concert programme. Plenty of photographs of the groups current
line-up singing alongside Johnny Moore being the most compelling. I was also
delighted that the event was a sell out as this was the first time the Opera House had
staged an R&B concert in the seventeen years I have lived in Jersey. I only hope
it means there is more to come.
The group brought their own MC who I have to confess I found a tad irritating.
They also brought their own five piece band which consisted of a drummer, bass
player, guitarist, keyboard player and trumpeter. Only Rohan Turney remained from
the line-up I had seen at Fort Regent in 2000. As other members of the group could
clearly be seen in photographs with Johnny Moore, the only explanation I can think of is
that he may well have been recruited from an alternative Drifters line-up. The
concert was all part of a 50th Anniversary Tour to celebrate the groups amazing half
century of existence. For me, the big appeal of this show was that they promised,
and kept to a pledge that they would only sing Drifter's original songs, and that no cover
versions of material by other artists would be included. This meant that they did
not restrict themselves to their better known sixties songs, but went right back to the
fifties to present some of their early doo-wop numbers. The style may sound dated
now, but the harmonies were exquisite. The ages of the group members ranged from 26
to 48 which may well provide the key to the Drifters longevity. Fresh blood
continually being brought in ensuring the voices are still strong and vibrant. It
pains me to admit it, but far too many sixties soul groups are now way past their sell by
date and should really call it a day. This group however through their constant
re-cycling still have many years ahead of them.
The main strength of this performance was that every member was a strong
individual singer so that the group were not carrying any dead wood. As artists of
equal stature they took turns in sharing the lead vocals, which again may provide another
clue to their longevity. How many other bands have split up because of internal
bickering or individual egos. Clearly with the Drifters no one member is bigger than
the group as a whole. The harmonies were sublime, but as noted in the JEP the
following day they did have a couple of off-key moments. The problem was reflected
in the choreography which also was very tight in the main, but included occasional
instances when one member was visibly out of sequence. These errors were few and far
between, and in a way added a charm to the performance. My main criticism of what
was a marvellous show was the full twenty minutes taken at the end to introduce individual
members of the group. This should be halved at the very least. To celebrate
their fifty years together the Drifters are set to release an album of entirely new
material. I have to confess that I may well be making an investment. |
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