In Conversation With Michael Pickering (Jersey Boys)

The Four Seasons had a sound nobody had ever heard and the radio just couldn’t get enough of it. But while their harmonies were perfect onstage, off stage it was a very different story - a story that has made them an international sensation all over again.

This is not just another jukebox musical, this a real story behind the success of the Four Seasons. It tells of their formation, the marriage breakdown of lead singer Frankie Valli whilst years out on the road touring, and how he lost his 22 year old daughter and how it all added to the frictions that started to break up the band when debt problems arose.

Set against a musical soundtrack that includes hits such as Beggin’, Working My Way Back To You, Bye Bye Baby and Oh What A Night the show takes the audience through the highs and lows of the group's success.

North East born Michael Pickering plays Valli in this much loved touring production. I caught up with Mike ahead of the northern shows to chat about the musical.

Were you always a fan of Jersey Boys show?

I have always liked the music of the Four Seasons but I never realised the story that went on behind the music and who the individuals involved were.

The music industry today is a different world, back in the time when the Four Seasons started it was about longevity and keep on going, whereas people’s attention span is much shorter these days, and an artist might get five minutes of someone’s attention before they move on to the next thing.

Did you do any research on the Four Seasons before going for the audition?

I watched the band on YouTube and interviews Frankie did over the years, though I never knew all the undercurrents were going on in the background.

Do you enjoy all the touring?

Absolutely. I love my job and every show is special. It will be good to get back up to the north east and on home turf when the show plays Sunderland Empire for two weeks in March. I am also excited about playing the Alhambra in Bradford as I have never been there before, it sounds to have a lot of heritage.

Do you get any days off on the tour?

Not many. I try to keep a routine going when on tour, and get to the gym too. It is easy to put it off and say I will go next week. It's good there are a lot of gyms in the different towns and cities we perform.

I keep myself in shape as I got bronchitis before Christmas, once you go down with something like that it is hard to recover quickly.

Did lockdown present you with new opportunities?

All theatre work came to a halt. One of the first things to close and one of the last things to re-open. My partner Georgia Lennon moved in with me during lockdown and we formed a musical duo called One Trick Pony playing country music. I've always liked country music as the songs tell a story, there are so many niches such as pop country, rock country. We are playing at the Millport Festival in Scotland in August which we are both looking forward to.

Have you had any really bad jobs in the past?

I have been quite lucky over the years, I enjoyed being a waiter as it kept me very focused on the job, a lot like acting really. I think probably the worst job was one of the tribute bands I was in as you would end up getting in a van with three others and you had no idea what type of audience you could end up playing to.

We did some really tough Working Men’s Clubs but on the flip side you might end up singing at a wedding reception.

Why should our readers come to see the Jersey Boys?

It is not a tribute show to the Four Seasons as some people might think - there is a real story to discover behind the success of the act and the songs have stood the test of time. After the recent events of the last two years the show is an uplifting one that you can see time and time again and enjoy.