Mike And The Mechanics – The Show Goes On In Halifax

When your chief mechanic has broken his hip, in this case Mike Rutherford, what happens when you have a lengthy tour to complete? In true show business fashion, the show goes on, and at the Victoria Theatre in Halifax, Rutherford, along with his talented band, proved the point in an impressive and polished performance.

For over forty years, the Genesis guitarist and bass player has been contributing to his side project. The current lineup of the band includes Phil Collins' son Nic on drums, Andrew Roachford on keyboard and vocals, and West End and Broadway musical singer Tim Howar.

Using his theatrical experience, Howar commanded the audience throughout. Songs originally sung by Paul Young of Sad Cafe fame, like All I Need is a Miracle and Word of Mouth, were recreated with style and substance.

The inclusion of some old Genesis tracks satisfied the faithful; naturally, the twenty-three-minute epic Supper's Ready was unachievable. Instead, the more commercial tracks such as Land of Confusion, Invisible Touch, Follow You, Follow Me, and I Can't Dance maintained the show's pace.

Two new songs premiered bode well for the prospect of a new album with East and West of the Sun sounding the better of the two.

Roachford showed that he still had plenty of gas left in the tank with a rousing version of his introductory hit, Cuddly Toy – his soulful voice sounding even better than when the track was first released back in the eighties.

If they had performed the various solos during the last song, Word of Mouth, earlier in the set, they probably would have worked better. Their inclusion in the final track seemed misplaced, but apart from that it was a flawless show from some of the best musicians in the world in this well-oiled machine.