GUITAR EXPRESS
The stranger/ Mustang/ Shane/ Giant /My resistance is low /Find me a golden street /Rumble /Some are lonely /Binocle??(original composition) /Bongo blues / Big boy /The boys /Tales of a raggy tramline /South of the border

GUITAR SYNDICATE (* with Brian 'Licorice' Locking)
Santa Ana /It's a man's world /Genie with the light brown lamp /Deep purple / Sleepwalk /Return to the Alamo /Had to be /Dakota* /Atlantis* /Dance on* / Don't cry for me Argentina* /Thing me jig /All I ask of you* /Summer love '59 /Guitar tango /Sacha

JET HARRIS ( with the Rapiers and Cliff Hall ; * with Zoe McCulloch)
Man with the golden arm /36-24-36 /Kon-tiki /Man from Nowhere /Nivram / Man of mystery /Stand up and say that /Gonzales /Scarlet O'Hara /Theme from something really important /Applejack /Besame mucho /Here I stand * /Diamonds

BRUCE WELCH'S MOONLIGHT SHADOWS
Chatanooga choo choo /Shindig /Frightened city /Peace pipe /Quartermaster's stores /Rise and fall of Flingel Bunt /Breeze and I /Rogrigo's guitar concerto / Foot tapper /Wonderful land /Temptation /Theme for young lovers /Shadoogie / Mozart 40 /Apache /The savage /Third man theme /Riders in the sky /Theme from 'The Deer Hunter' /Time is tight /Let me be the one (v) /Lady of the morning (v) /Marmaduke (v) /Faithful (v) /Please Mr Please (v) /Lonesome mole (v) /Big 'B' /You don't have to say you love me /Equinoxe V /FBI

Report by Rob Humphreys, photos by Dave Dixon

Guitar Express from France opened the afternoon with some fine renditions of Shadows tunes we know and love and were followed by Guitar Syndicate from Belgium (they played here last year also). Again some splendid and faithfully recreated Shadows numbers but halfway through they were joined by Brian 'Licorice' Locking on harmonica. Brian's harp was only amplified by the microphone but it made a big impact and an extra dimension to the material.

Then it was the turn of the younger generation - from various Shadows clubs throughout the UK they performed to UB Hank backing tracks. Average age around 12; they were excellent and the future of our favourite music is safe in their hands. Bruce presented each one with a brand new Fender or Burns guitar. Two regulars from past years were Nick Kellie and Zoe McCullough and they don't really count as ''youngsters'' any more. Nick 16 is studying full time at the Guitar Institute in London and gave his version of Hard Day's Night from Hank's new CD. Some excellent, clean and confident guitar work from Nick brought great applause. Then it was Zoe's turn - just a few years younger than Nick she appears to have a great future ahead as already she has guested on Jet Harris' 'Phoenix Rises' CD. Her two numbers Moonlight Shadow and This Ol' House were simply stunning and the extra fills and licks she managed to squeeze in were unbelievable.

After the interval it was Jet Harris & The Rapiers. Jet pounded out all the usual hits, Scarlett O'Hara, Nivram, Theme From Something Really Important, Applejack, Besame Mucho etc. and told some jokes. For Here I Stand he had Zoe back on stage to recreate her recorded duet with Jet and then finished with Diamonds. The Rapiers were in fine form but sadly were allowed to perform no solo numbers - a shame as they deserved that!

Then to the finale with Bruce Welch's Moonlight Shadows.Bruce on rhythm guitar, Phil Kelly on lead, Bob Watkins on drums, Alan Jones on bass and Cliff Hall on keyboards. Bruce looked in fine condition and thanked everyone for their kind messages after his recent illness. The Shadows favourites now came thick and fast but this time Bruce had decided to include some rarer material too. It was a marvellous atmosphere with the band in full flow and Phil Kelly played Hank's lead parts effortlessly. Barry Gibson also guested on lead guitar too for some numbers.

Bruce then recreated the Marvin, Welch & Farrar era with some gentle
acoustic numbers and brought in the Rivers Brothers to sing harmonies. Bruce
also paid tribute to John Rostill and gave a wonderful vocal version of Please Mr Please. Then back to Shadows mode for the final few numbers, finishing off with the usual rousing FBI and it was over all too soon.

All in all a tremendous occasion - will there be another next year? Probably because as long as Bruce is prepared to do the show we will go and see him.

- Rob Humphreys May 2000