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Non Fringe   2009

Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings

It is not every day that an all time rock legend graces the town of Dunfermline, however Thursday night was such an occasion. Legendry Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman was on stage at Dunfermline’s foremost theatre The Alhambra. And he was joined by a whole raft of his virtuoso friends to perform their style of music encompassing blues; jazz, rock ‘n’ roll even Cajun for the excess of two hours.
The accomplices were in no particular order legendry guitarist Albert Lee, rhythm and blues and jazz singer / keyboards player Georgie Fame, Terry Taylor guitar, Frank Mead and Nick Payn on saxes, Geraint Watkins keyboards and accordion, Graham Broad on drums and sweet singing sensation Beverley Skeete adding her vocal talents on top of the mix.
The collective cvs of these performers would run to pages of credits, suffice to say they are amongst the best in their field and based on the evidence on the night, there is no surprise in this fact.
From the onset the whole show just oozed professionalism and quality. I have to confess that jazz is no where near the top of my musical preferences; however this opinion could be revised if it was performed by this band. Each performer took centre stage at times to showcase their particular talent, and although Wyman’s name is on the band, he certainly is not dominant. He was even possibly understated, but always laying down a cracking bass line.
Special guest vocalist on the night was Gary U.S. Bonds, another blast from the past with an excellent track record in both blues and pop with a touch of country thrown in for good measure. Bonds certainly added to the experience.
Throughout the sound was crystal clear and the simply staged, almost basic set-up was most in keeping with the ambiance of the performance
For most of the near capacity audience the show could still be running I’m sure, and although the age group was generally mature, the most enthusiastic member I saw was a young lad about ten who stated the show as ‘just awesome.’ 
Highlights? Almost too many to mention but when Lee made the guitar talk, or Beverley Skeete was sharing her wonderful voice with us all, then the bar was raised slightly for me.
So if you get a chance to catch this tour, take my advice and do so. You most certainly will not regret it.
For tour dates check out www.billwyman.com and for the wide range of shows at The Alhambra www.alhambradunfermline.com
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