T.Rextasy
T.Rex were the giants of glam, and the princes of pop. Songs such as 'Hot Love' and 'Get It On' became instant pop classics.
My long-held antipathy towards tribute bands finally met its nemesis last night. With a knowledgeable friend reminding me that Danielz has been performing as a tribute Marc Bolan for longer than the real Mark Feld was alive, it seemed like an appropriate time to swallow my pride, dig out my platform shoes, and visit Epic Studios on a chilly Thursday night for a nostalgic helping of T-Rextasy.
Like many in the audience, I am old enough to remember the real T.Rex from my teenage years. The 'Bopping Elf' had already released four acoustic albums under the name of Tyrannosaurus Rex, but it was the recruitment of long-haired bongocero Mickey Finn, and the shortening of the band's name to T.Rex, that led to Bolan's first big success. 'Ride A White Swan' entered the charts in October 1970, and was only deprived of the coveted Number One spot by Clive Dunn and 'Grandad'. The rest is history. For the next three years T.Rex were the giants of glam, and the princes of pop. Songs such as 'Hot Love' and 'Get It On' became instant pop classics.
T-Rextasy, who advertise themselves as the world's only official tribute to Marc Bolan and T.Rex, have been performing since 1992. Lead singer Danielz looks and sounds exactly like how I would imagine a mature Marc Bolan to have become, had it not been for Bolan’s fatal car accident in South London back in 1977. The band's current line-up is completed by Neil Cross (rhythm guitar), Rob Butterfield (bass guitar), and John Skelton (drums). A notable omission, however, is any sign of a 'tribute' version of Mickey Finn. Whilst even Bolan admitted that Finn was hired more for his looks than his vocal abilities, a T.Rex tribute without Finn still seems a bit like having a Pet Shop Boys tribute without a doppelganger version of Chris Lowe.
However, over the course of two fifty-minute sets and twenty unforgettable songs – everything from 1968's acoustic 'Deborah' to the fading glory of Marc's 1974's final solo release 'Zip Gun Boogie', T-Rextasy takes the audience on a journey through the glory years, a time when T.Rex ruled the world of glam. Beginning the evening with earlier, lesser known numbers like 'Raw Ramp', 'New York City', and 'The Motivator', the evening is not totally chronological, but it is perfectly constructed, dropping the big hits like 'Metal Guru', 'Jeepster', 'Telegram Sam', and '20th Century Boy' at exactly the right moments to keep the audience totally rapt. By song eight Danielz is inviting us to get up and boogie – some already are, the rest need no further prompting. There will be some stiff backs and hips waking up in Norwich this morning.
And, as the second main set came to a close with the inimitable 'I Love to Boogie' (the song that gained new life with the film release of 'Billy Elliott'), and a mash-up of Oasis' 'Cigarettes and Alcohol' and Bolan's 'Get It On', my views and opinions about tribute acts have certainly changed. Epic Studios is just one of several venues that feature them strongly in their programming schedules, and purists will claim that this stifles original talent. However, as the booker at another local venue recently explained to me, one sold-out tribute night can earn enough money to finance several evenings where talented, but lesser-known original acts then get a chance to play.
However, for me, it was purely and simply a night to be 15 again. After a wonderful sing-along encore performance of 'Hot Love', there was a chance to reflect on a time when my two most favourite bands in the world were T.Rex and Emerson, Lake and Palmer. If you are reading this, Epic Studios, and you can organise an ELP tribute night, you could well see me racing up Magdalen Street again. Emerson Huntley & Palmer? Funfair For The Common Man? Brian Salad Surgery? Whenever you are ready. But please, preferably before my crumbling hips inevitably give way.
