Bob Catley
Civic Bar, Wolverhampton
Concert review by Ian Harvey

There was a real family atmosphere as veteran Midlands rocker Bob Catley brought his solo acoustic tour to Wolverhampton.

As his mother, sister and daughter cheered along with friends, family and fans in the Civic Bar, the Magnum frontman showed why he is regarded as a real singer’s singer.

With the original date at the Little Civic being sold out, Catley’s performance was promoted to the larger venue next door, and he comfortably filled that room, showcasing his remarkable vocal range and showmanship.

Soaring, uplifting songs are Catley’s trademark and the Staffordshire-based singer delivered these effortlessly, ably assisted by former Dare and Ten guitarist Vinny Burns on six and twelve-string duties.

The set covered Catley’s entire solo career, taking in early highlights like Scream and Madrigal, by way of Return Of The Mountain King, Spirit Of Man, My America and three songs from his latest album, Immortal.

There was a nod to Burns’ past with the inclusion of Dare’s Abandon as well as one of Catley’s many side projects with Avantasia’s Sign Of The Cross.

But perhaps the highlight of the night was The Pain, a song about (and dedicated to) one Elvis Aaron Presley, and delivered with a passion that filled the room, and a voice which shows no sign of faltering.

Earlier, support came with a short acoustic set by David Thompson and Paul Uttley of Lost Weekend, a band which has a long association with Catley. Their melodic rock sounds transferred happily to the acoustic format and they had no problems getting the crowd cheering along.