Lipstick On Your Collar
The Embassy Theatre
Skegness
06 April 2023
Returning to their spiritual home from home, Nicola Seeking Smith and her team of multi-instrumentalists bring their new, revamped show for 2023 to their dedicated fan base. This tribute to the music of the 50s and 60s remains true to its roots and the ability to accurately recreate the sound remains despite changing up a gear and bringing a new stage setting to the show.
The staging of the show has been re-jigged with the white grand piano now given prominence centre stage and the drum kit to the side and more forward, allowing both drummer Toby, and keyboardist Kevin to be properly seen rather being lost further back on stage and new lighting makes real impact in this iteration of the show too.
Opening with a piano centre stage, the band launched into Dick Dale and the Deltones' 1963 instrumental powerhouse hit Misirlou. New guitarist Tom, stood atop the piano performing some blistering licks and bringing the fire to the show immediately on its opening before the arrival of leading lady Nicola Seeking-Smith.
Flashing her trademark smile to lights up the entire room, the love and warmth that is born out of her relationship with her dedicated fanbase is evident to all. Her retro style remains as it always has and the cameraderie between the members of the band is clear. Managing to perform post-COVID, it is not obvious how much Seeking-Smith is struggling to bring her show to Skegness, though it is obvious chatting to her after the show how much the illness has taken out of her but clearly Doctor Theatre and her fans provide the pick-me-up she needs.
There is a revised song list for the show but it is barely noticeable as the new songs are instantly recognisable. I did notice that the skiffle set has gone and is replaced with a Two Eyes Coffee Bar set featuring Tommy Steele's Rock With a Caveman and Singing The Blues. I was pleased that any temptation to underplay the importance of the British Scene of the 50s had been put to one side as it is a story that needs to be told, rather than whitewashed with the story that everyone was madly into the American records of the era when they were rarely available outside ports like Liverpool.
Lipstick On Your Collar remains a joyous, colourful experience and the big nummbers like Fever and I Who Have Nothing remain - why fix it when it's not broken? The Brenda Lee and Connie Francis hits are delivered with real attack and sound as if written specifically for the show and the singer here tonight, along with hits from Cilla, Little Eva and Sandie Shaw. I always enjoy the Petula Clark hit Downtown and was delighted by it's inclusion in the set.
The show still retains it's Everly Brothers' duet All I have To Do is Dream, between Nicola and Dan sat on the front of the stage and this time, they added another of my favourite period tunes, Everyday by Buddy Holly whereby Toby comes forward to play percussion a la Jerry Allison of the Crickets by slapping his legs rather than playing drums as Kevin and Curtis accompany the performers with glockenspiels.
The second half of the show moves the action forward into the 60s and the rise of the British Beat Movement and it's American takeover. The tight harmonies required are always on point though I feared for Dan on his Beach Boys song as his voice cracked, and I worried that he may be suffering as Nikki had. Nevertheless, he recovered and continued as all good professionals should without making a big thing about it. Ilook forward to seeing him perform the song again when he is fully fit and can provide his usually flawless vocal.
Lipstick On Your Collar happily announced that the show will be returning to Skegness once again this August. If you haven't seen the show before I thoroughly recommend it as a good old nostalgic night out, and if you have seen it before, I recommend it for exactly the same reasons! Come and see if you can pick out the changes in the show and let the team know what you think. I, for one, will be back to see the show in August, if I am free.
Andy Evans 07 April 2023
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