Since their last visit in 2011, Mike + The Mechanics have constantly been on tour celebrating their greatest hits. With a handful of new songs, the band visited Cardiff with the usual Mechanics in tow apart from one addition Tim Howar sharing vocals with Andrew Roachford taking more of a back seat .
In a performance leaning more towards musical theatre than rock Howar blasted out core classics such as Begger on the Beach , and Nobody’s Perfect , which got the Cardiff crowd on their feet. Roachford provided the soul, and an extended version of his own Cuddly Toy, was memorable.
The group’s, 90-minute set was full of pristinely played music and with Mike Rutherford on top form, the classics were as good as you remembered. The newer numbers stood up well alongside them, incorporating a similar 1980s sound with a healthy Genesis influence.
The group covered two Genesis songs, Turn it On Again and I Can’t Dance – and while it showed neither singer is Phil Collins, the songs didn’t suffer for the change; they were different, but just as passionate.
On the whole this was an evening for the die hard fan . As an encore, the band upped the volume with All I Need is a Miracle, ending a night of pure nostalgia in style.
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