Y and T, Islington 02, 2019

There is no support band tonight and we are straight into the main band. For a Y and T show you can rely on getting a great show with superb guitar and vocals. I have never seen them disappoint and tonight was also consistently great.

There was a build up though, kicking off with ‘Hurricane’, ‘Lonely Side of Town’, ‘Keep on Running’ and ‘Black Tiger’ the consummate playing is there from the start, but there is no doubt that as the band receive the love from this aficionado audience they blossom and grow in the limelight. Dave Meniketti shares heartfelt thanks with the audience for being with the band for 45 years and that they planned in celebration to do a song from every studio record they have done starting with at that moment ‘Come In From The Rain’ from ‘Ten’ with Meniketti finishing with his trade mark acapella line before the big crescendo finish.

Things really get going with ‘Mean Streak’ and ‘Midnight in Tokyo’ where the band are encouraged like the Japanese crowd did ‘to sing the lick’ as well as the words to which the crowd enthusiastically oblige, no doubt also egged on by the carrot that he performance is being recorded tonight. ‘I Believe in You’ is simply beautiful and by now the energy is so intense that I got goosebumps just listening to the beauty of it all, just before Meniketti himself said he got goosebumps and looked like he was going to cry with the emotion, so I was definitely not the only one feeling the vibe.

People got into the traditional ‘Hey Hey Hey’ with fists for ‘Contagious’ with no one not taking part. Another definite highlight was the hit ‘Summertime Girls’ irrepressible in its bouncy energy and while more disposable perhaps that some of the band’s other classics it is a definite feel good moment. ‘Rescue Me’ kept the vibe high before the band closed with ‘I’m Coming Home’, ‘Sail on By’ and ‘Forever’.

Y and T are a classy band. You know what you are going to get and then, somehow they still leave you open mouthed with feelin and awe. Simply marvellous!

Dawn Osborne