Francis Dunnery

Francis Dunnery's former group It Bites were never seen as fashionable even in their heyday, fast forward 33 years and Dunnery still might not be fashionable. He doesn't seem to care and appears to be enjoying himself more than he ever did.

Playing the debut It Bites album, The Big Lad In The Windmill in its entirety, the album at the time of its release in 1986 was seen as progressive rock which it might have been with elements of Genesis and Yes in there but there was also copious amounts of pop in there which meant the group gained a big hit with Calling All The Hero's.

Other than getting the original line up of It Bites together tonight is the closest you are going to get to hear the real thing played live again.

The Cumbrian born Dunnery clearly has his tongue firmly in his cheek. Before the band appear on stage what sounds like the voice of Peter Dickson, the X Factor voice over announcer proudly introduces the group, introducing Dunnery as weighing in at 320 pounds which is clearly wide of the mark, though if this was a boxing match he is still the champion of the ring!

All In Red was the perfect opener and you realise that they don't write songs as good as this anymore. He can still play the guitar with ease and makes it look so easy. He shares that his parents bought him his first guitar in 1978 and that the shop it was being repaired in burnt down, only for the guitar to resurface a few years ago when a fan appeared backstage with the original guitar.

There is even a gorilla, a pantomime horse and a fox appearing on stage throughout the gig and it felt like he wanted this not to be just another normal gig. He swaps to an acoustic guitar for a version of the Peter Gabriel hit, Salisbury Hill which showed where his musical influences lay.

Whole New World sounded perfect whilst Turn Me Loose now sounds slightly of it's time with its 80's synth lines used by many other groups of the period such as Go West.

A blistering version of You'll Never Go To Heaven was worth the admission price just to hear the sublime version with Dunnery making his guitar speak so soulfully.

His current line up replicate the harmonies note perfect and with his down to earth attitude it felt like he was talking to you as his best friend as he introduced each song.

Calling All The Hero's was as natural as ever before he and the band left the stage with Still Too Young To Remember. This was a gig to always remember.