March 2024 – The Final Interview? Frank Allen looks forward to the 2024 tour
Frank Allen’s Searchers News March 2024
Hi all,
I hope you are all well.
I suddenly realised that my news letter needed a bit of updating having last been posted in March 2023. Here we are a year on with the Thank You tour 2024 about to begin. My my, time certainly does seem to fly these days. I hope the excitement is mounting for you because it definitely is for we Searchers who are chomping at the bit especially as the memories of our previous venture are still pretty vivid in our heads. We knew it was going to be a success but we never knew just how successful and what fun it was going to be for us. So much so that the temptation to add this final part was just too good to resist.
It`s only twenty eight shows and they are spread over a three month period so it won`t be too taxing on us apart from one or two long drives which will have to be undertaken with great care. We are no longer spring chickens and have to take rather more precautions than we did in those long gone glory days when we were teenage idols.
The travel plans for the Scottish dates are now in place and we will be taking a plane up to Inverness and picking up a hire car to complete the four concerts before eventually flying home from Glasgow. Obviously we can`t get to every city up there but we`ve done our best to satisfy at least some of our Caledonian followers.
You may wonder about the three Warners Country House dates in our schedule which possibly look a bit odd against what is essentialy a run of theatres. Again it`s a way of giving us a bit of a breather. As opposed to our normal two hour concerts we are only required to perform a seventy five minute set on these occasions and with accomodation being provided on site we also have a rare opportunity to relax and enjoy each other`s company when the show is over.
The tour ends in Dudley this time round which you may consider a fairly low key end to our touring days. After all The Searchers began in Liverpool and should surely end their touring days there. In fact The Philharmonic Hall in Liverpool on the 2023 tour was meant to mark that important high point and indeed it was maybe the finest evening of our career with an atmosphere and a spectacular reception that we cannot see being bettered. And because of that we are not intending to compete. Part two was set up to please people by taking in areas and theatres we missed out last year and we do hope that it has made at least some of you happy. As far as we are concerned The Phil was the goodbye we planned and we want to keep the memory of that night right up there at the top.
And yes, this really looks like the final tour. I know we`ve said that before but there has to be an end at some point although we still say ‘Never say never” and allow the possibility of accepting an important one-off show if such an occasion was offered. Maybe a second Royal Variety Show or another similarly prestigious occasion? We would certainly have to seriously consider such options, as unlikely as they may be.
If you haven`t got your tickets for the upcoming tour dates then I suggest you get in there and make sure you have good seats. There has been quite a bit of radio and newspaper promotion and we are reaping the rewards with sales leaping ahead in most venues. John and I enjoyed our interview on the Ken Bruce Show which is on Greatest Hits Radio and I understand that one of the concerts (I won`t say which) is being covered by national television for a news spot. And I believe there is an ad about to go into the national press very soon. By the time you read this it may have already been placed.
Take care and we look forward to catching up at one or some of the concerts. It`s going to be a lot of fun. And thanks for every bit of support you`ve given us over the years.
Frank.
Management: Alan Field
020 8441 1137 – 07836 555300
alan@alanfield.com