Carnaby Street, Biba, Mini Skirts and Lambretta Scooters set the mood for the swinging 60s with the Small Faces at the forefront of the music scene and mod fashion.
At a time when bands such as the Who and the Stones were becoming household names, it is sometimes forgotten that the Small Faces were heroes of the mod movement as well as gifted musicians who turned out a host of hit songs during the few years the band were together.
While the core of their music was based in the blues, the sound was also classic pop with a solid psychedelic edge. All or Nothing breathes fresh life into most of the major hits of the band – Sha La La La Lee, Itchycoo Park, Lazy Sunday and All or Nothing - to name but a few.
The narrative casts a spot light eye on the tensions within the band and some of the disastrous financial decisions made during their careers which twice left them on the verge of bankruptcy. Taken advantage of by managers and record labels and not properly promoted, the band never achieved the success they deserved but still left a formable legacy.
The choreography and the backing dancers are outstanding and evocative of the time with the rest of the cast effortlessly switching roles. Daniel Beales gives larger than life performances as Tony Blackburn, Sunny and Stanley Unwin while Sophia Behn excels as Dusty Springfield, Cher and as Steve Marriott’s partner, Jenny.
The actors in the band are all accomplished musicians. Joseph Peters is excellent as the original keyboard player and vocalist, Jimmy Winston and Josh Maddison shows his skills as his gifted replacement, Ian McLagan.
Samuel Pope is convincing as the young Marriott while Chris Simmons takes on his older persona and narrator of his life story from his first break as a child actor until he walked out at the end of a performance fed up with the direction of the band and what he saw as their inability to perform live on stage.
Perhaps not quite up there with the very best of its kind, this is still a great celebration of a long moment in pop history. The music is catchy and boisterous and the fans are promising to turn out in force for a touch of nostalgia and a reminder of a time it seemed that music was all about having a good time.
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