Playhouse Theatre Weston- The Manfreds Five Faces Tour 2013

THE Manfreds with original front man Paul Jones celebrate their 50th anniversary with a UK tour coming to Weston-super-Mare for one night only this month (March).

Since The Manfreds re-formed in 1991, they have been in constant demand throughout the world to perform the top hits that catapulted them into the musical limelight.

The new tour will see the band perform many of the tracks from the highly acclaimed album 'The Five Faces Of Manfred Mann', which is to be re-released as part of their anniversary celebrations, along with a mix of their biggest hits and the jazz and blues songs for which they are famous.

Paul Jones, with his award winning harmonica sound, will be joined by Mike Hugg on keyboards, Tom McGuinness on lead guitar, Rob Townsend on drums, Marcus Cliffe on bass guitar and Simon Currie on saxophone/ flute.

Together all of these excellent musicians will provide a full evening of entertainment with a few 'surprise' renditions of their work.

Between 1964 and 1979 Manfred Mann gained three British number one hits, two more number one hits in America plus another seven that went into the top five charts.

Over this period Manfred Mann's bands featured some of the finest singers on the British pop and rock scene: Paul Jones, Mike d'Abo, Mick Rogers and Chris Thompson, all of whom have gone on to enjoy successful and varied solo careers.

Manfred Mann's first hit the rowdy, frenetic 5-4-3-2-1 was written as the theme song for TV pop show Ready Steady Go and the single reached number five early in 1964.

Manfred Mann had their first number one in the summer of that year with Do Wah Diddy Diddy Diddy, written by the famous writing duo Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry.

They also found themselves in the vanguard of the British pop invasion of America alongside the Beatles, the Animals and ahead of the Rolling Stones, as the song shot to the top of the US charts.

The band then proceeded to apply their sharp musical talents to other suitable pop songs such as Sha La La, the poignant Come Tomorrow and Oh No Not My Baby before turning their attention to Bob Dylan's If You Gotta Go, Go Now, that was a number two hit in the UK and earned the approval of Dylan himself.

In April 1966 Manfred Mann notched up their second British Number One with the gorgeous, melodic Pretty Flamingo and they continued their success of the coming years.

Today key members of the 60s Manfred Mann line-ups – Paul Jones, Mike D'Abo, Mike Hugg and Tom McGuinness – have banded together and perform as The Manfreds. Such is the enduring legacy of Manfred Mann over the past 40 years.

"The Manfreds" will be at the Playhouse, Weston-super-Mare, on Wednesday 13 March, at 7.30pm. Tickets priced £19.50, £17.50 are available on 01934 645 544 or online at http://tinyurl.com/ckzqxvr

Date: Wednesday, March 13, 2013