Entertainment Agents Blog

Travelling to Lincoln to see The Blanks I passed through Broughton which is an ex pit village.I recall my Dad saying that in the 1950s when he played in rock and roll bands there was a working mens club in the town that had entertainment seven nights per week usually featuring a rock and roll band plus variety acts.It was always packed.

I was reminded of this when i arrived at Lincoln Walkabout to find 500 students patiently waiting for The Blanks who have an act not dissimilar to one of the variety acts you might have found at that club sixty years ago.

This is not a critiscm of The Blanks…far from it.

They have found a way of freshening up an art form forged by Barber Shop quartets and acts like The Four Freshmen back in the 1940s and 1950s and making it relevant for todays generation.

That they are Teds Band from cult American Comedy show Scrubs which is much loved and missed (although they have stopped making the show it is on endless repeat on E4) has much to do with the audience discovering them but there was a genuine warmth and love in the audience which goes beyond mere celebrity.

The Blanks started the show with some self penned humorous accapella tracks and then progressed into covers of rock and pop tunes.

Their versions of “the four best rock songs of all time” which included The Who’s “Who Are You” and “Dont Fear The Reaper” by Blue Oyster Cult (songs which would be ancient history for this audience except for the endless rediscoveries on Itunes and shows like Glee) went down a treat as did Maniac complete with dancing prop.

For me  the most magical moment was “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” a song from a 1930s movie which had the students singing along and lighting up lighters and holding up mobile phones as if it was their favourite tune of all time…..any act that can produce this response in an audience raised on hip hop and grime,metal and dub step deserves every plaudit in the book.

I have copied a You Tube clip above which hit the internet within 30 minutes of the guys coming off stage in Wolverhampton Walkabout….its not great quality but you can hear the quality of the band and the atmosphere in the crowd.

The version of Hey Ya with Ukelele and voice had everyone in a loved up mood too.

The Blanks brought with them the proffessionalism that is honed by years on the American stage and playing Las Vegas Theatres but they were also humble and lovely people in all our dealings with them.

The Walkabout Bars have often been first in discovering cult student favourites (Dr Karl Kennedys first UK show was at Sheffield Walkabout some six years ago) and we are proud of our ability to keep ahead of the trend in this regard.It won’t be the last you hear of The Blanks and,of course,Walkabout will continue to bring the best in live music and DJs to its valued customers.

The Blanks-We Salute You!!