My younger brother liked 10cc as we grew up in the 1970’s. I was not so sure.

Their music was unquestionably exquisitely crafted, their lyrics ranged from the sometimes banal to the often sublime. They were the British Steely Dan,  but less self important.

At the time, I regarded their best songs as being clever and catchy, the worst contrived and vapid. They wrote their own manifesto  :“Art for arts sake, money for Gods sake”

I saw Steely Dan live for the first time in Birmingham England  2007. It was a depressing and soul sapping experience, an exercise in stripping their fans of some cash, sour faced and joyless. By contrast 10cc are bright, energetic and witty.

The Classic  1970’s  “sheet Music” 10cc line up included Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley and Lol Crème awash with musicianship,  and creative ideas. The 2024 version includes only Graham Gouldman from the original group , and Rick Fenn and Paul Burgess from the 1970’s touring band. It is just the right side of a Tribute band.The band line-up comprises Gouldman on bass guitars, electric guitar, acoustic guitar and vocals; Rick Fenn – lead guitar, bass guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals; Paul Burgess – drums, percussion, keyboards; Keith Hayman – keyboards, electric guitar, bass guitar, vocals and Andy Park – electric guitar, bass guitar, acoustic guitar, percussion, mandolin, keyboards, vocals. Park pretty much carries the show with his vocals and musical virtuosity

“Last Supper” rocked out akin to Status Quo launching into ,”Down Down”

Setlist–

The Second Sitting for the Last Supper

Art for Art’s Sake

Life Is a Minestrone

Good Morning Judge

Play Video

The Dean and I

Old Wild Men

Clockwork Creep

Feel the Benefit

The Wall Street Shuffle

Floating in Heaven

The Things We Do for Love

Silly Love

Somewhere in Hollywood

I’m Mandy Fly Me

I’m Not in Love

Dreadlock Holiday

Encore:

Donna

(A Capella version)

Rubber Bullets

An unexpected highlight was “Old Wild men”

The lyrics to the prescient “Old Wild Men”, perfect for the mature clientelle.

Where are my boys?

They are in deepest water

Where are they now?

They are over the hill and far away

But they are broken men who lie low

Waiting for miracles

Old men of rock and roll

Came bearing music

Where are they now?

They are over the hill and far away

But they’re still gonna play guitars

On dead strings, and old drums

They’ll play and play to pass the time

The old wild men

Old wild men

Old wild men, waiting for miracles

Lord have mercy upon the many

Lord have mercy upon the few

Lord have mercy upon the many

Lord have mercy on me and on you

I had previously seen the band do a shorter greatest hits set at Cornbury festival, enlivened by the Gouldman penned Hollies hit “Bus stop” as an opener.

Cornbury festival, June 6th Oxfordshire 2014

Setlist

Bus stop

Wall St Shuffle

The things we do for love

Good Morning Judge

I’m Mandy Fly me

Life is a Minestrone

Art for Arts Sake

Silly Love

Im Not in Love

Dreadlock Holiday

Donna

Rubber Bullets