This might end up being a bit of a long blog because I might need to provide some back history to it but Tuesday 24th May, I finally got the chance to see The Overtones for their 10th Anniversary tour (or as they kept saying, more like 12 years now!)
The Overtones were originally made up of Mike Crawshaw, Mark Franks, Darren Everest, Timmy Matley and Lachie Chapman. Mike, Mark, Darren and Timmy started off in a group called DYYCE back in 2007 and supported Westlife and Shayne Ward on tour. I met them back then and loved them. I’ll always remember seeing Timmy at the tube station at Wembley after Shayne Ward and him running back to give me a massive hug and ask me what I thought of their set.
They then changed their name to Lexi Joe and went on The X Factor but then after that, they disappeared. The first I knew of them as The Overtones was when a friend sent me a link to their first interview on This Morning and that was it. I found them on twitter and they tweeted me back saying they were looking forward to seeing me.
Twelve years later and so many things have changed – the main thing being that Timmy unfortunately died four years ago. That hit me a lot harder than I thought and I couldn’t bring myself to go and see them? I know that might sound silly but for me, it was a motion of grief that I needed to go through. However, it got to a point where I was saying ‘I have to do it sooner or later’ and the time came after Jay James had joined the group. I went to see them at Leicester back in 2019 and it was like I’d never been away. Even Mark asked why I wasn’t at Birmingham the previous week! Plus I spoke to Jay after the show and everything that I said I meant…and even Jay said how much he appreciated it and then it was like a weight just lifted off my shoulders. To this day I still say Timmy was giving me signs that I needed to go and see them and then the weight lifting was him saying ‘you’ve accepted it…you’ve dealt with it.’
Skipping forward to 2022 and through a covid pandemic (I never wanna go through that again in my lifetime please!) it was time for the tour to hit Symphony Hall!!
Opening with ‘Gambling Man’, the song that started it all off for them (oh and Zoe and I being told to sit down…wasn’t happy I tell you!) and just moving their way through an amazing back catalogue of songs. They were constantly thanking the crowd for sticking by them through everything and how happy they were to be back on stage doing what they love.
When it came to talking about favourite memories, Jay was asking the boys and then the boys asked Jay. Yes he might not have been in the group for 10 years but he’s still apart of the bands history and story.
We laughed…a lot…at the antics on stage and I think everyone (I know I did!) left the venue smiling and tapping their feet.
The vocals were outstanding as usual, the dance moves were slick…and I’m genuinely hoping the boys stick around for another 10 years.
Next stop for me on the tour?? London on June 5th and I can’t WAIT to be reunited with so many of my friends.
It's a Fangirl Life 