GMF headliner Billy Ocean and 10cc wrap up the Festival

By all accounts, the three-day music festival was a success with the public. 

The final night saw ‘70s band 10cc and headliner Billy Ocean topping the bill on the main stage. 

When 10cc took to the stage, the near-capacity sports hall crowd greeted them with a loud cheer. The Real Thing had just been on before them and had gone down really well with their string of UK hits. Expectations were high, especially for the younger folk, who did not live in the ‘70s. 

10cc has sold 30 million records worldwide, over half of them in the UK. They have been here before, that’s why the Sports Hall was full of ‘mature’ fans and, from their first song (Wall Street Shuffle) to their last of two encores (Rubber Bullets), they had the crowd enjoying a string of classic hits from the ‘70s. 

Their current line-up features leader Graham Golman (now 80) on bass and vocals; Rick Fenn on lead guitar; Keith Hayman on keyboards; Ben Stone on drums, and Iain Hornal on lead vocals and various instruments. All sang the harmonies which are at the heart of their songs. 

I would highlight Life is a Minestrone and Silly Love, where they sounded like the Beach Boys on steroids, their massive classic I’m not in Love which had everyone spellbound throughout, and followed it with Dreadlock Holiday. 

Here, they substituted Gibraltar for cricket, and a roar went up when they sang “I love it”.  

In encore, they sang Donna a capella and finished their tantalizing set with Rubber Bullets, leaving no one in any doubt of their mastery at interpreting the complex songs which have seen them touring for 50 years! 

I remember enjoying them here last time, and I think I appreciated them better this time round.  

Nostalgia gives 20/20 vision.

BILLY OCEAN

Everyone I spoke to on Saturday had come to see Billy Ocean. 

With his many hits during the ‘80s, he has over sold 30 million records and Love Really Hurts Without You, his first big hit and title-track to his first album, was his second song on stage that night. 

Get Out of My Dreams, Get Into My Car followed on, and it was chased by Red Light Spells Danger. 

In a tribute to Bob Marley, he sang No Woman No Cry and ,as Gibraltar is so big on Reggae, everyone was swaying in the cool groove. 

Billy Ocean’s biggest ballad, Suddenly, saw him really showing off his considerable vocal chops at age 75.  

Also impressive on stage, he moved slowly and stylishly, always impressing the audience and inviting them into his music and the choruses. 

The roof went up for When the Going gets Tough, the Tough get Going from the hit film Romancing the Stone. 

A fast Latin beat in Daylight saw a lot of disco dancing on the floor. The hall was heaving and full of joy enjoying the superb band, whom he acknowledged before going into Love is Forever and raising the roof (again!) with his biggest hit, Caribbean Queen.  

What a voice, what charisma and what a party sendoff it was, as the capacity crowd sang full choruses of the disco classic. 

He had been the top act of the festival, and he proved to be an inspired choice of headlining artists. 

All too soon it ended, and Billy Ocean expressed a wish to be invited again. 

I’m sure that if it were to happen, he would have enough pulling power to fill the new Victoria Stadium. 

Far-fetched? Stranger things have happened, and that would be GMF going full circle to its origins.  It will remain a dream for the organizers to ponder on.