The Manfreds are a great band, known best for songs such as ‘Pretty Flamingo’ and ‘Do Wah Diddy Diddy’. Classic sing-along tunes such as these were sure to go down brilliantly with an audience—and they did. The group of The Manfreds No. 1 Fans behind us sang the most hilariously Yorkshire version of Pretty Flamingo, and it’s this vast range of appeal that really makes The Manfreds special.
Some of their newer tracks and instrumentals didn’t go down so well with the audience, and the constant use of harmonica got a little wearing, but generally it was a good show. Paul Jones is a great showman and interacts well with the audience. There’s a little too much heckling going on for my liking, but I wonder if this is some kind of The Manfreds thing… or if the Leeds audience just didn’t behave themselves.
I also enjoyed watching Marcus Cliffe, the very talented bass played, get into several mouthed/ mimed one-sided spats with the sound guy regarding the rather loud harmonica (a screechy instrument at its best). Though obviously not meant to be part of the show, it demonstrated a human side to the group and this was a running theme of the show. From repeatedly thanking band members to giving back stories and sharing memories, Paul Jones is so appealing. Though he of course sings and sounds like a star, he also appears so down-to-earth and likeable.
If you want to belt along to Mighty Quinn, get yourself to see The Manfreds live.
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