Darts Hit The Bullseye In Leeds

For anyone of a certain age seeing Darts on Top of the Pops in the late Seventies was an unprecedented experience. Although the group were as far away from the punk movement that was around at that time, the unpredictability of their performances lent more to the anarchy of the period rather than the 1950s acts where most Darts’ songs originated.

Over forty years later the group are still going with three of the original lead singers in the band; sadly Bob Fish passed away last year. The individual personalities are still intact: Rita Ray had that down to earth appeal, Griff Fender hyperactive as ever, Den Hegarty as mad as you remember him. Pikey Butler, although the new boy in the group, (he has been with Darts since 1982) seemed like he was always part of the line up.

Close your eyes and you could have been back in 1977 as the act sounded vocally as strong as ever.

Darts live is not a frequent event - they only play a handful of gigs every year and with it being such a rare occasion it felt like a party where the doors had been closed for far too long. Come Back My Love was one of the first hits of many that had the sold out audience firmly on the band's side.

Jimmy Compton gave a piano solo that Jools Holland would be proud of on Hammy’s Boogie as Compton proved with dexterity that he was a master of the keyboard.

Thankfully Den Hegarty had recovered from a recent bout of Covid, his distinctive bass toned vocals always underpinned the Darts sound and without him being there, it would not have been the same. As he jumped into the audience towards the end of the show it brought back the memories of that Top of the Pops appearance.

Predictably Daddy Cool saw all caution blown to the wind as fans and band alike were in total celebration of live music. With the majority of the band being in their late sixties and over, they showed that as far as energy and performance were concerned they were just as good as their younger peers.

Aptly, I Gotta Go Home ended a near two hour set. No one wanted to put their coats on and go home after what had been a terrific evening of live entertainment.

The bullseye had definitely been hit in Leeds.