It was the right venue. Frankie Valli is New Jersey royalty. He might not have been crowned, but appearing in The Sopranos is as good as any coronation. As he leaned into the audience, shaking hands, he spread his magic. Even Jimmy Page had come along for this rare London show by one of pop’s greatest, most distinctive voices.
The real shock was that live, Valli sounds exactly like Frankie Valli. Exactly. To hear for real the sharp falsetto was a thrill. Opening with a forceful “Grease” couldn't disguise the fact that, despite the billing, it was instantly obvious this was not Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons. It was Frankie Valli, four backing singers and a brass-bolstered band. It’s probably the case that whoever Valli says is a Four Season becomes one.
He could have picked members of the cast of any of the productions of Jersey Boys. After opening on Broadway in 2005, the stage adaptation of The Four Seasons’ story has become a global franchise. London’s staging began in 2009. Toronto, Melbourne and Auckland followed. It's taken a while for Valli himself to head to the London stage – he hasn’t been here for 18 years. Choosing to do so at the age of 78 is surprising. It obviously took some time to decide to return to Jersey Boys’ second home.
The meat was saved for the second half: nothing fancy, just hit after hit
Choosing what to perform should have been equally tough. The Four Seasons were one of the few early-Sixties American groups to not only survive the Beatle era, but to thrive in it. They oozed hits. Valli was a huge solo success, too. Even their lesser-known cuts had longevity – “The Night” became a Northern Soul perennial and was issued by Motown. "Who Loves You" was just as great. Their soul credentials were watertight, while in the disco era Valli adapted their sound and continued an already lengthy winning streak by contributing to the Grease soundtrack. Only then did the hits finally dry up.
After all this time away from the UK, it was disappointing to see a Las Vegas-style show, with Valli backed by a band for whom musical development stopped in the Eighties. Not much was tailored for a British audience. The second half opened with “The Night” and "Silence is Golden”, both better known here than in America, but the pre-interval set finished with a quartet of covers: “Call Me”, Let it Be Me”, “Spanish Harlem” and a “My Girl”/“Groovin’" medley, the sort of thing bands do in Vegas when they know they’re playing to crowds who haven't necessarily fetched up because of who’s on the bill. Recognisable songs are sure-fire audience pleasers. Still, it didn’t stop massed swaying to “My Girl”.
But when this show was on, it was on, erasing memories of any filler. The first set’s romp through "Beggin'" was a highlight. So was a schmaltzy “My Eyes Adored You”. The meat was saved for the second half: “Who Loves You”, "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)”, “Can't Take My Eyes Off You”, "Walk Like a Man”, “Big Girls Don’t Cry”. Nothing fancy, just hit after hit.
In his dark suit Valli wasn’t much inclined to make a spectacle of himself, although he moved more than Liam Gallagher. More of the good stuff would have been welcome, but the combination of just-enough classic songs and that incredible voice was sufficient. Next time, and hopefully there is a next time, more may be needed.
Watch the video for Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons’ “Who Loves You”