Grand Opera House York – 19 May 2017. Reviewed by Michelle Richardson
What can I say? This show was completely not so what I imagined it to be. I honestly did not know what to expect, I have never seen Vampires of Rock, but I had heard of it and also the audience dressing up and getting really involved.
The stage was set and we see the usherette from Rocky Horror, great, I love Rocky Horror, and the song Science Fiction Double Feature. Brilliant start with the screen in the background showing stills from all the old Sci Fi films. The screen was a great feature all the way through, changing throughout with different iconic film shots.
The storyline then kicks off with an aged film usher, Benson, John Evans, luring customers with golden tickets to a midnight showing which promises to be a night to remember. We are treated to a medley of Bond songs, which is where we are first introduced to Steve Steinman, playing Bond, the creator of all this. He is an affable character, obviously enjoying himself immensely with the comic banter. The puns with movies quotes are especially funny. He is supported by a small group of singers, dancers and band members. Penny Johns, the “lucky” golden ticket winner that the story supposedly revolves around, is certainly a little pocket rocket, with some great vocals and moves.
After the interval the plot just disappears and we never get to see if Benson persuades Penny to stay so that he can leave. From then on in it is just a mishmash of film tunes, with no obvious flow. We see superheroes, Top Gun, Breakfast Club, Young Guns amongst them, like I said a bit all over the place. Only to finish with Bat Out of Hell, which had never been in a film apparently, Steinman’s signature tune after appearing on Stars in Their Eyes as Meatloaf, as well as the traditional encore.
The staging was good and effective with bursts of fire throughout and the live band are great, with some great music thrown in.
It was Steinman’s birthday, which he kept dropping into the performance, when I got to see the show and to his great surprise he got presented with a huge guitar cake.
Unfortunately the show did not really work for me, it really needed to either have a stronger story line, or be just about the soundtracks, as in the second half, but with more of a link. I suppose I expected more. Don’t get me wrong I was still up on my feet at the end singing and dancing along and I would still want to see Vampires of Rock if just for the atmosphere, and occasionally I do like to dress up a bit!