2004 July 15th Thursday
Cavern Club
10 Mathew Street
Liverpool
L2 6RE

The Band:
Rolan Bolan - vocals and guitar.
Vinny Rock - lead guitar.
Bert Thomas - drums.
Dave Lawry - bass.

The set list:
Puddles of Life
Trust
Operator
Something Beautiful
Possibilities
Up to me
I can see
Classic conversation
It's Alright
Cosmic Dancer (encore)

We are very grateful for the time and effort that Adam Coxon has put into the following review. It is wonderful to have a review from Rolan’s fans and Adam really captures the atmosphere. Thank you Adam.

Reviewer: Adam Coxon
Photos: Adam Coxon and Richard Shakespeare

I had booked the tickets about a month or so in advance for the gig and I had been looking forward to it for quite some time.
The morning of Thursday 15th July 2004 started like any other, I went to college and on the way home got absolutely soaked by the rain. At around 5:30pm I started out on the 50 mile or so journey to Liverpool. When I arrived in Liverpool, there was just enough time to grab something to eat before heading to the Cavern.
When we arrived at the Cavern, we were greeted by Dave. We chatted to Dave about the band and how well they were sounding recently. Then we continued to go downstairs into the Cavern.
The room where Rolan was playing was closed at first, so that left us in the company of an open mike session for the first part of the night. At around 8:30 we were watching this open mike night and then Rolan came out to go to the Bar. I decided to go over and introduce myself. I was surprised how friendly and approachable he was. He said that he had to dash off and do the sound check and he would catch up with me later.

After the open mike session, local band "The Mersey Beatles" began to play and we were all allowed into Room 2 where Rolan was going to play. When going into Room 2, we were told the gig would be a free event. All those who had bought tickets would have their money refunded and anyone else could go in for free. This was quite a surprise, as when you go to a gig you don't expect to get your money back!
Before Rolan and the boys started their set I got a chance to have another chat with Rolan. He made us feel that he had a lot of time for us. We asked him about the tickets and he said that they hadn't sold as well as they expected them to. Which is to be expected in a way as we were in Liverpool, Beatle City and with a Beatles tribute band playing in the next room, it wasn't really that fair on Rolan.
At around 10pm, Rolan and the boys finally took to the stage. They played to a small but very responsive Cavern crowd for around 45 minutes. Near the end of the set around 30 people walked in wondering who the voice behind the sound belonged to. Rolan finished the set with, "It's Alright". They all came back on for an encore where Rolan did a version of "Cosmic Dancer" which was written by his late father Marc. The set was greatly received by all those in attendance.
At the end of the show, my friend and I were allowed to go backstage and talk to Rolan again. He was on a high from a great show but looked worn out as it was obvious that he had given it his all. He asked us what time we had to leave and we told him that our bus was at 11:30pm. He made a conscious effort to speak to us as much as he could before we had to leave. We just had time to grab a photo with Rolan and get his autograph and then go home. It was a great night and I can't wait until Rolan and the boys come back. I will definitely be there. See ya next time!