Sweet – Shepherd’s Bush Empire

Sweet Shepherd’s Bush Empire – 5 April 2025 – Live Review

Sweet at The Shepherd’s Bush Empire reviewed by The Blockheads front man Mike Bennett.

There’s nothing about the sweet catalogue that is not original. In the early ’70’s I was introduced to a very strange album called Gimme That Ding. On one side of the album was the oddball duo Pipkins and on the other a band once called The Sweet Shop, who had shortened their name to The Sweet.

On The Sweet side of this strange but collectable slice of vinyl, the group exhibited a confusing and incomprehensibly bizarre set of hard rock, throwaway kitsch pop and an attempt at psychedelia. However, it was an interesting start to something, that would become both cohesive, compounding and quintessentially essential to the burgeoning glam rock sound during its golden era. Although Andy Scott was not on this album, his picture was included in the line-up on the quirky Music For Pleasure sampler release of tracks the band had originally recorded for Fontana. It was only when former Elastic Band and Scaffold guitarist Andy Scott joined them that the dynamics metamorphosised into a sound that would play a huge role in the foot-stomping era of glam rock, (although arguably not as lauded at the time as contemporaries such as Mott The Hoople, Roxy Music, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, T-Rex or Bowie).

On signing to the iconic RCA records, where they became label mates of both Bowie and Lou Reed, the hits started to seep through the socio economically challenged soundscape of the musically scintillating 70’s – the slew of bubble-glam hits included, Funny Funny, Coco, Poppa Joe and Alexander Graham Bell, under the auspices of songwriters Nicky Chinn & Mike Chapman, and shrewd pop producer Phil Wainman. The heavier side of the group started to emerge with the lyrically suggestive Wig Wam Bam and Little Willy, which, incidentally, hit the number 4 slot on the American Billboard Chart.

I mention this, as most of these quirky releases were featured in the diverse set performed by the latest incarnation of Sweet at the Shepherds Bush Empire tonight. These were performed alongside the harder glam offerings such as the self-penned Action, as featured on the proto glam metal cult classic album Give Us A Wink. It was a great opener to the show, with its atmospheric odyssey synth, prior to the band crashing in with its proto glam-metal sound, that sent the packed crowd into a frenetic frenzy of awe inspiring proportions.

Although initially sardonically perceived as a manufactured band, a flurry of fans were buying the singles for the heavier B-sides and cleverly crafted album cuts, including Burn On The Flame and Windy City, a Deep Purple inspired opus from the superb Off The Record album. Another great track from that album was the enigmatically performed Lost Angels, which although almost ignored as a UK single release, was a firm favourite in the staple diet of Sweet fans in almost every other worldwide territory, with hard hitting and mildly disturbing lyrics such as ”I can feel the knives inside my brain”. The sound of this track, with its instantly recognisable high pitch vocals, was obviously celebrated by later day nu glam outfits such as The Darkness, Steel Panther, Mötley Crüe and Twisted Sister. The latter, who also incidentally, drew inspiration from Sweet’s outrageous glam attire.

Punk was also heavily influenced by the group’s bittersweet cacophony, which was so poignantly prevalent in tonight’s magnificent and mighty fine performance. The Damned & Lemmy and The Rezillos are just two outfits that emerged with cover versions of Ballroom Blitz, which was another great highlight of tonight’s mind-blowing performance.

Another great moment was the so called lost glam classic The Sixteens, a mini 70’s Rock-Opera depicting the growing pains of youth culture against a 70’s backdrop of miner strikes, dull drudgery, power cuts and the three-day week. This terrific self-penned B-Side Burn On The Flame was also performed spectacularly, and to my mind, a close cousin of the later day Sweet’s hair metal prototype White Mice from Give Us A Wink.

Towards the end of the magnificent set we were treated to a rousing rendition of Blockbuster, a number one hit about a menacing character pursuing girls with ‘long black hair’. Coincidentally, as serial killer Ted Bundy was on the prowl with similar intentions! I remember original bass player Steve Priest performing this in Nazi attire, apparently plundered from the BBC costume department for a notorious Top Of The Pops performance! Although much of the glitz and glam attire was not as prevalent, the atmosphere and memories were nostalgically captured to perfection on this highly memorable night.

A special mention must be made for Andy Scott’s superbly crafted US smash Love Is Like Oxygen, performed with a classical prog session, replete with the pomp and ceremony of a progressive classical section, which was intrinsically intriguing and curiously rousing, as featured on the bands superb Level Headed album. Without any intention of implying a ’rip-off’, the song has always appeared to me to draw inspiration from Hall And Oats, ELP and ELO. A brilliant blend of influences, even if subconsciously achieved, but seeks and finds convenient categorisation in the diverse glam-rock arena.

It’s no wonder groups such as Def Leppard, The Drakness, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Girlschool, Ace Freely, Tia Carrere, Pat Benatar, The Chemical Bothers, The Beasty Boys, Paddy Goes To Holyhead and Glamnesia have covered and sampled Sweet to various degrees of success.

As Axel Rose famously once quoted ‘’Without Sweet there would be no Guns’ N Roses’’. I couldn’t agree more, and after this splendid display of both nostalgia and vital new material at Shepherds Bush Empire, I am sure that the late great Brian Connelly, Steve Priest and Mick Tucker would be proud to see Andy Scott’s new line up keeping the godfathers of glam’s legacy alive and buoyant.

To quote from Teenage Rampage, which was also performed to perfection tonight ‘’We Want Sweet, We Want Sweet, We Want Sweet’’.

Current Line-up: Andy Scott, Paul Manzi (lead vocals), Lee Small (bass guitar/vocals), Tom Cory (guitars/keys/vocals), and Adam Booth (drums/percussion).

Bitter Sweet Factoids:

Sweet’s Cover Girl has a main riff that is allegedly remarkably similar to the essential riff of Blur’s Parklife.

Click here to check it out:

Mötley Crüe’s Kickstart My Heart has a riff remarkably similar to Sweets Hell Raiser.

Check it out here:

RCA released Bowies Jean Jeanie and Sweet’s Blockbuster on the same schedule with an identical riff all the way through.

Check out this Megamix what came first the chicken or the egg?



Andy Scott and Mick Tucker produced a band that looked and sounded very much like Sweet with the riff appearing to be very similar to Sweets track Rebel Rouser, a great fun
visual and sound, it’s ace. A lost Glam classic? All good naughty fun with Sweet style innuendo.

Check it out:



Mike Bennett is lead singer with The Blockheads – His LTW author profile is here.