Good Fortunes: The Sensational 60s Experience is returning to The Hexagon this May … for an afternoon show

Michael Smitham joined The Fortunes back in 1983, and he’s not looked back since: “If someone had told me back then that I’d still be doing this and enjoying it at 74 years old, I would have called them a liar.

“I remember saying to my wife when we first got married, I’ll just do this for a few more years, then I’ll get out and get a proper job. That was over 50 years ago now.”

The ‘this’ he refers to is his role as lead guitarist and vocalist of The Fortunes, a role he was invited to take by Rod Allen and Barry Pritchard, founder members of the 60s super band, famous for its songs including You’ve Got Your Troubles, Here It Comes Again, and Caroline – among many others.

At the time, he was performing in Smackee, a showband originally called Eyes of Blue. They worked all over Europe as backing artistes to a host of US-based entertainers who cross the pond to perform, including Del Shannon, Bobby Vee, Percy Sledge, and Ben E King. As Smackee, and with a focus on disco – the music craze of the time – they came second on a talent show Search For A Star.

It was this that caught The Fortunes’ eyes.

Michael was delighted to be asked, not least as – when he was younger – he once been in the audience of a Fortunes gig and was wowed by what he saw.

“Way back in 1969, they were at my Dad’s Working Men’s Club in Kersley, near Coventry,” he recalls. “It was a Sunday afternoon, my parents always used to go. Me and Paul Hooper (who joined as a drummer shortly after Michael) tagged along.

“The Fortunes were absolutely incredible to watch. Their harmonies were fantastic.”

That stayed with him, and when Rod and Barry asked if Michael would be interested in joining them, he jumped at the chance: “It was the blend of the voices that mattered. Rod and Barry were massive Everley Brothers fans, and for them it was all about that blend.

“Luckily for me, I fitted in.”

He was thrown in at the deep end, with a three-night residency at the Chester Grange hotel in Coventry.

“We were behind the stage’s curtains to rehearse all the numbers we were going to do for a three-hour show. The next night, when the curtains opened, my microphone – instead of being at the back of the stage with the drummer – was now at the front and I was like a rabbit in the headlights. Just three or four feet further forward and I was the principal voice rather than a backing musician. It was quite different for me, and it took me some time to settle down and earn my place.”

Thankfully, Michael did indeed get over it. But would the man who stood on that stage some 43 years ago ever think he would still be doing this well into his 70s?

“Absolutely not,” he says. “I had no idea it was to be a new adventure. At the time The Fortunes were very, very well known. My parents loved them: everyone from that era did. They were just a fantastic harmony band.

“For me to get that gig was incredible, a couple of weeks after we flew to Holland for three weeks, then Dubai and Oman. It was a young guys’ dream.

“What I didn’t realise was the boys’ biggest market was the Benelux countries, so when we were in Holland people recognised us in the street. It was quite weird, and a fantastic experience for me.”

Many of The Fortunes’ songs were composed by Barry Mason, and is to him that Michael attributes the some of the bands’ success: “Even now, when some of those old songs come on the radio, I still get the tingle at the back of my neck. They were so reminiscent of the time and anything that has come since is because of those earlier songs.

“I listen to Gold Radio and Boom Radio, all that 60s stuff, and it just never fades, it’s fantastic material.”

This is the one of the things about the Sensational 60s Experience: it brings together some of the original artistes and band members, for what is the ultimate festival of nostalgia.

It has been touring for a number of years including a regular visit to The Hexagon.

This year’s line-up is Dozy Beaky Mick & Tich, The Trems (featuring Jeff Brown former member of The Tremeloes), The Fortunes, Spencer James (lead singer with The Searchers since 1986) and Vanity Fare. Between them, they will perform a host of hits including The Legend of Xanadu, Silence Is Golden, Storm in a Teacup, Needle And Pins, and Hitchin’ a Ride.

That is just scratching the surface. It’s a real jukebox of a show with hit after hit after hit … all performed by the bands that know their songs the best.

Michael loves it.

“It’s not a show with just the principal lead singers from four or five bands and a backing group. Here, what you see is what you get,” he says, meaning the artists who have been there, seen it, had the hit record, and toured the globe.

“Most of the time we are up and down the motorways on our own, like ships in the night and you rarely see people. On this tour, there’s a cast of more than 20 and it’s just great. We may have individual dressing rooms, but we go in and out of each other’s all the time.

“It’s just a fantastic show, and that atmosphere shows on stage too. It’s a very lively, very funny show.

“Dozy from Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich is an absolute scream. He’s a real comedian – and he’s just the same backstage.

“There are no egos, it’s just a fantastic time and a great show. You should all come and see it, folks.”

MORE CHEESELOGS: The Sensational 60s Experience plans an afternoon of fun in 2025

Some people might say that The Fortunes are now a bit of a Trigger’s broom: the line-up has changed over the years that the band only has the name. But that isn’t how Michael sees it.

“When Rod was taken very poorly, he realised he couldn’t carry on,” he recalls. “I thought losing Rod meant it would all be over for us, but he told us to carry on, and just promise that the standard would be kept up and it sounds like The Fortunes. And that’s exactly what we try to do. I think it sounds very good and very close to the original.”

Clearly audiences do too: he is with the Sensational 60s Experience this year and next, plus also doing some cruises. That’s around 80 dates in his diary already. Add in some Butlins weekends …

“It’s fantastic, I really can’t believe I’m still doing this at my age,” he says.

“A lot of people come to the shows, with a lot of kids coming to places like Butlins when they have a 60s weekend. There are around 3,000 or 4,000 people and 70 to 80% of them are far, far younger than me. They come dressed it and it’s all just 60s music. They are loving it.”

This Reading show is a matinee, rather than a big night out. It’s one of a number that the Sensational 60s Experience team have done recently, and Michael thinks it has done really well.

“It has certainly worked out very nicely. Some of the people we’ve spoken to after the show think it’s a great idea and it could be something that will grow in popularity,” he says.”

So why do people love hearing the sounds from the 60s? Why do they still endure?

“For me as an older guy, it just draws me straight back there. What it does for the young folk I don’t know. Maybe it’s just new and fresh, just as it was when we first heard it.

“My Dad was a bit of a crooner and that’s what we all used to play at home, but when Bill Haley and all those guys came on the scene, we all thought, ‘Wow, what is this?’ I think we’re very lucky to be the age we are and have seen all that happen.

“I don’t think it could happen again because it’s all been done.

“If you want to relive those golden years, you’ve got to come and see this show. You’ll have a great laugh; you’ll hear some great songs and maybe a few surprises too.

“It’s a fantastic afternoon out.”

When will the Sensational 60s Experience featuring The Fortunes come to Reading’s Hexagon Theatre and how can I get tickets?

The Sensational 60s Experience will feature Dozy Beaky Mick & Tich, The Trems (featuring Jeff Brown former member of The Tremeloes), The Fortunes, Spencer James (Lead singer with The Searchers since 1986) and Vanity Fare.

It takes place on Sunday, May 4, from the early time of 3pm.

Tickets cost £26.50, £28.50 or £31.50, while groups of 10 or more can enjoy a £3 discount.

For more details, or to book, call the box office on 0118 960 6060, or log on to: https://whatsonreading.com/sens60s25

For more on the show itself, log on to: https://stagerightpromotions.co.uk/