Many bands focus on a certain genre/era of music, but it takes special dedication to bring the music to life.

The Boulevards, a vintaged styled rock and roll band performing the biggest hits of the 1950's and early 60's, aims for that level of dedication, as evidenced by the audience reaction received at their appearance at the Salisbury Arts Centre on Thursday, November 3.

This was a follow up to the band's successful shows at the Playhouse in 2020 and 2021, the first of those being a pilot show to test out a socially distanced audience protocol and help the theatre reopen.

They said the show at the Arts Theatre last week was a welcome return to Salisbury.

They  performed two 45 minute sets of rock and roll classics including Rock Around The Clock, Wake Up Little Susie, The Wanderer, Move It, That'll Be The Day, C'mon Everybody, Be Bop A Lula, Jailhouse Rock, A Teenager In Love and ending in an encore of Johnny B. Goode. 

The band was formed in 2018 by a group of musicians who had worked together in west end and number one touring musicals such as Dreamboats and Petticoats.

The five-piece features lead vocalist and guitarist Sandy Grigelis, bassist Mike Slader, keyboardist Sheridan Lloyd, drummer Gareth Thompson and lead guitarist Patrick Burbridge.

While many bands that pay tribute to a particular era may feature individuals who were alive during that time, The Boulevards’ quest to bring the music of the 1950s and 1960s to younger generations is bolstered by the ages of the band members themselves, ranging from 28 to 36 years.

In addition to Salisbury, the effort has brought them in front of audiences in Blackpool, Newbury and their native London.

Patrick said: “We're really committed to holding the torch for this music. It's a really important milestone in musical history and needs to be celebrated, played and never forgotten. We want to play rock and roll not just for those who have loved it before, but also to bring it to a new, younger generation in a fresh, exciting and authentic way.

"We're delighted to have built a great relationship with the team at Wiltshire Creative and it's great to see so many people in the audiences we've had really enjoy our performances. Hopefully it won't be too long before we come back!"