T. REX

The Glam Revolution Rolls Into Barnoldswick

There are tribute bands... and then there are bands carrying the very heartbeat of rock history.

Later this year, T. Rex – The Music of Marc & Mickey returns to Barnoldswick Music & Arts Centre for a matinee and an evening that promises to transport audiences back to the glorious days when glitter ruled the charts, platform boots stomped across Top of the Pops and one extraordinary songwriter changed British rock forever.

This is no ordinary celebration of Marc Bolan's music. It is a continuation of a remarkable legacy built by the very musicians who helped create it.

At the centre of it all is legendary Bolan drummer Paul Fenton, who sat behind Marc Bolan during the final chapter of the band's story and today remains the custodian of one of Britain's greatest rock catalogues. Standing alongside him is another genuine British rock legend—Graham Oliver, founding guitarist of heavy metal giants Saxon—bringing together two generations of classic British rock on one stage.

The band's story began in 1997 when Marc Bolan's lifelong friend and percussionist Mickey Finn reunited with Paul Fenton and former T. Rex guitarist Jack Green for a memorial concert celebrating Marc's extraordinary life and music. The response was overwhelming. What began as a heartfelt tribute rapidly evolved into a touring band dedicated to preserving one of the richest catalogues in British rock.

Sadly, in January 2003, Mickey Finn passed away, bringing to an end another chapter in the T. Rex story. Rather than allow the music to fade into history, Paul Fenton and the band made a promise—to keep the Glam flag flying in Mickey's honour and to ensure that Marc Bolan's songs would continue to thrill audiences exactly as they were meant to be heard: loud, joyous and played by musicians who had actually lived the story.

Few bands have enjoyed such an astonishing run of success.

Between 1970 and 1973, T. Rex became Britain's biggest rock band, spearheading the Glam Rock explosion with a seemingly unstoppable stream of hit singles. Their statistics remain breathtaking: four UK Number One singles, three Number One albums, eleven Top Ten singles and twenty-one Top 40 hits, achievements that place Marc Bolan firmly among the true giants of British popular music.

The soundtrack to the evening reads like one of the greatest hit collections ever assembled.

Expect the mystical breakthrough of Ride A White Swan (UK No.2), the six-week chart-topping phenomenon Hot Love (UK No.1), the irresistible swagger of Get It On (UK No.1), the shimmering spirituality of Metal Guru (UK No.1), the infectious stomp of Telegram Sam (UK No.1), the anthem Children Of The Revolution (UK No.2), the timeless Jeepster (UK No.2), the unforgettable 20th Century Boy (UK No.3), the joyous I Love To Boogie (UK No.13), together with favourites including Teenage Dream, Solid Gold Easy Action, The Groover, Truck On (Tyke) and many more. These weren't simply hit records—they became the soundtrack of an entire generation.

Their albums were every bit as influential. T. Rex, Electric Warrior, The Slider, Tanx, Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow, Bolan's Zip Gun, Futuristic Dragon and Dandy in the Underworld trace one of the most creative and adventurous careers in British rock. At its commercial peak, Electric Warrior and The Slider became defining statements of the Glam era, albums whose influence can still be heard in countless rock records today.

Marc Bolan wasn't merely a pop star. He invented an attitude.

Before Bowie fully became Ziggy Stardust, before Sweet, Slade and Mott the Hoople conquered the charts, Bolan fused Chuck Berry riffs, mystical poetry, electric blues and irresistible hooks into something entirely new. Glam Rock wasn't born overnight—but few artists lit the fuse more spectacularly.

Producer Tony Visconti, who worked alongside Bolan throughout the band's greatest years, perhaps summed it up best:

"Marc is criminally underrated as a guitarist. All rock 'n' rollers love T. Rex, and there's a little bit of T. Rex in every rock 'n' roll band."

That influence stretches across generations.

Noel Gallagher famously borrowed directly from Get It On for Oasis's Cigarettes & Alcohol. Artists as diverse as David Bowie, The Smiths, Def Leppard, Joan Jett, Prince, U2 and countless punk and alternative bands have all acknowledged Bolan's enduring influence on modern rock music. Elton John once described him as the embodiment of the perfect pop star whose creativity and charisma remain impossible to replicate.

Classic Rock magazine has described Bolan's work as the blueprint for Glam Rock, while modern critics continue to celebrate Electric Warrior as one of the defining albums of the 1970s—"the perfect mix of heavy crunch and acoustic swagger."

That is precisely why this show matters. This isn't simply about nostalgia.

It is about witnessing musicians who actually stood beside Marc Bolan and Mickey Finn recreating the soundtrack of one of the most exciting periods in British rock history. Every beat played by Paul Fenton carries genuine history. Every song celebrates the remarkable partnership of Marc Bolan and Mickey Finn. Every chorus reminds us why these songs continue to inspire new generations more than fifty years after they first exploded from the radio.

For one unforgettable night, Barnoldswick Music & Arts Centre becomes Glam Rock's spiritual home.

The glitter returns. The guitars roar. The boogie lives on.

And somewhere, you suspect, Marc and Mickey would both be smiling.