Den Pugsley (of The Overtures)

Playing to a crowd of eager people at Twinwood Festival this weekend, who have not heard live music since the beginning of the Covid pandemic in March 2020, it is difficult to believe that 60s tribute band The Overtures have been out of the game for the last eighteen months. They were superb, and raised the (metaphorical) roof. "Twinwood is a unique and special festival where people totally embrace the music and nostalgia of the 30s and 40s period, but are essentially lovers of all good music. Any fears we originally had that it may not be the appropriate place to perform our 60s music were soon forgotten. The Twinwood audience were brilliant to us."

Dennis Pugsley, founding member of the band, is lead singer of the group and has been playing music since he was in his teens. He grew up in the 60s and 70s, revelling in the new and creative pop and rock scene. "As a young teenager, I would listen to the radio constantly and soak it all up. The idea that I could one day be in a band myself... was the stuff of dreams!" I first heard about The Overtures several years before I saw them this weekend at Twinwood Festival, which is devoted entirely to the music, dance and fashions of the 40s, 50s and 60s of British trends. My Nan actually knew Den Pugsley when they were teenagers, and I believe that they went to school together. Talking about Den and a friend that they shared, Steve, she told me of a bet that Steve and Den had had as teens; could Steve recall and write the lyrics to every single released Beatles song in six months? Nan insists that Steve didn't manage it because he left the task to the last month or so.

Being a 60s tribute band, their set is always packed full of banging tunes, but the setlist is always tailored to the event, "there really are so many great songs from the era it's actually very difficult to choose a set-list! If we perform for a seated audience, we are more liable to include 'listening songs' like 'Simon and Garfunkel's 'Sound of Silence' or The Beatles 'Strawberry Fields Forever' whereas, if we are due to play to a 'dancing crowd' - like Twinwood - then we would look to include classic '60s dance songs' like Roy Orbison's 'Oh Pretty Woman' and Tommy James' 'Mony Mony'."

The Overtures were formed in 1989. "We were originally a trio, formed out of a communal love for the music of the 60s. Perhaps in particular, the music of the mid-60s... The Beatles and The Stones, The Who and The Kinks."

The band converted to playing 60s tunes almost exclusively in the 90s, when "performing 60s music had kind of turned into an unexpected career for us!" Since then, The Overtures have done some incredible shows - including supporting Sir Elton John at the O2 Arena in London and playing to an audience of 17,000 people, as well as playing for Sir Elton at his Civil Ceremony to filmmaker and former advertising executive David Furnish in 2014 at their home in Windsor.

However, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic affected the live music industry. "We're all still slowly recovering but there are signs that we're getting there. Music is such an important part of everyone's lives and I like to think people will be even more determined to support their local venues and local artistes and that live music will eventually bounce back bigger than ever."

The Overtures have a new album out which consists of their own original music, available to purchase on their website. It is called 'Onceinaworld'.