With over 55 million albums sold and a wealth of anthems under their glam rock belts, Sweet are one of Britain’s most iconic bands. As the glam titans arrived for a special gig at my favourite venue in Shey Bu, the glitter pants and blue eyeshadow were donned for this sell-out show.
Sweet
O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire – 5 April 2025
Words: Sara Harding
Photography: Manuela Langotsch
When one of my great friends from the West London local gig scene, Paul Manzi, revealed he was joining the band, we all thought what a perfect fit with his awesome vocals, huge hair and on-stage charisma. 
I first enjoyed Sweet at The 02 a few years back, and as the band began, we were all up out of our seats stomping, chanting and singing along.
The old-school fans are all here to celebrate legendary Sweet member Andy Scott’s legacy live and loud. For those of us who were a bit too young to see Sweet the first time around in the ’70s, this is a great chance to catch the classics and the new toons this band delivered throughout the glam era to the now. Sweet songs are still relevant and very catchy to this very day.
Born 30th June 1949 in Wrexham, North Wales. Andy Scott says he first picked up the guitar at 13, moving on to play bass (“because someone had to”) with a plethora of local bands (The Fore-Winds, Missing Links and The Strangers) before settling in the Silverstone Set.
In 1966, the group won Hughie Green’s Opportunity Knocks six weeks running, eventually being beaten by Freddie Starr. This led to the Silverstone Set playing support to Jimi Hendrix on his first shows in the UK in 1967.
This was a moment of epiphany that moved Andy to return to playing guitar in his next venture, The Elastic Band, with his brother Mike now on bass. When Ted ‘Gus’ Yeadon left to join the Love Affair, the remaining members of the Elastic Band briefly became the backing group for The Scaffold before Andy and Mike finally moved south to London to complete the line-up of a new band, Mayfield’s Mule.
August 1970, and still only 20, Andy was offered the job with Sweet. The band had been around for a couple of years with limited success, and with Andy now completing the Classic line-up, The Sweet were about to take over the music world.
Andyʼs first gig with Sweet was on 26th September 1970 at The Windsor Ballroom, Redcar, and the rest, as they say, is music history.
So here we are in West London 54 years later to witness Scott and co. As the band take to the stage, the atmosphere in this packed venue is electric. Every rock journalist is here, as well as rock royalty, to enjoy some blockbusters once again.
The six-piece band burst into action with Action. Frontman Manzi gets us all going with the fist-pumping and on-point vocals, with Andy Scott’s BVs sounding amazing. A killer keyboard production of the background ’70s vibe gives this band an extra layer of depth.
Paul looks around the packed Shey Bu empire and wishes us all a big hello. Then it’s time for Andy to say a few words, revealing that the band had first played The Empire when they appeared on Crackerjack, a famous kid’s programme back in the day.
Andy further says if it wasn’t for us fans, he wouldn’t be here playing tonight. “Jim Kirkpatrick from FM turned up when I was in bed with my back! He then offered to step in and here we all are.”
Manzi asks us if we remember the ’70s? Well, certainly, a lot of my rock journo codgers do. 🙂
What I can’t get over is the huge sound this band produce. With four-octave vocal harmonies and a beating backline like no other, they romp through Hell Raiser.
Paul introduces a newer Sweet drop with Circus encouraging us to vote for them on the Heritage charts. Obviously, we all hit our iPhones and did just that.
Back to vintage Sweet with The Six Teens, and by gad, it’s so good to hear these songs aired again. 
Another new song, Don’t Bring Me Water, is next on the setlist, and it is a stonking slice of classic rock. Lost Angels and Windy City follow with stunning guitar and keyboard solos.
Andy announces he is off for a break due to the issues with his back, so Paul et al take over the reigns to take us back to 1971 to a medley where it started – proper old Skool toons. The grey tops are loving it. This is proper top-of-the-charts stuff!
The band then take us back to the bubblegum pop era of Sweet with hits like Poppa Joe, Funny Funny and the double entendre tastic Little Willy. 
Sweet are pure quality and pepper the set with the songs that deliver their hard rock edge. With Lost Angels, Windy City, and Set Me Free played back to back, this was a proper goosebump moment.
As I looked around at all the fans, old and new, singing, dancing and smiling, it was a reminder of why we go to all these gigs and support these legacy bands.
Their harmonies simply shone, the backup keyboards were such an augmentation, plus the powerhouse vocals from my buddy Paul Manzi. This was a truly blockbusting gig. With a rarely performed Love Is Like Oxygen in full and Fox On The Run, we were treated to a whole bag of sweets. In fact, I am on a sugar rush just writing this.
Finishing up with the encore of all encores, it had to be Blockbuster and Ballroom Blitz. There was not one person sitting down for this gig of gigs, and as their set sadly came to an end, we gave Sweet a well-deserved Standing Ovation.
Two things I want – Andy Scott’s hair and another gig in Shepherd’s Bush.
