Review: For a night, Denny Laine 'Wings' it

May 30, 11:11 AMBeatles ExaminerSteve Marinucci

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Denny Laine on stage Friday at Cache Creek Casino in Brooks, CA. (Photo by Steve Marinucci)

It's probably safe to say that not everyone within hearing distance of Denny Laine's show Friday night was aware that the guy onstage sang one of the most prominent hits of the '60s British Invasion or was a seminal member of Wings. Just the other side of the curtain entrance to the Club 88 at Cache Creek Hotel and Casino in Brooks, CA., where the show took place, there was a large room of slot machines and card tables.

But that didn't stop Denny Laine from putting on on a fun show that was loaded with Wings hits and other songs from throughout his career.

Laine commented at the beginning of the roughly 75 minute set he and the band hadn't played together before, but the guys, identified by first names only, did a good job. Laine was clearly having a good time as well, joking often through the set.

The setlist included songs spanning his career, including hits from both his Moody Blues days and Wings days, plus a few more obscure songs for the Beatles and Wings fans who may have been in the crowd. "Again and Again," "Say You Don't Mind" (post-Moody Blues) "Deliver Your Children" (from "London Town") "No Words" ("Band on the Run") and "Time to Hide" ("Wings at the Speed of Sound") were some of the lesser known tunes, but he also included some big hits: "Mull of Kintyre," "Go Now," "Band on the Run" and "Live and Let Die."

He introduced "Mull of Kintyre" by saying that one time when Wings played the song live, the group wore kilts. And he triggered reminders of the much bantered question of whether McCartney wears boxers or briefs by saying that some members weren't wearing anything underneath their kilts and that there was much shuffling by the audience to see what they could see.

After the show, he chatted with fans and signed autographs. Among the items available was a compilation CD, "Denny Laine: Storyteller," that included 21 tracks with both live and studio recordings. Included on the CD are Laine's versions of  "Band on the Run" and "Mull of Kintyre."