From West End to Old Kirk: Tony Delicata set for Kirkcaldy show

It was a great show which ran for 12 years, and it was the West End debut for Tony playing the Big Bopper who perished in the same plane as Buddy Holly all those years ago.

Fast forward to 2012 when he was producing programmes for community radio in Leith and practically running Leith Festival from a single room above the famous Dockers Club. Together we produced a stage musical ourselves for the festival then on the Edinburgh Fringe which sold out its run for two years running.

Tony went on to form Atina Arts and introduced Being Frank About Sinatra, a one man show with anecdotes, visuals, and live music.

He told us about the seedy side of Sinatra, the Mafia connections and all the stories that PR are quick to deny or cover up.

The show was scheduled to appear at the Brighton Festival too before the pandemic set it cancelling this and the last two Fringe runs for his show.

Plans are in place for 2022, however, and now that September is upon us venues are active again with a huge backlog of shows seeking audiences.

In recent months though Tony has formed a five-piece band called La Dolce Vita Swing Collective with piano, bass, drums & sax and what a sound they make.

Newly formed during lockdown they plan to do cabaret, dinners, and private functions where quality music is the key. Imagine the supper rooms in Las Vegas and you get a hint of live musicians loving what the do along with the great American Songbook. Songs like Fly Me To The Moon, (Theme From) New York New York, I Don’t Get Around Much Anymore, and Mack The Knife are all included.

When I saw them last month at Le Monde in George Street Edinburgh the place was swinging and asking for more.

His Italian roots come surfacing too just as his hero Dean Martin would warm the audiences with That’s Amore, Volare and Come Prima.

A Christmas show is being planned and this involves some standards and some new swing arrangements ready for the end of this year as people want to get out again.

Tony told me this week the band get their kicks from the buzz of the crowd, the applause, the singing along and some spontaneous dancing.

The band will return to Le Monde this month and have just added a date at the Old Kirk in Kirk Wynd Kirkcaldy for September 17h with a licenced bar and special guests.

Tickets from the dolchevitaswing.com website or direct from Eventbrite.

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