August 10, 2025

‘JUMP’ AND ‘LET’S DANCE’: THE BOMB RETRO BAND KEEPS FORGOTTEN DECADE OF GREAT ’80s MUSIC ‘ALIVE AND KICKING’

GRAVENHURST — I went to a concert last night and a party broke out.

A birthday party — for The BOMB Retro ’80s Live super band fan Cathy, who danced her way across the Opera House stage.

She and a couple hundred of her close friends and fans of the Whitby tribute artists turned the staid old performance hall into an upstairs bar for a great good rollicking time.

It was a rewind retrospective of a forgotten, but beloved decade of music that produced some lasting ear-piercing hits that The Bomb members Rob Van Der Vleuten (lead singer) Jamie Thunder (drummer), Constantine Gatsis (guitar) and Shaun Gillespie (bass) authentically with much passion and talent brought back to life.

**Birthday girl and fan club member Cathy couldn’t resist taking to the stage to sing with her idols The Bomb Retro Live last night at the Oprera House. PHOTOS Mark Clairmont**

With Grouplove’s “Welcome to Your Life” and the Pet Shop Boys’ “East End Boys and West End Girls among a couple dozen highlights of the two-hour-plus dance party, they let David Bowe lovers put on their red shoes to danced and gyrate front to back of the auditorium, drinks raised high in wildly waving hands.

“Let’s Go Crazy” (Prince), “It’s My Life” (Talk Talk) and “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” (Tears for Fears) were other memorable covers. “My Best Friend’s Girl” (The Cars) and Van Halen’s “Jump” kept the three-quarter house on its feet a lot of the night.

Van Der Vleuten was particularly authentic channelling his Bono with their rendition of U2’s “With of Without You” among many other stellar hits the The Bomb Live dropped.

Now with the days of northern bar bands as retro as the ’80s, it was a happy, lively and fun way to celebrate and keep alive hits that those born in the ’60s grew up and rocked on as the ’60s and ’70s music evolved louder and more progressive.

Last night showed that generation is still “Alive and Kicking” (Simple Minds).

“It’s My Life” (Bon Jovi) and their life.

And they enjoyed an every unforgotten “New Sensation” (INXS) of it.