HE COMMODORE Ballroom was the recent site of

one of the best concerts I've been to in ages. The

evening began with the Vancouver introduction of Boy On A Dolphin, which is being touted as Britain’s hot-

test new band.

The core consists of four Shef- field boys who play ... well, think Simply Red, Xavier Cougat, Sergio Mendes and the Gipsy Kings all playing at once. .

Boy On A Dolphin is on a win- ning streak.

They wowed Whistler au- diences; West Van's Michael Meade is featuring them on BCTV’s The Performers; super- agent Sam Feldman has just sign- ed them; former Loverboy guitarist Scott Smith has taken them under his wing and organized their tour; and, although their eponymous CD was recorded in Sheffield, it was mixed in Bryan Adams’ West Van basement, with former Loverboy Mike Reno doing backup vocals.

Not too shabby.

Their CD is now in stores and | highly recommend that you pick it up.

wekk k

Another excellent just-released CD comes from the headliner at the Commodore that night — North Van's Barney Bentall with his Legendary Hearts, who've just released their third album, Words Inside. .

1 know that Bryan Adams is a Canadian institution but | prefer

BOY ON a Dolphin sax. player ‘Pete Hiley.

Bentall — the fact that he isn’t as famous must be attributed to a marketing problem. .

Adams doesn’t seduce or inspire total adoration in his audience the way Bentall does, although I’m sure that Adams too has had more than a few pieces of underwear flung his way.

And there was major groupie action, with a few girls managing to run up and throw their arms around Bentall’s drummer, North Van's jack Guppy.

Bentall, just back from a-Cana- dian tour, during which he and his band “froze (their) you-know- whats off,” had to put on a strong show after the rave reception Boy On A Dolphin got. And he delivered.

You can’t beat four guitars, great harmonies and great songs (as a bonus, Colin James’ sax player John Ferreira backed them up).

This was topped by the appreci- ation of a roaring ‘crowd which, by the way, included North Van's jon Paul Holt (Guppa’s hairdresser), there with his wife Julie and son Oliver; West Van financier Martyn Element and his wife Barbara; and North Van hunk Doug Copithorn, who has given up his modelling career and is now a full-time pilot in Campbell River.

At concert’s end, | spotted

Dolphin singer Andy Needham

Louise Aird BRIGHT LIGHTS

scanning the room, trying to figure out Bentall’s success recipe.

Perhaps Bentall should write a how-to manual.

kek

There's lots of Hollywood action happening at the moment.

In the course of just one lunch at Le Meridien lately, | spotted big- guy actor Brian Dennehy gener- ously tipping the bellman.

We knew he was nice, now we know he’s not cheap.

Also spotted mega-hunk, ex-thir- tysomething and ex-Michelle Pfeiffer husband Peter Horton, here directing the ABC TV pilot Birdland. another mega-hunk Rutger Hauer, who's here filming the feature Arctic Blue, co-starring Cathy Moriarty; Another World cast member jasmine Guy, here filming the TV movie Boy Meets Girl and Marg Stark, the Boston journalist who wrote Roommates, a book about people living with AIDS.

Finally Richard Gere, who's here filming the feature Intersec- tion with Sharon Stone, looked at rental homes all over town before choosing a hideaway in North Van. :

Gere’s wife, supermode! Cindy Crawford, is staying there with him.

I'm going to be very civil here. | will not say precisely where they are, nor will | make any rodent jokes...

wkekek -.And on the subject of famous people, should-be-Hair-Club- For-Men member Prince Edward was here to preside over the re- cent Duke of Edinburgh Awards ceremony and the opening of Vic- toria’s Commonwealth Games volunteer centre.

Contrary to reports that he im- mediately returned home, howev- er, I’m told that he and his en- tourage took two floors of a Whistler hotel and spent a week skiing and partying!

Maybe he’s not as dull as he looks.

BOY ON a Dolphin founders Jon Reilly {iett) and Andy Needham. .

Two notes of congratulations — to Park Royal Hotel General Man- ager Mario Corsi, who was nam- ed Restaurateur of the Year by the B.C. & Yukon Restaurant and ~ Foodservices Association; and to North Van‘s Chris Anstee, who was given the Frank Baker Memo- |— rial Student of the Year award.

Anstee, who started as a Park Royal Hotel busboy over 10 years ago, has known Mario all his life — obviously, the Corsi knack has rubbed off.

The management,and staff are pleased to announce that The Sundowner Restaurant will re-open for another season of fine dining on April 2nd, 1993. We would like to invite you to take advantage of our special offer QUALITY WORKMANSHIP until April 30th, 1993. PRECISION REPAIRS alg} § During frie Dorion the presentation SATISFACTION GUARANTEED é AH purchase one dinner entree fF at our regular price, while your quest will receive a discount of up to thirteen dollars on an entree - _ a: of equal or jesser value. ; . er nts F SE Plesae present this coupon [FREE Hn NEDA EA _ at the time of ordering. _. N E We look forward to seeing you and your guest at The Sundowner. For reservations please call 921-8161. 3 mile scenic drive north of Horseshoe Bay, : West Vancouver. ‘ ‘