Alan Fletcher Band – Review – Pocklington Arts Centre

By Victoria Holdsworth, September 2025

There’s something wonderfully surreal about watching Dr Karl Kennedy – the endlessly well-meaning GP from Neighbours – step out under stage lights with a guitar in hand. For many in the crowd at Pocklington Arts Centre, it felt like a reunion with an old friend; only instead of dishing out dodgy diagnoses or causing chaos on Ramsay Street, Alan Fletcher was there to prove himself as a storyteller and musician in his own right.

From the opening chords, Fletcher set the tone with a sound rooted in Americana and folk-rock. His voice – gravelly, warm and full of character – carried songs about love, resilience and life’s twists and turns. It was the kind of delivery that felt lived-in, authentic and far removed from the glossy soap-opera sheen where most first encountered him.

Fletcher’s brand of folk-rock creates outstanding musical textures that have seemingly become his signature. Weathered and unpolished in a good way, his voice tells stories rather than simply delivering them, and the intimacy of the room allowed every lyric to land.

The audience, naturally, arrived with expectations of Karl Kennedy references – and he didn’t disappoint. Fletcher knows his audience well. He wove in moments of humour and knowing glances towards his Neighbours past, peppering his set with stories from his Neighbours years, gentle jokes about Susan, and tongue-in-cheek gestures to Karl’s wandering eye.

There were plenty of behind-the-scenes anecdotes, and at one point crowd members spontaneously broke into a chant of “Kaaaaarl!” Fletcher leaned into it with a grin, proving he’s more than happy to celebrate his soap legacy rather than shy away from it. Crucially, these moments never overwhelmed the set; the music remained centre stage, underscoring Fletcher’s determination to be judged on his own artistic merits.

“Creative reinvention”

What made the evening truly memorable, though, was the balance. While nostalgia was never far from the surface, it never tipped into parody. The music always held its own.

Standout moments included a tender ballad that hushed the room into silence, followed by a rollicking, foot-stomping number that had the audience swaying along. Fletcher’s band were tight, unfussy and clearly enjoying themselves, providing just the right lift – giving the songs space to breathe while adding punch where needed.

There was also an intimacy to the night, but what struck many was the sincerity, as Fletcher spoke openly about the challenges of shifting from a decades-long acting career into a new chapter as a songwriter. That candour resonated, reminding the crowd this wasn’t a vanity project or a TV star dabbling in music for a laugh, but a genuine creative reinvention.

By the encore, the atmosphere was more celebratory than nostalgic. The crowd weren’t just applauding a soap icon indulging in a hobby; they were acknowledging a performer who had given them an evening of heartfelt, engaging music.

Fletcher may never fully escape the shadow of Ramsay Street, but judging by this performance, he doesn’t need to. He has embraced it, woven it into his stage persona and built something new around it – carrying it off with warmth and ease.

Victoria Holdsworth( Writer )

Victoria is a former English teacher and lifelong musician who has successfully combined her two great passions: words and music. Over the past 20 years, she has written for a variety of publications, giving her the opportunity to witness outstanding talent and meet some truly inspiring individuals. With a deep love for rock, indie, metal, and all things weird and wonderful in between, Victoria also co-runs an independent record label.

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