It has been said that "If you can remember the 1960s you probably weren't there" – but don't tell that to the 400 people who flocked to the Bermuda Society of Arts (BSoA) for the two performances of the live band Red Alert.

Not only did those who lived through the '60s decade remember every single hit from what was the most inspiring decade of rock music, but also the dance moves, and in some cases even the dress code.

For those who could still fit into them, out came the original T-shirts bearing names like 'The Who'; the bell-bottomed jeans, the cotton headscarves and headbands; the minis and the flower-power skirts, and it was on with rockin' and rollin' the night away.

This was the third of promoter and professional drummer Howard Rego's fund raisers for the BSoA, and part of his ongoing 'Music Quest' programme to bring live music to the forefront of the local scene.

Having covered the music of the Blues Brothers and the Motown stable in earlier shows, this one was entitled '1960s Live Rock and Roll Music Revue,' and proved to be another huge success, with both nights completely sold out.

For the occasion, Mr. Rego reunited the same musicians who played in the original band he formed in New York in the 1980s to play here at the Robin Hood. Collectively, Jimmy Keneally (bass and lead vocals), Louis Landon (keyboards/vocals), Tim De Huff (lead guitar/lead vocals), Michael Torres (lead guitar/lead vocals) and Mr. Rego (drums/lead vocals) were simply fabulous. Not only was their musicianship superb, but also they performed more than 40 classics with just one break in two and a half hours – and even then the crowd was baying for more.

The wide-ranging repertoire, prepared especially for this event, included such hits as 'Hang on Sloopy', 'Woolly Bully', 'We Gotta Get Outta This Place', 'Sound of Silence', 'Satisfaction', 'Twist and Shout', 'Can't Buy Me Love', 'House of the Rising Sun', 'A Whiter Shade of Pale', 'Pretty Woman', 'Wild Thing' and 'Love Potion No. 9', to name but a few.

By popular demand, Red Alert also paid tribute to the mid-1960s local band, The Savages, by performing their No.1 hit, 'No, No, No', 'Roses are Red', and an adaptation of 'Devil with the Blue Dress' as a commercial about the Mobylette for local agent J.B. Astwood.

In this ever-rolling feast of plenty, perhaps the most impressive were the incredible renditions of Curtis Mayfield's 'People Get Ready', and the frenetic Rolling Stones' medley of 'Paint it Black', 'Honky Tonk Woman', and 'Jumping Jack Flash' – the latter of which earned the musicians a standing ovation on night one.

To produce an event of this calibre took a great deal of planning, hard work and energy, but oh how it paid off! Brilliant arrangements, the obvious enjoyment with which the band performed and the crowd responded, all added up to an unforgettable journey down memory lane for which Mr. Rego, as the producer, deserves great credit.

The unexpected bonus of the professional drummer singing lead vocals for the first time in his 45-year career as a musician on what he termed the appropriate 'I Get By With a Little Help from my Friends' came as a welcome surprise which bears repeating.

Events like this don't happen without many willing hands behind the scenes, so kudos to BSoA assistant gallery director Lesley Rego, gallery director Julie Hastings-Smith, and the many volunteers for their invaluable contributions. Also to be commended are the improved stage, seating and lighting arrangements, and the excellent sound.

A fund-raiser the event started out as, and a fun raiser it certainly became. To Mr. Rego's question, "Would you like to have the band back again?" the crowd roared 'Yes', to which I can only add "and soon".