ELO is dead, long live ELO! And ELO Part II! And The Orchestra!

One of the most confusing rock family trees in the history of music, The Orchestra, starring former members of Electric Light Orchestra and ELO Part II members comes to the Philhar- monic Hall this week.

Founder and songwriter Jeff Lynne has cut all ties with the ongoing incarnations of his former band, but grand tunes including Xanadu, Livin’ Thing, Sweet Talkin’ Woman and, of course, Mr Blue Sky could never stay down for long.

Original members Louis Clark, Mik Kaminski and Kelly Groucutt alongside ELO Part II founding member Eric Troyer, Phil Bates and Gordon Townsend now play as The Orchestra.

“We don’t have big spaceships and lasers and things like that any more, but saying that, our sound is much better than it was back then. We’re all a bit long in the tooth now,” laughs keyboardist Groucutt, who joined as a touring musician in 1974, and stayed for ten years.

“I always enjoyed it, I never tire of it, really.

“It’s a very varied audience because we have grandkids who bring their kids who bring the grandkids and everybody seems to love it – the songs have obviously been passed down.”

The Orchestra kick off their UK tour at the Philharmonic Hall in Hope Street on Saturday.