With the country still in the midst of lockdown and no sign of any live music in the foreseeable future if at all this year I thought I would take the opportunity to look back in the archives, sounds posh I know but it’s just an spreadsheet, and revisit gigs I attended on this day down the years.
May is typically a very busy month for gig being part of the usual album release cycle and there are a mighty five trips down memory lane for you down the years today
1990, the Notting Hillbillies, Town and Country, London
So glad we got to see this short lived ‘supergroup’ led by Mark Knopfler with the great Steve Philips too, who I think we saw at The Cabbage Patch in Twickenham a few years later, touring their one and only album. Me, John and Graham as usual at our second home around that time The Town and Country in Kentish Town.
It was lovely night just stepping back and admiring some of the finest musicians on the planet just doing what they do best. No egos and feels like a just a bunch of mates playing in a pub the songs they grew up with plus a few originals thrown in along with a couple from the Dire Straits back catalogue.
Sublime stuff.
2005 Sonny Landreth, Dingwalls, London
My memory is a little hazy for this one as we saw Sonny twice within in a year at this venue. Joined as usual by John and Graham we started the night at The Hawley Arms, famously Amy Winehouse’s local. We were tipped off in the pub that Eric Clapton would be at the show who was apparently a Landreth fan. Sure enough there he was sat at a table to the side of the stage. Would it be too much to ask for him to join Sonny on stage… yes it would. Like the rest of us he just took in the master that is Landreth, the king of the Bayou slide blues.
As usual it’s a masterclass in fret work and I like Landreth’s voice which is often under appreciated. A great night proving once again that Landreth is simply the best at what he does.
2009 The Specials Brixton Academy, London
I always liked the Specials back in the day but I was a little too young to have seen them live. The Specials reunited the year before and conveniently this coincides with their 30th anniversary. The crowd is full of middle aged men with little hair (this time not by choice) and Fred Perry polo shirts and its 1979 all over again. John and I take our place in the stalls ready for a bit of ska.
The line-up is sans Jerry Dammers who arguably is one of the main components of the Specials sound and of course chief songwriter. As you expect the set draws from the first two albums plus a sprinkling of covers as was always the case with this band.
I was worried that this might just turn into a sad tribute like return but actually they were excellent, the band were tight, Terry Hall was on good form and a great night was had by all. A trip down memory lane for sure but they still had the licks and surprisingly they are still together.
2011, North Mississippi Allstars, Dingwalls, London
Another year, another NMA gig in May. This time it’s at Dingwalls in Camden Town. It’s a typical NMA gig, great blues, great musicians and above all great slide work from Luther. The difference tonight is Ian Siegal joining the boys which is an added bonus and this collaboration continues the following year with the boys joining Siegal on the Mississippi Youngblood’s album and fantastic gig at the Islington Academy.
I probably can’t add anything more to the numerous reviews I have written about this band down the years. Simply if you like the blues, then go see them.
2014, Slambovian Circus of Dreams, the Borderline, London
I’ll be honest I had never heard of this band until very recently before going to this gig. Big Al had been raving about them and as they don’t tour over here very often I duly got my ticket and with Mr Head in tow we schlep down to the Borderline on a balmy Sunday night.
Led by the irrepressible Gandalf Murphy tonight’s show is part theatre, part Halloween party, part comedy but most of all a great rock show. Murphy spends as much time talking, regaling us with humorous stories of gothic America as he does playing. Both of which he does very well. Over here in support of their latest and to date last album ‘Box of Everything’ what surprised me most was the quality of the songs and the band. Long time guitarist Sharkey was a revelation.
Murphy’s voice has a touch of the Neil Diamond about it but instead of belting out AOR classics he is fronting a travelling circus of interesting characters delivering rock music.
I thoroughly enjoyed the evening, I didn’t know most of the songs but shouted out the chorus to ‘The Trans-Slambovian Bi Polar Express’ with the best of them.
This gig just exemplifies the beauty of having a group of like-minded friends who constantly recommend other acts that otherwise would have passed you by. Music is for sharing and I hope that I reciprocate recommendations to my gig going pals and we can all broaden each other’s musical spheres. We might not all agree and we all have our favourites but the Venn diagram that overlaps our tastes gets bigger every year.
That’s it for today’s trip down memory lane. Here’s hoping we can get to some form of normality soon. Support your small local venues and smaller artists in these difficult times, stay safe and keep on rockin y’all