When I first started this little exercise we were a month into lockdown on the 24th April. Like most of you I expected this to last a month or two and some form on normality would have prevailed and I would be back to live music by the autumn. It quickly became apparent that this was not going to be the case and I soon wrote off the whole year pinning my hopes on a quick resumption in 2021.
Well after his latest bout of brinkmanship with the virus Boris has blinked too late yet again and we’re back in full lockdown. The reality now is clear and sadly it will be a full twelve months and probably a lot more between my last gig and the next one. I will be surprised if I am seeing any live music again before June.
We go again and hopefully this brings back memories for my gig going chums who have joined me on this great musical journey down the years.
Just the one today for my look back trip down memory lane.
2002, John Hiatt, the Old Vic, London
Still the only time we have been to the Old Vic for a gig and it’s all very civilised for John, Graham and myself. It’s the ‘Tiki bar is open’ tour and Hiatt is backed at this time by the Goners which featured slide guitar maestro Sonny Landreth. He’s slightly wasted in this format but it’s always a joy to see the master in action.
It’s a great set with a nice mix of tracks from down his career and one of the highlights is Hiatt solo at a piano playing ‘Have a little faith in me’. Hair tingling stuff every time I hear that song.
We’ve seen Hiatt many times down the years and he is still as good now as he ever was and continues to produce some fine albums in what is arguably the autumn of his career.
That’s it for today’s trip down memory lane. With hopes dashed of any form of normality soon I am trying to cling on that by June we could be back in business but my hopes have been dashed so many times in the last twelve months that I wouldn’t bet on it.
Don forget, support your small local venues and smaller artists in these difficult times, stay safe and keep on rockin y’all.