Will do - nearly 1000 pages on 60s & 70s music. 30 minutes in and I’ve read the (extremely interesting) introduction by David Hitchcock (on of UKs top prog rock producer) and have just reached Mick Abrahams Going to take me a hell of a long time before I reach Van Der Graaf Generator never mind Wishbone Ash
Saw Van Der Graph Generator at Southampton Gaumont. Couldn’t tell you what year, but the place was only 1/4 full. Didn’t stop them putting everything into the show though.
discovered this talented group this morning ... excellent cover versions and their own stuff ... three talented ladies
I saw Wishbone Ash (from Torquay!) circa '77 with some mates from school at The Gaumont and it was pretty full. I knew the Argus album note for note listening to it through my brother's bedroom wall. The two lead guitars of Andy Powell and Ted Turner sounded great live...
That was a cracking album - I was introduced to them a year or so earlier by hearing “Phoenix” and “Handy” played live on the John Peel show. Those are still 2 of my favourite tracks of theirs. Saw them in 73 at the guildhall in Southampton - cracking gig. From memory (and I was a little “out of it”) Andy played the beginning of “Time Was” on an acoustic before a roadie tossed him his electric to start the main riff .... only time I ever saw that. Great memories - I was lucky to live up by the university so went to as many gigs there as I could from about 1970 onwards. Happy days
I saw them at the Guildhall on the famous Charisma show (Ten Bob tour?) where they were top of the bill to an unknown band called “Genesis” who me and my mate thought were “pretty good and might make something .....”. September 71 - tickets 50p. Bloody excellent (I already had a couple of their albums and I’ve got most of their stuff now - still sounds as fresh today as it did to a 16 year old!) gig. Though, to be honest, Genesis were probably better that night!!
Saw them at a one-day festival at the Oval Cricket Ground in 1972 when they topped the bill, which also consisted of bands like Genesis, Focus, and ELP. To be fair, ELP were the biggest name in town at the time but couldn’t go on after dark when it got cooler because Emerson’s Moogs wouldn’t stay in tune! Wishbone Ash were brilliant though, played the whole of Argus as well as all their earlier hits.
Wasn’t aware Keith E ever really bothered about his Moog being in tune!! “Lucky Man” - first time I was totally blown away by a Moog .....
I was shocked to see Lucky Peterson's name on that list. I saw him at Vienne twice and also, rather incongruously, at the Haymarket in Basingstoke a few years back. Back in the early 1990s we was being touted as the future of the Blues but whenever I say him I felt that he had the ability to connect with his audiences like many of the greats of yesteryear. A gifted guitarist and pianist and charismatic singer, his music ultimately straddled blues, jazz and soul. Safe to say that an evening listening to his music guaranteed a good night out. The year 2020 has been pretty shocking with regard to musicians who have passed and whilst some of the older players like Gary Peacock, Lee Konitz and McCoy Tyner were not too surprising, the loss of a younger generation such as Peterson,, Lyle Mays, Wallace Rooney and pianist Frank Kimbrough who I met once at a gig in Southampton has shocked me. It never ceases to be a shock when musical idols pass. I was playing a CD the other day by a trio led by Paul Bley and it struck me that the three musicians were very much "contemporary" when I was discovering the music in the 1980s yet none of them are with us.
Love this show and I had no idea that these members of Punk royalty got together for it, Jonesy's guitar and Cooky's drumming still sounds great...
9 years ago today we lost an amazing talent. So much more than just “Baker Street” (though that remains a classic). So many wonderful songs and heartfelt lyrics. Thanks Gerry. RIP
Good mate of mine. Spent a lot of time with Steve, and went on holiday with him to Italy in 2019 to discuss various projects. One of life's good guys, it's a very sad loss. (He was 62 though, not 65!)