Pretty Things & Van Morrison: Baby Please Don't Go/ I Can Tell. Indigo, ...

Pretty Things Final Bow.

I wouldn’t claim to be a huge fan of The Pretty Things although I remember their few hit songs in the 60’s and when I bought my ticket for this concert a few months ago I also got their legendary album S.F.Sorrow intending to get really acquainted with it as it came out exactly 50 years ago and I knew it would be a large part of the night’s performance. I think the main reason I bought my ticket was that Van Morrison was to be a special guest and I thought it would be fun to see Van play with a different band. Also, Bill Nighy was supposed to be the M.C. for the evening. As it turned out Bill had filming commitments and couldn’t attend. His place was taken by Arthur Brown. I don’t think I have seen Arthur Brown since Peterborough Cloud 9 club in 1970. The last time I went to the O2 in London I swore I would never go back because it was too big and soulless, but tonight’s concert was in a smaller venue inside the dome called Indigo which I hoped would be a lot better.

In the queue outside I spotted Ivan from Northern Ireland  who I hadn’t seen since a concert at the RAH a few years ago. He told me that Alan was in the bar opposite, so I went in the Slug & Lettuce where I found Alan & Simon & Sandra. Later on in the venue I met Brendan from Dublin and Pamela & Chris whose faces I recognised from previous Van gigs in London. I was pleased that I met a few Van fans. I was glad that I had a seat as well because it turned out to be a long evening of three sets. The first set was the present Pretty Things line-up and I really enjoyed it because I think I knew several of the songs. I particularly liked the playing of Dick Taylor who was actually an original member of the Rolling Stones before he formed the Pretty Things with vocalist Phil May. This was Set One- Honey I Need, Don't Bring Me Down, Buzz the Jerk, Mama Keep Your Big Mouth Shut, Get the Picture?, The Same Sun, Alexander, Defecting Grey, Big Boss Man, Midnight To Six Man, Mr Evasion.

In Set Two they were joined by Dave Gilmour of Pink Floyd fame on guitar. This set also had previous members of the band to perform tracks from S.F. Sorrow.  This was Set 2, Scene One, S.F. Sorrow Is Born, She Says Good Morning, Baron Saturday, Trust, I See You, Cries From the Midnight Circus. I was getting tired and impatient by the end of that set although most of the audience were loving it, so I shouldn’t complain. Finally, during the third set they were joined by Van Morrison for three songs. This was the highlight of the evening for me and rarely has Baby Please Don’t Go sounded so good. Seeing Van play live with a top British R&B band from the 60’s gives you some idea of what it must have been like to see Van’s band Them all those years ago. This was Set Three, I Can't Be Satisfied, Come On in My Kitchen, Baby, Please Don't Go, I Can Tell, You Can't Judge a Book by the Cover, Come See Me, Mona, Pretty Thing, Who Do You Love, L.S.D.

Towards the end of that set I went downstairs to see if I could find any of my friends. There seemed to be about eight people on stage by now including two drummers. There was a  long drum solo that I really didn’t need by now. After that the band came back for an encore. I enjoyed Rosalyn but then decided I’d had enough and they were closing the bar so I left. That turned out to be a big mistake because later in the pub where I met Alan for a last drink, he told me that Van returned to sing Road Runner with the band & Dave Gilmour. Encore, Rosalyn, Road Runner, Loneliest Person.

When the pub closed I wandered off to find my hotel on some desolate corner of the Greenwich peninsula and I was pleased that I made the effort to go and see The Pretty Things take their final bow.

                                                                THE END.

Review: Van Morrison, The Prophet Speaks

Van Morrison brought out his last album of original songs Keep Me Singing in September 2016 and since then has released four albums in quick succession which are a mixture of cover versions of songs by his favourite artists and his own songs. The Prophet Speaks is the latest, and to my ears the greatest of the four. Once again, he teams up with Joey De Francesco and his virtuoso band of Troy Roberts, Dan Wilson and Michael Ode. You certainly get your money’s worth on this album which is seventy minutes of cool jazz, soul & blues.

The opening track Gonna Send You Back Where I Got You From is written by Eddy ‘Cleanhead’ Vinson who Van obviously admires a lot, having recorded his song Hold It Right There on his previous album You’re Drivin’ Me Crazy. I particularly like the guitar playing of Dan Wilson on this track. 

Dimples is one of the best-known songs by Van’s old friend John Lee Hooker. It was written in 1956 but was re-released in 1964 in the wake of the UK R & B boom and got to number 23 in the UK charts. It has been recorded by many artists over the years and Van’s version is as good as any. The band are cooking, I love the warm rich sound of Joey’s Hammond organ and Van on Sax & harmonica. There are plenty of yeahs & whoops which shows Van is enjoying himself. Got To Go Where The Love Is is a new song of Van’s and has a very radio friendly catchy sound. People like me who like searching for meanings in the lyrics will have a hard time with this album, but I think the reference to’ tearing down the wall of hate’ could be an anti-Trump message. Joey is the co-producer on this album and I like the laughter and party sounds at the end of the song which give it a very live feel. Laughin & Clowning is written by another of Van’s music heroes’ namely Sam Cooke. It was originally on Sam’s album Night Beat in 1963. It is a real shame that Sam Cooke was slain on December 11^th, 1964 aged only 33. I bet Van would have loved to have worked with him at some point.

5 AM Greenwich Meantime is another Van original and although quite catchy is one of his lesser songs in my opinion. Gotta Get You Off My Mind is another song by an old friend of Van’s Solomon Burke, and daughter Shana helps out on backing vocals. Van excels himself on harp on this song. Teardrops is written by J.D. Harris, better known as Shakey Jake who contributes three songs to this album. This is a more bluesy sound with Joey on the keyboards rather than the organ. I Love The Life I Live is a Willie Dixon song. He actually recorded with Shakey Jake. They were both exponents of the Chicago Blues sound. I never knew this stuff till I listened to Van and looked these people up on Wikipedia. It is very educational listening to Van Morrison. The next track Worried Blues / Rollin’ And Tumblin’ was also written by Shakey Jake Harris and is six minutes of frenetic brilliance with Van scatting away to his heart’s content.

Ain’t Gonna Moan No More is another Van song and a highlight of the album for me. I like the eerie organ sound which reminds me of songs like I Put A Spell On You or something like that. It is Van the name-dropper in the lyrics of this song. He mentions Muddy Waters, John Lee, Jon Hendriks, Satchmo and  Willie The Sheik. Joey’s trumpet is like a tribute to Satchmo and Van’s harmonica and alto saxophone is sublime. It reminds me slightly of his playing on great albums of the 80’s like Poetic Champions Compose. Love Is A Five Letter Word was written by Gene Barge and all I know about him is that he is a sax player born in 1926. In the song Love is spelled M-O-N-E-Y. Love Is Hard Work is another Van composition which I don’t think is that great, but not to worry because Van has saved the best for last. Spirit Will Provide is my favourite song on the album. It is the most different of all the songs here and most typical of the spiritually uplifting songs we associated with Van in the past. Shana again joins in on vocals. This is a song I would like to see Van perform live. The final song and title track The Prophet Speaks is another great song. Van’s alto sax is again to the fore as well as Joey’s organ sound and the delicate acoustic guitar work of Dan Wilson.

That brings to a close a most satisfying album indeed. I hope the next album will be an album of all Van original songs but in the meantime, I am going to enjoy listening to this collection of songs for quite a while. A big hand for the band.

Richard Thompson In Salisbury 2018

I bought Richard Thompson’s new album called 13 Rivers a couple of days ago. After one play I was so impressed that I thought I ought to go and see him. I knew he was on tour because a friend of mine had seen him in Oxford a few nights ago and said how good he was. I looked on the internet and was delighted to find that he was playing at Salisbury City Hall the very next night. As Salisbury is only 30 minutes away from me on the train it seemed fated that I should go, so I scored myself a ticket. I was lucky to get one as it turned out because City Hall was packed for the gig.

It was a nice sunny day but cold, so before I set off I nipped into Kevin’s Menswear and bought myself a brand-new hat. Before long I was in the fine city of Salisbury, far too early as usual. I picked up my ticket from the box office to avoid queuing later. Then I walked through The Maltings. It was quite sad to see the Mill pub closed and the garden overgrown ever since the nerve agent attack a few months ago. I have spent many a happy sunny afternoon in that garden in the past. Then I had a look around all the charity shops but didn’t find anything I wanted to buy. After that I had a look at the magnificent cathedral which people from all over the world come to see, especially Russians. 

They have one of the original copies of the Magna Carta in Salisbury Cathedral which was very interesting. When I left the cathedral precincts it was beginning to get dark. I had a bite to eat in Harlee’s Fish Restaurant and then had a pint in The King’s Head pub. I was beginning to get bored. If it was a Van Morrison gig there would be other fans to meet up with, but I didn’t know any other RT fans who were going tonight. After I tired of the Kings Head I had another drink in the Ox Row Inn. Finally, it was time for the concert.

Outside the hall I got talking to a lad from Winchester and asked him to take my photo by the poster. Then I took my seat. The support act was an American duo from Kentucky called Joan Shelley and Nathan Salsburg. Joan had a very nice voice and Nathan reminded me a bit of a young James Taylor. They played a short but pleasant set of Americana type songs and both played guitar. Two songs I particularly liked were called Jenny Coming and Darlin’ You Know That’s Wrong. I liked them, not enough to buy their album but enough to take their photo.

After the break it was time for Richard to take the stage for a blistering two-hour set. It was advertised as the Richard Thompson Trio but for most of the show there were four of them with an extra guitar player on many songs. I have seen RT a couple of times in recent years but that was solo and acoustic. Most of this show was electric and very loud. I think I prefer acoustic but like Neil Young who I also prefer acoustic Richard loves playing electric and showing what he can do. I can’t give you a complete setlist because I didn’t recognise all of the songs and gave up on writing a setlist, so I’ll just tell you about the songs I remember.

Joan Shelley & Nathan Salsburg.

 The show opened with Bones Of Gilead from the new album. It shows what a magnificent guitar player Richard is after sixty years of practice. He gets better all the time. I think because he comes from the Folk-Rock world he gets overlooked and doesn’t get the credit he deserves. He is one of the greatest British guitar players of all time. The second song was Her Love Was Meant for me also a new song. Richard said they would concentrate on the new album and play the ‘Timeless Classics’ later. He has a great self-deprecating humour. Then he played Take Care The Road You Choose from the Sweet Warrior album which I think has quite an American sound. The very first album I ever heard Richard Thompson play on was What We Did On Our Holidays which I bought in 1969 when I was still at school, so it was a real treat to hear Tale In Hard Time and it was performed brilliantly. Then just to underline what a versatile guitarist he is the next song was Guitar Heroes in which he played in the style of the likes of Django Reinhardt, Hank Marvin, Chuck Berry and Les Paul among others. Then it was back to the new album with The Storm Won’t Come which featured wave after wave of frenetic manic guitaring. I should mention that the drummer Michael Jerome and the bass player both made their presence felt in this show. A complete change was next with They Tore The Hippodrome Down from the Acoustic Rarities album and Richard chided the audience for not buying it. He said they still had 82,000 copies in a warehouse in Lithuania.He was joking of course. Someone shouted out that they bought it and Richard said, “I love you man” which was very funny. Next up was Dry My Tears And Move On which the crowd clapped along with encouraged by the band. 

It was back to acoustic then for Vincent Black Lightning 1952 which is one of my favourite RT songs of all time. This song knocks other guitar pickers into a cocked hat. He makes one guitar sound like three. The Rattle Within features some fabulous drumming by Michael Jerome. I think the next song might have been The Dog In You but I had stopped writing the songs down by now. I do remember a guitar solo which went on for an eternity. I certainly remember Meet On The Ledge because it is one of my favourite Fairport songs ever. I also remember that he sang Put It There Pal because it had another solo which seemed to last forever. Richard said, “You can dance to this one, if you want”. It was Tear Stained Letter from the 1983 album Hand Of Kindness. It was great, but nobody got up and danced. I absolutely love Beeswing one of his greatest ever songs. I like it when his songs tell a story. Down Where The Drunkards Roll was also enjoyable with RT encouraging the audience to join in with the chorus. There was another song, but I can’t remember what it is called.

After the show I made a quick dash back to the Kings Head and downed a speedy pint then hurried to the station and caught the last train back to Westbury. What a great evening it had been. Thank you very much to Richard Thompson and his brilliant band.

                                                                        FIN.

Van Morrison In Bristol 2018

I have been to a lot of Van Morrison concerts over the last 40 years, but this is the first time I have ever seen him three times in a week. Only four days after returning from Torquay I was back on the train to Bristol. It was a beautiful October day.  From the train window between Bradford On Avon and Bath the countryside seemed to be turning golden around the edges and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. This put me in a good mood for the night ahead. Before long I arrived in the bustling sea-faring city of Bristol. As I was early I walked to the harbourside via Queen Square which seemed particularly Van-like with all the autumn leaves falling one by one.

I had some food  in a pub on the waterfront and as I was still early I had a look in the Arnolfini Gallery. In the bookshop I bought some postcards and a book by Patti Smith, then had a look around the other side of the harbour. I had arranged to meet a Bristolian friend of mine outside the Hippodrome at 4.00. While I was waiting for him to arrive I spotted Van’s singer Dana  hurrying by. “Hello Dana”, I said but she just kept walking. I expect she was in a rush to get to the sound check. Anyway, my mate turned up and we repaired to The Hatchet Inn which is Bristol’s oldest pub and has been there since 1606. 

We had a bit of a chat for a while. Walking back afterwards I spotted Fumiko by the stage door and while we were talking Van came out and was driven away. Sound check was obviously over. We passed the time taking photos by the large posters at the entrance of the theatre. Then my friend headed off and at 6.00 we met Nell from Australia who was with her friend Jan also from Canberra. We went in the Drawbridge pub where we were soon joined by the French man from Denmark Michel Yves ‘Burning Ground’ Balin and John from Bristol. It was great to catch up with them again after a year since the last Bristol concert. It was also nice to meet Gavin for the first time as well. There were two female fans from Cardiff there as well, but I can’t remember their names now, sorry. Finally, Brendan from Dublin arrived. It’s always good to see Brendan.

Me, Van, Fumiko.

It was time to go next door and take our seats for the show. It was the usual band of Teena, Dana, Mez, Paul Moore, Dave, Paul Moran. This is the setlist that I wrote down. I hope I have got it right. Let’s Get Lost, All Saints Day, How Far From God, Magic Time, Have I Told You Lately? Baby Please Don’t Go / Don’t Start Crying Now / Got My Mojo Working, I Can Tell (You Don’t Love Me No More) Moondance, Steal My Heart Away, Symphony Sid, Broken Record, I Believe To My Soul, Wild Night, Days Like This, Cleaning Windows / Be Bop A Lula, All In The Game / You Know What They’re Writing About / No Plan B/ No Safety Net/ This Is It ! , Think Twice Before You Go, The Party’s Over, Help Me, Jackie Wilson Says, Brown Eyed Girl, Gloria.

Michel Yves, 2 unknown fans, Fumiko, John, Jan, Me.

The outstanding highlight of the show for me was the extended All In The Game in which Van made it real one more time. It was fabulous. I also really enjoyed the Ray Charles song I Believe To My Soul. Van really loves performing Magic Time as well. I think he likes to show off his saxophone skills. Paul on trumpet and Teena also made great contributions last night. Van played some great sax on Days Like This. Cleaning Windows I also enjoyed, especially with it being the day after the anniversary of Jack Kerouac’s death. Apart from that I thought it was quite an average Van show. Looking at the faces of the vast majority of the audience as they left the theatre you could tell that most people thought it was brilliant so I probably don't know what I'm talking about. We all met up again afterwards, but I had to make a sharp exit to catch my train. Nell helped me hail a taxi and I was soon back at Temple Meads station. On the platform I met a friend from Trowbridge who thought the whole show was great. It makes me think that maybe I have been at too many shows. I might be getting jaded. Next time I see Van will be in December when he is a guest with the Pretty Things which will be a change. Anyway, it was a very enjoyable evening down by Bristol meeting up with Van fan buddies and a big hand for the band.

THE END.

Van Morrison In Torquay 2018.

Three long months had gone by since I last saw Van back in the summer at Llangollen and Liverpool, so it was high time to get back on the train to Torquay for another two nights with the Celtic Soul Brother. The Grand Hotel is right next to the railway station in Torquay which is handy. I couldn’t check in until 3.00 so I left my bag at reception and went for a stroll along the sea-front. I sat in a bar next to the Princess Theatre for an hour because I figured it was sound check time and you never know who might walk by. Then I walked back to the hotel and decided to have a nap till the evening. The phone rang at about 5.00. It was Jane from Oxford to tell me she was downstairs with Corinne and Nell. It was great to see Jane again and Nell who had come all the way from Australia to see Van. Corinne is originally from South Africa but lives in Canada now. I hadn’t met Corinne before, so it was nice to meet her as well. What great company for the evening. We sat around chatting for a while and then decided to walk into town. As we were leaving we spotted Van going into the restaurant for dinner. We didn’t intrude on his privacy, but I sensed that this was going to be a memorable stay in Torquay.

We had dinner in a nice place called The Iguanas. The food was excellent, and the service was friendly and quick. I recommend this place if you are ever in Torquay.

Me, Corinne, Othmar, Jane, Nell.

 It was getting near to show time and we made our way to the theatre. It is a lovely little theatre right by the harbour. I have seen three Van shows here previously but not for 12 years. We all had really good seats right near the front. It was nice to see Brendan from Ireland who writes such great reviews. Later we also saw Othmar from Switzerland, so it was a nice little gathering of Van fan friends. The show began promptly at 8.00. It was Van’s usual band of Teena Lyle, Dana Masters, Mez Clough, Paul Moore, Dave Keary and Paul Moran. This was the setlist for the first night, Hold It Right There, Back On Top, How Far From God?, Magic Time, Have I Told You Lately?, Raincheck, Baby Please Don’t Go / Here Comes The Night, Roll With The Punches, Talk Is Cheap, Think Twice Before You Go, Days Like This, Moondance, Broken Record, Enlightenment, Symphony Sid, Steal My Heart Away, Wild Night, Tore Down A La Rimbaud, Did Ye Get Healed, The Party’s Over, Brown Eyed Girl, Gloria. The band were excellent as always, you can’t criticize their musicianship, Teena always seems to really enjoy herself, especially on such songs as Moondance, Broken Record and Did Ye Get Healed. Since her return Teena has introduced the fun element to the band, she makes them smile. Dana is wonderful as a backing singer especially on a song like Symphony Sid which I don’t really like all that much, but her contribution is great. Mez Clough on drums and Paul Moore on bass are always a first-class rhythm section. Dave Keary is a fine guitarist but I feel sorry for him sometimes because Van goes from song to song so quickly that poor old Dave barely has time to change his guitar between songs. One thing I found quite amusing is that during Enlightenment Van looked through his collection of harmonicas and tried a few, couldn’t find one he liked and didn’t bother playing one.

Corinne & Nell.

They announced before the show that taking photos and filming was prohibited but during Here Comes The Night I couldn’t resist doing a bit of filming. I captured a couple of minutes before a security lady told me friendly but firmly to put my camera away. That put an end to my film career for the two nights!. After the show I asked politely if I could have one of the posters off the wall in the foyer and they said they would save me one the following night which was nice of them. A gang of us walked back to the Grand Hotel together. Sitting in the bar the general feeling was that it was quite a disappointing show. As I have said it wasn’t the musicianship at fault, it was the uninspired choice of songs. Van has such a vast repertoire of great songs, the greatest back catalogue of work of any singer, but the night had been devoid of highlights. He is at his best when he stretches out songs and improvises but there was none of that tonight. However, we were all confident that the next night would be an improvement but none of us realised just how magical the next day would turn out to be.

Corinne, Jane & Nell.

I usually miss breakfast in hotels but the next morning I made the supreme effort to get out of bed and join Jane, Corinne and Nell in the restaurant. Then Van and his staff arrived, and they sat at the next table to us. Luckily, Van had his back to us or we wouldn’t have resisted glancing across at him. While we were having breakfast, we noticed this fan who I have since found out is called Ken went over to Van and shook hands and had a few words with him. This was encouraging!, We decided to write down a few songs that we would like to hear Van sing. As it was autumn I wrote down When The Leaves Come Falling Down. Nell wrote Little Village. I can’t remember what Jane and Corinne chose. We didn’t want to bother Van while he was eating but just as he was getting up to leave I said to Nell, “Go and give Van this list of requests now or you will regret it for the rest of your life”. Nell went over to Van and gave him the list and Van sat down again and signed a flyer for Nell and signed Corinne’s concert ticket as well and listened while Nell told him she had come all the way from Canberra, Australia to see him. He was most courteous. Some people especially the press have given him a reputation of being grumpy but as long as you aren’t too intrusive Van is a friendly person.

Fumiko, Nell, Jane & Corinne.

That got the day off to a good start. We decided to walk into town along the sea-shore. On the pathway below the sea wall I pointed out to the others something that Kim had spotted in 2006 when we last came here to see Van. Someone had carved I LOVE PAT in the cement of the pathway and it was still there 12 years later. That brought back some very poignant memories for me I can tell you. (See photo) Corinne had brought her binoculars with her and her book of British birds and was all set for a day of walking by the sea and birdwatching. I didn’t fancy that, I’m more of a sitting in pubs type person. After a while I told the others I’d see them later and went into town. I bought a shirt in Debenhams and had a look in a few charity shops and went in Yates’s for a couple of drinks. When I emerged from there it was drizzling rain, so I decided to go back to the hotel. I spotted Van again on my return, but I had intruded enough for one day, so I ignored him this time.

I met the others again that evening and we were joined by Fumiko who had just arrived. We pointed out Van to her and she got his autograph on her ticket as well, so everyone was well pleased. Time was getting on, so we ate at the hotel this evening and then headed off back to the theatre. This is the setlist for night 2. Let’s Get Lost, Benediction, How Far From God?, Magic Time, Have I Told You Lately?, Baby Please Don’t Go / Don’t Start Crying Now, Here Comes The Night, Cleaning Windows, When The Leaves Come Falling Down, Tore Down A La Rimbaud, Little Village, Symphony Sid, Bring It On Home To Me, Ride On Josephine, Steal My Heart Away, Days Like This, Enlightenment, Broken Record, Moondance, Carrying A Torch, Whenever God Shines His Light On Me, The Party’s Over, Brown Eyed Girl, Gloria.

Fumiko, Brendan, Corinne, Hugh, Jane, Nell, Othmar.

The show didn't reach the dazzling heights of Llangollen in the summer but it was a vast improvement on night 1. The absolute thrill for me was when Van introduced When The Leaves Come Falling Down by saying “This is a request”, and performed it sublimely. I would have filmed it, but I was too scared of getting busted again. Nell who was sitting next to me was equally delighted when he sang her choice of Little Village. I did notice Van improvised some different lyrics into this song by singing “I’m from the island of the saints, a long way from home”. Other highlights for me were the Sam Cooke classic Bring It On Home To Me, a splendid duet with Dana of Carrying A Torch and Cleaning Windows. I also really enjoy Ride On Josephine with Mez on drums and Dave on guitar and Van on harmonica. I collected my poster from the nice lady in the foyer and we all met up outside and were joined by Hugh and a gang of me, Brendan, Othmar, Jane, Nell, Fumiko, Corinne and Hugh repaired to the bar of the Grand Hotel. The atmosphere was a lot more upbeat than the night before. What a fabulous day and night it had been.

Jane, Paul Moran & Nell.

Next morning after breakfast Corinne set off for more bird-watching on Dartmoor and then me, Jane & Nell caught the 11.38 train. At the station we met Paul Moran from Van’s band who was really friendly and I took a photo of Jane & Nell with him. It was a golden Autumn day after all the rain. The journey was fun. Two young punky types girls were singing along to music on their phones, so I got them to play Brown Eyed Girl and we all joined in. Before long Westbury White Horse came into view. It was quite sad to say cheerio to Jane and Nell when I realised the party’s over. But hey, Van is on again in Bristol on Monday. See you in Bristol Van fans.

THE END.

Golden Autumn Day, from the train.

S.F. Sorrow

I’m going to see The Pretty Things in December. The concert is in a venue called Indigo at the O2 in London. It is billed as the ‘Final Bow’ concert because they say it will be the last gig of their 55-year career. I have never seen the Pretty Things before or bought one of their albums until now. The reason I thought it might be fun to go to this gig is because Van Morrison is a special guest along with Dave Gilmour of the Pink Floyd and the actor Bill Nighy. I know Bill is a big fan of Van’s because I sat next to him at a Van gig at Nell’s club in London three years ago. Van Morrison and Phil May of The Pretty Things are great friends and mutual admirers. Van once called the Pretties ‘One of the greatest R&B bands of all time’. Phil said Van was, “the dog’s bollocks” and said, “He’s like a bloke who really knows where he is and doesn’t take any bullshit”. Backstage at the Philipshalle in Dusseldorf in 1998 before a Rockpalast Christmas Special for German TV Phil told The Independent newspaper that Van was headlining and made sure his old pals The Pretty Things were on the bill. "I see Van quite a bit," explained Phil. "Whenever he's in London, we go out for a drink and he's helping us totally out of friendship and, I think, respect”.

The Pretty Things were formed in 1963 by Phil May and guitarist Dick Taylor who had recently left the Rolling Stones. They were one of the earliest of the British R & B bands. Van around this time was in London playing in the Manhattan Showband. I think it was seeing and hearing R& B groups like The Downliners Sect and the Pretty Things that inspired Van with the look and the sound he wanted when he formed his band Them shortly afterwards. That might explain Van’s long friendship with Phil. Although I didn’t buy any of their records I do remember the Pretty Things early hits such as Rosalyn, Don’t Bring Me Down & Honey I Need. If the concert in December is a retrospective of their entire career I expect it will be their early blues numbers that Van will sing with them rather than their later psychedelic songs.

Anyway, to cut to the chase, I thought I better get acquainted with some of the Pretty Things music so that I would enjoy the concert in December. I ordered their 1968 album S.F Sorrow which arrived in the post a couple of days ago although I didn’t get to play it till this morning. I chose this album because I have read that it is a lost classic of British psychedelic music that never received the acclaim it deserved. Also, one of my oldest friends has been telling me for ages how brilliant it is. The CD comes in a very attractive package with a very informative booklet which explains the history of the album. Because they had a very limited budget for the making of the album the band did all the design work themselves. Phil did all the artwork for the cover and Dick Taylor did the photography. The album was produced by Norman Smith at Abbey Road studios where he was also working with Pink Floyd on their Saucerful Of Secrets album at the same time. The Beatles were working on The White Album in the same building and according to the sleeve notes the band used to ‘borrow’ George Harrison’s sitar which figures prominently on some tracks. The sleeve-notes are essential for following the story of Sebastian F Sorrow. (Nobody knows what the F stands for) On the couple of occasions when the album was performed live on its release Arthur Brown read the notes between songs to explain the story. I expect on the night of the upcoming concert it might be Bill Nighy who performs this duty. S.F. Sorrow could be described as the first rock-opera and could well have inspired Pete Townshend to write Tommy. Sadly, in the USA it was released after Tommy which might explain why it was so overlooked at the time. 

On first listen I must say I really like the album and I think it will grow on me with further plays. I won’t go through the whole album track by track but when I first played it, the opening song Sorrow Is Born reminded me a little bit of The Move. Favourite songs on first listen include Bracelets Of Fingers in which I could hear echoes of Traffic and The Moody Blues. I really liked the sitar sound as well. I was reminded of Peter Frampton’s early work with The Herd on some songs and even The Beatles Lucy In The Sky but that was the sound of the times I suppose. Some songs are quite folkie such as Private Sorrow and Loneliest Person and some nice acoustic sounds such as on The Journey. The guitar sound on Old Man Going does sound very Tommyish to me. The album uses all the latest technology of the time such as phasing and mellotrons which are quite frenetic on some tracks. Percussion & drums by Twink are very much to the fore on songs such as Baron Saturday. The weird sound effects that Norman Smith conjures up show what a great producer he was. Phil May described him as the sixth member of the band. There are also four bonus tracks on this CD which to my ears are just as good as the rest of the album.

 I am very glad that I finally bought this album fifty years after it’s release and I’m really looking forward to hearing it performed live in December. If you are going as well then I’ll see you at Indigo on December 13^th at the O2.

Seeing Van Morrison At Liverpool Feis 2018

Teena Lyle, Tony Fitzgibbon, Dana Masters, Paul Moran, Mez Clough, Van, Paul Moore, Jay Berliner, Dave Keary.

It was Saturday morning somewhere in North Wales and I had just woken up, all bleary eyed and goopy and the events of the previous night came back to me. What an incredible night it had been. Then I thought to myself, “Oh no, I’ve got to do it all over again”. I knew I gotta go, on that train up to Liverpool. I made the supreme effort to get out of bed and sat on the balcony watching the boats go by and contemplating the day ahead. After breakfast I found there were no taxis available for an hour, so I decided to walk into Chirk. I soon realised that was a mistake because it was already hotter than Mojave. Luckily for me a bus came along, and I used my old gits senior bus pass to get me to town where I caught the 11.48 train to Liverpool Lime Street changing trains at Chester.

When I emerged from the station I had no idea how to get to my hotel, so I asked passers by. They were all helpful and friendly and pointed me in the right direction. I like the people of Liverpool, everyone I met was chatty and hospitable. I wish people in some other places were like the Liverpudlians. I was too early to check into my hotel so left my bag with them and went for a wander. Just around the corner on Hope Street I found the famous Philharmonic Pub. This was recently featured in a video with Paul McCartney & James Cordon which you may have seen. It is a pub well worth visiting if you ever go to Liverpool. The interior is all preserved from about 100 years ago and even the toilets have marble and stained glass.  I had a couple of pints of cider and returned to the hotel at 3.00. I watched the first half of England v Sweden in my room and then got a taxi to the Pier Head where the Festival was being held.

The festival was called the Liverpool Feis and was a celebration of Irish music organised by the great Vince Power. With 75% of the population of Liverpool being of Irish descent you can imagine the audience. They were good natured and boisterous and having a great party. They were also mainly a helluva lot younger than most audiences I have seen recently. When I arrived, I watched some of a band on stage 2 and then went to the main stage to see The Chieftains. The whole schedule was running a bit late. I hadn’t seen The Chieftains since Glastonbury 1982 and I only recognised three of them, Paddy, Matt and Kevin. They were great though and had guest singers, choirs and dancers. They performed a stunning version of Shenandoah which I really enjoyed. I had to go to the bar then where I had arranged to meet some friends.

Me, Daria, Dana, James, Michelle, Maurice, Stuart, Filippo, Othmar.

Before long, along came Othmar, Daria, Dana & Filippo who I had seen the night before. I hadn’t met James Tennant & his wife before, so Othmar introduced me to them which was nice. Then who should come along but Stuart & Michelle who had jetted in from San Diego. I first met them on a freezing night in Nottingham about 12 years ago and it is always great to see them again. They were with Maurice from Belfast who organised the historic concerts on Cyprus Avenue to celebrate Van’s 70^th birthday. I can’t believe it is nearly three years already since that unforgettable day. The Van fans will always be grateful to Maurice for that. While we were chatting, The Hothouse Flowers were performing but I didn’t pay much attention I’m afraid. I was too busy catching up with my mates. Maurice, Michelle & Stuart were in the VIP area and Stuart said he would get me a drink from there because there was no queue.

Teena Lyle, Me.

While I was waiting for Stuart to re-emerge I spotted Van’s percussionist Teena Lyle who was waiting to meet up with Fumiko. I introduced myself to Teena and along came Fumiko, Miquel and his daughter arrived and then Stuart. We all stood around talking for a few minutes and taking photos with Teena until she had to go backstage again. Stu went back to the VIP area and we arranged to meet up after Van. Foy Vance was on next and I have heard great reports of him, but I wanted a sit down in some shade because I was knackered and too hot.  Van was due on stage at 8.00 but everything was running very late now. “This will make him really grumpy if he has to go on late”, I thought to myself. I was in the queue for another drink when Fumiko came up and said, “Van is on in 5 minutes, he has changed places with Imelda May”.

Paul Moran Teena Lyle, Tony Fitzgibbon.

By the time I got my drink Van had already started his performance. This is his setlist at Liverpool- Astral Weeks, The Way Young Lovers Do, Sweet Thing, Thanks For The Information, Foreign Window, One Irish Rover, Broken Record, Have I told you lately, I Can’t Stop Loving You, Moondance, Wild Night, Jackie Wilson Said, Baby Please Don’t Go/ Got My Mojo Working, Help Me, Brown Eyed Girl. The performance was shorter than Llangollen with a few different songs, but I still really enjoyed it. To start with I was right at the back, but I gradually wheedled my way forward until I got to the barrier at the front.

Jay Berliner.

 It was great to find Treve Walsh who I have known since Van played at the O2 Arena in London with Tom Jones a few years ago. I also spotted Fumiko who had also managed to get to the front. As I got nearer to the front it got noisier and noisier with people chattering and singing along. In a concert hall this would be annoying and unacceptable but when you buy a ticket for an event like this you should know what to expect so you can’t really complain. The young audience seemed to really enjoy it and hopefully some of them might buy a Van album and get into the music. I took a few photos and used up the last of the memory in my camera filming I Can’t Stop Loving You. Sorry it ends so abruptly.

After Van’s show I met up with Stuart, Treve & Fumiko by a statue. Imelda May began her show, but I was too tired by now and after seeing Van everything else always seems a bit flat to me. I said goodbye to Stuart and Treve and hoped to meet up again soon. Then I walked to the taxi rank with Fumiko where I said cheerio and set off to walk to my hotel. After a long walk I recognised the Philharmonic pub that I was in earlier and chilled out with another couple of pints before calling it a day.

Next morning, I walked to the station and began the long journey home. Back to the forlorn rags of everyday life, Brexit, Trump, and all the rest of the bollix…But wait…… There is hope,  I’m going to see Van again in October. See you In Torquay Van fans.

THE END.

Seeing Van Morrison At Llangollen Eisteddfod.

So, I set out one midsummer’s morning on yet another of the world’s great train journeys, Westbury to Chirk, changing trains at Bristol, Birmingham and Shrewsbury. The journey was uneventful, I passed the time reading a book called A Heartbreaking Work Of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers, or I gazed out of the window, alone with my thoughts, what did the night have in store? Little did I realise the fabulous drama that lay ahead. Finally, I arrived in the quaint little town of Chirk. I was glad to get off the hot overcrowded train. I went to college near here in Wrexham and used to pass through Chirk every day 45 years ago when I was on teaching practice, so when I got my first glimpse of the famous Pontcysyllte Aqueduct all the memories came flooding back.

My hotel turned out to be about 3 miles outside Chirk, so I had to get a taxi there. It was a really nice hotel. My room overlooked the Llangollen Canal and I sat on the balcony and watched the boats drift by. I could have walked to Llangollen along the canal, but I was too tired, and I didn’t fancy walking across the aquaduct. I watched the first half of France v Uruguay in the World Cup then took a cab into town. When I arrived in Langollen the streets were closed to traffic because there was a parade through the town of choirs from all over the world who were appearing at the Eisteddfod. It was quite spectacular, colourful and good fun. 

I had a quick pint in the Bridge End Hotel because you never know who might be hanging about but I didn’t spot anyone I knew so I made my way to the Ponsonby Arms.

As soon as I walked through the door I spotted friends Othmar & Daria from Switzerland who I don’t think I had seen since Cyprus Avenue in 2015. They were with Filippo & Dana from Italy who I hadn’t met before, but they are really nice people.  We were joined by Van Fan Dutch who reminded me that we had met a few years ago when Van played the Albert Hall in London. A nice lady from Belgium arrived, I think her name is Lut. It was a great little gathering of international Van fans. Then Jane & Charlie from Oxford arrived with their lovely little dog Aggie and it was especially great to see Cuttsy from Manchester who I hadn’t seen for years. I thought he had almost given up going to Van concerts.

Filippo, Me, Othmar.

After a while it was time to go to where the festival was being held. I noticed they were selling Wrexham lager, I should have bought a pint for old times sake because that’s what I used to drink in the olden days when I lived near here. Anyway, I wanted some food and I was sitting at a table with Jane and who should come along but John C who I last saw at Nell’s club in London. Then we were joined by Linda & her daughter from the USA who I hadn’t met before and it was nice to meet Fumiko for the first time as well.  When we took our seats, who should I see but Miquel & Elena from Spain and their two daughters. I could see Hugh as well down nearer the front, but I don’t think he saw me. The concert was in a huge marquee and the stage looked spectacular, absolutely bedecked with flowers. I sensed this show was going to be something special, but I had no idea how great it would be.

Linda's Daughter, Linda, John C, Fumiko, Cuttsy, Jane, Me.

When the band shuffled on stage it was a nice surprise to see Jay Berliner back on acoustic guitar and also Tony Fitzgibbon returning on violin. It was almost like the Van band of about eight years ago. This band is even better than that though because now we have the wonderful Teena Lyle on percussion and Dana Masters on backing vocals. The other members of this splendid ensemble are Mez Clough on drums, Paul Moore on bass, Dave Keary on guitar and Paul Moran on keyboards and trumpet. It is 50 years since the Astral Weeks album was released and tonight’s show turned out to be a homage to that album.  The show began with three tracks from the greatest album of all time which were Astral Weeks, The Way Young Lovers Do and Sweet Thing. The best start to a Van Morrison concert that I have heard in many a long year. I can see Van’s thinking in having Jay, Tony and Teena in this band because their contributions were essential in capturing the magic of Astral Weeks.  (See my video of Sweet Thing below and I think you will agree) It was back to more familiar recent territory then for the medley of Baby Please Don’t Go/ Got My Mojo Working. It was very enjoyable with Dave Keary showing what a fine guitar player he is. Then Dana and Van sang a beautiful duet of Sometimes We Cry. A real treat for me followed which was One Irish Rover. I can’t remember the last time I saw Van perform this great song from the No Guru album. Teena played what looked like a recorder to me, it sounded very nice and Tony’s contribution was marvelous as well. 

The wonderful Days Like this pleased this audience, as did the upbeat version of Have I Told You Lately which I don’t think the hardcore fans are that keen on. Never mind, the next song was Foreign Window, again from No Guru which I sometimes think is Astral Weeks re-visited in many ways, with similar themes and phrases in the lyrics. It was sublime, as was Beside You with Jay again demonstrating his virtuosity. Wild Night woke up the audience who seemed to be in a hypnotic state and then it was one of my favourite Van songs of all time Listen To The Lion. I hadn’t heard Van perform this song live since Dublin in 2003. Another great song was Little Village which always comes alive when performed on stage, with Tony excelling on mandolin, Paul on trumpet and Van on Saxophone. Van’s voice by the way is as great as ever. No singer has looked after their voice better than Van Morrison. Then it was the obligatory Moondance which I suspect for many in this audience was their highlight of the evening, but not for me. They also seemed to really enjoy Broken Record probably because of it getting a lot of air play on Radio 2. Van and the band seem to enjoy playing it, especially Teena who always seems to be really enjoying herself on stage. Then it was back to the truly great music with Did Ye Get Healed? which took me right back to the fabulous Van shows we used to get in the early 90’s. This show in Llangollen was like a renaissance of that era. If that song was great the next one was in the stratosphere. It was Slim Slow Slider with Van on acoustic guitar and he even added new lyrics about ‘Your fur coat is lying on the floor and a note that says, you don’t live here anymore’. Van was still singing as he left the stage. We knew he would be back, which he was for the usual suspect of Brown Eyed Girl.

Othmar, Lut, Daria, Dana, Filippo, Van Fan Dutch.

When I got outside I saw John C and Cuttsy who wasn’t the ‘misery from Manchester’ anymore. We all agreed it was one of the best Van shows in years. I said cheerio to them and made my way to the Bridge End Inn where I had a last drink with Miquel, Elena, children, Othmar, Daria, Filippo and Dana. Everyone was buzzing from the brilliant concert. Finally, at 11.00 my taxi arrived, I got into my hotel room and fell fast asleep, exhausted after a long fabulous day that I’ll remember for a long long time to come. I was blissfully unaware of how exciting the following day would also be.

TO BE CONTINUED………………………………