Van Morrison In Plymouth 2017

This is the life. For the second time in four days I set off to see Van Morrison in concert. My friend Jacquie called for me at 10.30 on Friday and we headed off down the ancient highway for the 126-mile drive to Plymouth. I think this is the fourth time we have been to see Van together in the last few years. It only took about four hours to get to her Auntie Joyce’s house in Plymouth, including a stop for lunch. We had a quiet night in on Friday watching the telly.

Our plan for Saturday was to go and see The Lost Gardens Of Heligan at Mevagissey but when we saw the weather forecast on Saturday morning we realised that was out of the question because it was quite showery and it’s probably the wrong time of the year for walking around gardens. Instead, we had a look around the area of Plymouth called The Barbican. I had a mooch in a few charity shops looking for books and I found a nice hardback copy of a Van biography. We went for lunch in an excellent seafood restaurant and had a walk about the harbour. Jacquie took a photo of me by the Mayflower Steps. It’s not a great photo but some of my American friends might find it interesting because this is the very spot where the pilgrims boarded The Mayflower to sail to America on September 6^th, 1620. Then we went back to Joyce’s and I had a snooze for the afternoon.

Mayflower Steps

A taxi called for us at 6.45 and took us to the Plymouth Pavilions. I had never been to this venue before and I’m not sure I like it all that much. It seems quite cold and makes the Colston Hall in Bristol seem quite intimate in comparison. Anyway, we had a drink and a chat. Joyce seemed quite thrilled because she hadn’t been to a concert since seeing Joe Loss & His Orchestra about 50 years ago. I miss the old days when Simon used to organise pre-show gatherings of the Van fans. That doesn’t seem to happen so much these days. It was nice to see Peter & Kathryn though, and Bent, Tom & Brendan who I saw a few days ago in Bristol.

We had great seats in Row B with a brilliant view of the band who came on stage promptly at 8.00. As soon as the show started I could sense that there was an ‘end of term’ atmosphere with the band because this was the last night of quite a gruelling schedule of concerts in England, Scotland, Wales & France so they all seemed in a great mood, especially Teena Lyle who didn’t stop smiling throughout. As in Bristol, the first song was Wait A Minute Baby followed by Moondance which had short solos for most of the band. Then it was the fabulous Warm Love. I think that Van returning this song to the setlist shows that he is in a good place at the moment. Who could accuse him of grumpiness when he sings a beautiful song like this? I had never seen him perform the next song before which was How Far From God? It was brilliant, I loved it. Magic Time followed with the hard-working Paul Moran excelling on the trumpet. In Bristol I thought the Baby Please Don’t Go/ Parchman Farm medley sounded a little flat and played a bit perfunctorily but in Plymouth it was enlivened by Got My Mojo Working which I really enjoyed. Ride On Josephine was great as well, powered along by Mez Clough on Drums, Paul Moore on Bass & Dave Keary on guitar.

We moved up a notch then from great to sublime with Vanlose Stairway which I enjoyed even more than Bristol and I didn’t even object to the yodels. The keyboard sounds and the backing singers and Van repeating, ‘Kilroy was here’ was tremendous. This was followed by another treat which was The Way Young Lovers Do, a song I have heard Van rarely sing. The last time was with Clare Teal at Glastonbury Abbey. In Plymouth this was even better, the song is ideal for the jazzy sounds of Teena Lyle & Paul Moran. This was followed by Van paying a tribute to his friend Jon Hendricks who died this week. The song was Sack O’ Woe which was good but not one of my favourite songs. After Bristol I said that I didn’t care much for Symphony Sid but in Plymouth I enjoyed it a lot more. This was probably due to Van allowing Dana to take the lead vocals on part of the song and she made a great job of it.

Another highlight for me followed, which was Tore Down A La Rimbaud, a truly classic top drawer Van song. Then it was the Las Vegas version of Have I Told You Lately. Again, this was enlivened by Dana’s contribution. Dana also excelled herself in the duet with Van of Carrying A Torch. Then Van put on his electric guitar and he and Dave showed what they could do with Automobile Blues. This was followed by a new song of Van’s which he seems to really enjoy playing at the moment called Broken Record. Van repeats the phrase ‘Broken record’ over and over whilst imitating the sound of a needle stuck in a groove. People who buy his new album on vinyl are going to love him for this.

Brown Eyed Girl was next, and I have heard this so often that it doesn’t usually do anything for me but tonight I enjoyed it. The reason was that for the first time I realised what a comedian Teena Lyle is. As she was playing the congas she was doing all these humorous jerky movements with her head and pulling funny facial expressions. Teena was really enjoying herself. This was followed by Days Like This which I always enjoy and then Jackie Wilson Says which I hadn’t heard for a while so that was great as well. Help Me used to always be in Van’s repertoire but I hadn’t heard that for a couple of years either, so it was nice to hear that one again. Van then left the stage but soon returned for the usual Gloria which brought the audience to their feet. When Van left the stage again, the band played on. I knew he wouldn’t return so I left my seat because I don’t like this bit. I hoped Jacquie & Joyce would follow me, but they were enjoying it. I had to stay and endure Mez Clough’s drum solo. I know he is young, talented and enthusiastic, but I gave up on drum solos about 40 years ago. I would much prefer to hear Dana Masters sing a Van song to end the evening. Still, who am I to complain after such an enjoyable evening?

After the show, Jacquie, Joyce, Brendan & I found a nice bar for a last drink. I compared notes with Brendan and he agreed that it had been a really good show. He said it had been a lot better than Torquay the night before. When I went outside for a ciggie I got talking to this couple who had never seen Van before and they were blown away by the whole concert. They thought it was amazing. Finally, we said cheerio to Brendan and hailed a taxi home. I was still buzzing from the concert and I said that we should have gone clubbing. Joyce said, “I hope you don’t mean one of those lap-top clubs!” That was the funniest thing I heard all night. Anyway, a big hand for the band and especially Sir Van Morrison.

Dana

Teena,

THE END.

Van Morrison In Bristol 2017.

Standing Pat.

It had been four long months since I last saw Van at the Eden Sessions down in Cornwall but finally the big day had arrived. Having heard glowing reports of recent shows, especially Liverpool I was looking forward to a great night. I caught the 12.52 train from Westbury and arrived in Bristol by 2.00. I was way too early as usual, so I walked to the Colston Hall. Strolling through Queens Square it seemed very Van-like with the autumn leaves a tumblin’ down which put me in a good mood for the day ahead. When I arrived, it was good to spot Bent from Denmark and we had a bit of a chat. Then my friend Cav from Bristol turned up and we went for a wander around the harbour and ended up in Wetherspoons for an hour or so. Eventually, I made my way back to the Colston to see if any more Van fans had turned up. There was no-one around, so I amused myself by getting a passer-by to take my photo standing by a Van poster. They are celebrating 150 years of the Colston Hall at the moment and there is a memory board where people are encouraged to fill out a card with their favourite memories of concerts and stick it on the board. I got a card and wrote, ‘My first ever Van Morrison gig, here in 1979. Now back in 2017. Rave On, Van The Man!’.

Is this the place called Memory Lane?

Finally, I spotted Hugh and Janet in the bar area and before long other fans started arriving. It is always good to see Yves-Michel, the Frenchman from Denmark, and John from Bristol, Jane & Charlie from Oxford. I hadn’t met Mark from Northern Ireland before, so it was great to say hello to him. Brendan from Dublin was there as well and later I saw Miquel from Spain and his friend Thomas and his wife. After the show I bumped into Tom who I hadn’t seen since Brighton about four years ago. There were a couple of other people as well, but I can’t remember their names now. Precious time was slipping away and before long it was time to take our seats for the show.

Mark, Charlie, Jane, John, Me.

There is one change to the band since the last time I saw Van. Teena Lyle has returned after a long absence. I don’t think I have seen Teena since Salisbury City Hall about eleven years ago. Teena plays vibraphone and various other percussion instruments. She gives the sound a more jazzy feel. It’s great to see her but It’s a bit of a shame that Sumudu has departed because I like her as well. The first song was Wait A minute Baby which I hadn’t heard before and Teena made her presence felt straight away. The ubiquitous Moondance was next which I have heard far too many times although it did go into Look Beyond The Hill. I wish that Van would perform more songs from his Keep Me Singing album. This audience loved Moondance, so who am I to complain. The first highlight of the evening for me was Warm Love. I can’t remember the last time I saw this great song performed live. The return of Teena seems to have shaken up the setlist a bit because Back On Top has returned. This was followed by Magic Time which Van always seems to enjoy singing. Then it was the medley of Baby Please Don’t Go/Parchman Farm/Don’t Start Crying Now/ Custard Pie, this has been in his repertoire for a few years now. Maybe it’s time for a change. The audience seemed to love Ride On Josephine from Van’s most recent album. It gives Dave Keary a chance to show what a good guitarist he is. Van sat at the keyboards for Vanlose Stairway which has made a welcome return. It was really good, and Teena & Dana excelled themselves on backing vocals. My only complaint is that I’m not too keen on the yodelling bits that Van has added to it. Another classic song followed which was Someone Like You which is tailor made for Dana to sing a duet with Van.

An Irishman, a Dane & a Frenchman.

Van said to the band, “Let’s change the pace”, and Symphony Sid followed which isn’t a favourite of mine and the Las Vegas arrangement of Have I Told You Lately isn’t either. Then Days Like This began. I thought I would film this song so I could show it to my friends on Facebook. I know they ask you not to film and you shouldn’t do it, but I can’t resist. I have been filming songs at gigs for years and never had a complaint before, well, not from the audience anyway. No sooner had I started filming then I got poked quite hard in the back by a man sitting behind me. That put a stop to my filming for the evening! I can’t complain because he was absolutely in the right. I hope I didn’t ruin his evening. Maybe I was holding the camera in his eye-line. Anyway, I tried not to dwell on the incident because In The Afternoon/ Joe Turner/Ancient Highway/Raincheck was a highlight with Van stretching it out and sitting pretty. Automobile Blues was another chance for Dave Keary to shine. Then Van reached for his electric guitar as well for Why Must I Always Explain which is always enjoyable. Broken Record is a song I hadn’t heard before and I can’t say I’m all that impressed with it. I am impressed with Did Ye Get Healed? though. It is another song that seems to have returned with the re-emergence of Teena Lyle. There was even a little bit of Yeah Yeah at the end of the song. St James Infirmary followed, and I know a lot of the fans love it, so it would be churlish of me to say I don’t like it, especially when he says, ‘Standing Pat’ twice. The evening was brought to a conclusion with the usual Brown Eyed Girl & Gloria.

France meets Spain.

Back on the street again I said to the others that I thought the show was good without being brilliant. They all disagreed and said it was great. Maybe the incident with the finger in my back had affected my mood. I’m glad I went, it was a good night and wonderful to see all the other Van fans. I hailed a taxi to the station and we got in a traffic jam and I missed my train. I had to wait an hour for the last train so I went in the bar of the Holiday Inn. I fell asleep on the train home but luckily, I woke up just before Westbury or I might have ended up in Portsmouth Harbour or somewhere. There were no taxis at Westbury so I had a 20 minute walk home and that was the end of my adventure seeing Van in Bristol. I’m seeing him again on Saturday in Plymouth so I’ll tell you all about that on Sunday. Don’t be expecting any exclusive filmed footage though!

THE END.

PS, Thank you very much to Yves-Michel Balin for the great black and white photo.

Review: Roll With The Punches by Van Morrison.

When I first heard a few months ago that Van Morrison’s next release would be a Blues album I was a bit wary because I have sometimes been disappointed in the past when Van has made albums in only one genre of music. What drew me to Van’s music in the first place was that it was a melting pot of jazz, blues, soul, gospel, folk, country, rock, with a large helping of Celtic mysticism and spirituality stirred in to make something that was uniquely Van Morrison. However, when I saw Van at the Eden Sessions in Cornwall in July and he played four of the songs live I thought, “Hey, this isn’t bad”. I was particularly taken with one song called Transformation and I thought if there were a few more songs as good as that on the album then it would be fine. Last Friday I picked up the album Roll With The Punches at my local record store and the first thing to say is that I don’t like the cover design all that much. It is a bit brutal and not the sort of image I conjure up when listen to Van’s music. It is a photo by Richard Wade and depicts a boxing match between Phil Townley and Willie Mitchell that took place on 29^th April 2016. If you are interested, Mitchell won after six rounds. I expect I’ll get used to the cover and it is the music that is important after all. It’s Wednesday now and I haven’t written a review until today because sometimes in the past I have written glowing reviews of albums and then got quickly bored with them. With this album the reverse is true. I like the album more with every play. Let’s have a look at the songs.

Roll With The Punches.

I really like the opening track, ever since I first heard it down in Cornwall. The name that immediately came into my head on hearing it was Muddy Waters. I think Muddy would have enjoyed singing this song. Van wrote it in collaboration with Don Black which is quite amazing because Don Black is usually associated with James Bond themes and that sort of thing. There is some wonderful guitar on this track by Jeff Beck who plays on several tracks on this album.

Transformation.

I love this song and it has lots of airplay in Britain. When I first heard it I thought, “That’s not blues”. Some fans have said that it is very derivative of earlier Van songs such as Why Must I Always Explain but I don’t think that matters. Lots of his songs remind you of earlier work. Tupelo Honey sounds a bit like this song to me as well. The lyrics are very spiritual which made me think that the song might have been inspired by Krishnamurti who was quite an influence on Van in the mid-80’s. Van also visited the Krishnamurti headquarters in California on a recent trip ( See picture) Krishnamurti was always going on about Transformation. However, Van even more recently has been visiting a centre called Agape so that might have inspired the song as well. Anyway, I think it’s one of the best Van songs of recent years. Great guitar play by Jeff Beck. Does it fit in with the rest of the album though?. Maybe it could have been saved for a more typical Van album.

I Can Tell.

This is a Bo Diddley song that I first heard at Nell’s club in London back in February. Chris Farlowe features on backing vocals. I don’t know why though, the two times I have seen the song performed live Van seems to have managed quite adequately on his own. Dana & Sumudu are all the backing singers I need. The song drives along at a frenetic pace with great guitar, harmonica and piano.

Stormy Monday / Lonely Avenue.

A medley of two songs that Van has visited before in his career. Chris Farlowe guests on this track as well and has a major share of the vocals. He actually recorded this song himself in the mid-60’s under the name Little Joe Cook. I think that Jeff Beck’s guitar playing is the salvation of the track. In my opinion this album has the best guitar sound since the days when Mick Green used to grace Van’s albums.

Goin’ To Chicago.

This Count Basie number begins with some tasteful bass playing by Chris Hill and Van’s harmonica before Georgie Fame’s vocals. The song has a very rich warm sound, ideal for late night listening with a nice glass of wine.

Fame.

This song was previously on Van’s What’s Wrong With This Picture album and has never been a favourite with the fans. Van must have decided we weren’t listening properly and has re-visited it as a duet with Paul Jones. I must say I prefer this version to the original and I like the harmonica playing. Also, I see the song in a new light now after Van discussed the meaning of the song with Paul on the Paul Jones radio show on BBC Radio 2 on Monday night. Van elaborated on the dangers of fame and how it can destroy people and gave Amy Winehouse as an example. I see James Powell is credited on drums. He is Georgie Fame’s son. Georgie’s real name is Clive Powell. Also I see that this is the only track featuring Van’s regular bass player Paul Moore. I wonder why that was. I wonder if Van is aware that David Bowie and John Lennon also recorded a duet called Fame on Bowie’s Young Americans album. I expect he is.

Too Much Trouble.

Van told Paul Jones on his show that he found the lyrics to this song in his car one day and thought he ought to finish the song. There is some nice piano playing by Jason Rebello. He was a regular in Jeff Beck’s band for a number of years so maybe Van discovered him through the connection with Jeff. I’m glad Van did finish the song because I really like it.

Bring It On Home To Me.

One of the stand out tracks on the album. Van recorded a stunning version of this Sam Cooke classic on his Too Late To Stop Now album which I rate as the greatest live album of all time. This new version doesn’t improve on that but is still very enjoyable. It has a very live feel to it with Van clearly enjoying himself, ad-libbing and encouraging Jeff to extend his guitar solo. I love the sound of Dana & Sumudu on backing vocals as well, they are like a heavenly choir. I hope this song becomes a staple of Van’s live setlists in the future.

Ordinary People.

This song was originally recorded by Van way back in 1971 but not released until 1998 on the Philosopher’s Stone album. I don’t know why Van has revisited it now. The subject matter is similar to Fame so I wonder if he is trying to tell us something. I see Stuart McIlroy plays some great piano on this track. I first saw him play with the band at the Eden Sessions. Chris Farlowe also features on this song but I don’t think he adds much to it. Jeff’s guitar figures large as well. Laurence Cottle plays electric bass on this and most of the tracks. Maybe Van preferred him to Paul Moore because he also plays trombone, a talent Van put to good use on some other tracks.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe

How Far From God.

A song by Sister Rosetta Tharpe, The 'godmother' of rock n roll. I must admit that It is only recently I have become aware of how great she was after seeing some videos on youtube. Stuart McIlroy makes his presence felt again with his piano playing. A very lively enjoyable song.

Teardrops From My Eyes.

This is a great song written by Rudolph ‘Rudy’ Toombs. It was also a big hit record for Ruth Brown. I see Pete Hurley plays bass on this track. He is a member of The Red Hot Pokers who used to play with Van back in the early 2000's. There are also other members of the Pokers on this album. At first I found it hard to think that Van had got back together with them after all these years which made me think that some of the basic tracks of some songs had been in the can for a long while and Van had taken them off the shelf, dusted them off and reworked them for this album. Not that there is anything wrong with that. I have changed my mind though. It seems that Van really has gone back in the studio with his old Poker friends. I think Start McIlroy and Elizabeth Jane Williams who sings on one track might come from the Cardiff area as well.

Automobile Blues.

A song originally by Sam Lightnin’ Hopkins. This is very much a Red Hot Pokers song with Ned Edwards playing some neat harmonica. Ned & Pete Hurley are still Pokers to this very day. Colin Griffin on drums isn’t though, which made me think that this track apart from Van’s vocals was recorded a long time ago. I don't think that any more. It's a brand new song.

Benediction.

We all know how much Van admires Mose Allison even to the point of recording a whole album Tell Me Something of Mose’s songs. This is a song that Van has returned to his repertoire in recent years. I love Van’s sax playing and the humorous lyrics ‘Thank god for self-love’.

Mean Old World.

This song was written by somebody else who Van really admires as well, namely Little Walter. He actually befriended Van when they were both in London in the early 60’s and showed Van a few tricks on the harmonica. Another song that I thought had come down off the shelf but I have changed my mind about that.

Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Bo Diddley.

Ride On Josephine.

Originally recorded on the album Bo Diddley Is A Gunslinger in 1960. A great song to end the album on. I see Ned plays guitar on this song and to his credit does a really great job. Dave Keary plays this really well in the present day when Van performs it live. If Van had released this song with Them back in the 60’s I’m sure it would have been a top ten hit.

Well, that is the end of my review. I think it is a very enjoyable satisfying album indeed. It shows that Van is still in good voice and fine form even at the age of 72. There aren’t many other singers of his age who can say that. It also shows Van having some fun which he told Paul Jones was the idea of the album and he has certainly achieved that. A big hand for Sir Van Morrison !

Me Rolling With The Punches !

Transformation.

Seeing Christy Moore At The Royal Festival Hall 13. 9. 2017

What a wonderful summer of concerts and festivals it has been. It started for me about four months ago when I saw the Unthanks in Bradford On Avon, then Madeleine Peyroux in Bath, just about everyone you can think of at Glastonbury Festival, Van Morrison at the Eden Project down in Cornwall and Brian Wilson at the Abbey and many others but Christy Moore’s concert at the Royal Festival Hall on Wednesday night was as good as or better than any of them. This is what happened.

Me And Bill down by the river.

It was a damp and dirty morning when I set off on the train from Westbury to Waterloo but by the time I got to London Storm Arleen had calmed down a bit and I had a nice stroll along the river and found my hotel just behind the Tate Modern. It was the LSE Bankside (£71.00 for a nice room and all you can eat for breakfast) As soon as I dumped my stuff off I headed back along the embankment and met my friends Jacky & Bill at the London Eye. It was great to see them again and we repaired to the Slug & Lettuce for a couple of drinks and a good chat. Then we wandered on to a restaurant called The Giraffe for a bite to eat. The service was quick and friendly, I opted for Moroccan tagine, I can’t remember what Jacky & Bill had but mine was nice with an amusing bottle of chardonnay as well. Time was getting on and we made our way to the Festival Hall. I looked in the bar for some internet buddies but couldn’t spot them but when we took our seats I did see Hilary from Kerry and had time for a quick hello before the show began.

Christy.

Christy was accompanied as usual by Declan Sinnott on guitars and Jimmy Higgins on percussion and also someone who I hadn’t seen before who is Cathal Hayden from Pomoroy, County Tyrone on violin & banjo. I must say that he played some sweet music during the evening and is a great addition to Christy’s little band of companeros. The first song of the evening was Deportees. I don’t think I have heard Christy play this song live before but I enjoyed it. I first heard the song on a Joan Baez album many years ago. I wonder why Christy chose it as the opening song?. Maybe as a statement about the refugee and migrant crisis around the world at the moment. This was followed by the powerful North & South Of The River which I never tire of hearing. Then a song that I always have trouble spelling the name of which is Gortatagort. It is a great song written by John Spillane. Christy said that after the previous two nights playing in Watford & Worthing he was a bit freaked out by playing the Royal Festival Hall. I think he likes it here though, the acoustics are good in my opinion, compared to the Royal Albert. Then he sang the very moving Missing You which must have struck a chord with the many Irish members of the audience. This was followed by Ewan MacColl’s Go Move Shift which is another song very relevant to what is going on in the world today.  Then we were treated to two beautiful songs from Christy’s recent album Lily. Firstly, Lightning, Bird, Wind, River Man followed by Mandolin Mountain. Lily is an album that I highly recommend. The next song was Viva La Quinte Brigada, Christy’s song about the Spanish Civil War. Bogman written by his brother Luka Bloom also drew warm applause from the audience as did Ride On with the audience joining in and singing quite sweetly towards the end.

Declan.

The next song I loved because I had never heard Christy sing it live before but I think it was the very first song I ever heard him sing solo. Sometime in the late 1970’s I bought a double folk compilation vinyl album called All The Folk That Fits. There was some great music on it, Planxty, De Dannan, The Bothy Band, The Bards, Dubliners, Fureys and many others. At the time I didn’t even know that Christy was in Planxty. It had one song though called Johnny Jump Up by Christy. I used to play it to my dad and it made him laugh. I still have that album, I can’t play it any more because I haven’t got a turntable now. It was nice to hear the song again at the RFH and Cathal joined in on banjo. Brilliant !

Jimmy.

Then it was City Of Chicago followed by The Well Below The Valley with Christy playing the bodran. Another song that seems to take on more meaning these days when you look at the news and missiles being fired over Japan is Hiroshima/ Nagasaki/ Russian Roulette. Barney Rush’s Nancy Spain was next. Christy must have sung it thousands of times and it still sounds as beautiful as ever. It was also a delight to hear Reel In The Flickering Light again which is a brilliant and funny song. Little Musgrave was also wonderful and reminds me of Matty Groves by Fairport Convention. Christy said he first heard Ordinary Man in Cleethorpes in 1986 and learned it from a cassette. Fairy Tale Of New York is a classic song and I’m glad Christy played it because J.P. Donleavy who wrote the book from which Shane MacGowan got the title died just a few days ago aged 91 R.I.P. Somebody in the audience shouted something out at this point and Christy said, “I don’t know what you are saying,.... but I agree with you” which the crowd found very amusing. Then he sang Don’t Forget Your Shovel  which the audience clapped and sang along with. It is a very funny song but the underlying sentiment isn’t that far from Missing You when you think about it. The powerful and tragic story of On Morecambe Bay was next followed by the beautiful Christy interpretation of Richard Thompson’s Beeswing. Christy then said, “Now some poetry from County Antrim” and sang McIllhatton written by the late Bobby Sands. I think he must feel obliged to sing the next song when in London. It is of course Sweet Thames Flow Softly and it was marvellous. We knew we were getting to the end when he announced No Time For Love which is a very powerful song written by Jack Warshaw. At the end Declan and Christy were really rocking out on the guitars.

Cathal.

They all took a bow and left the stage but we knew there would be an encore which was The Time Has Come and finally Lisdoonvarna/ I’ll Tell Me Ma which brought a great concert to an end. What a night.

Next morning when I left my hotel I was still buzzing from the events of the night before. I walked down to the river. It was only 10.30 in the morning but I thought a quiet pint wouldn’t do me no harm. The Founders Arms was open so I went in and ordered a pint of cider and sat outside and watched the sweet Thames flow softly by. I noticed that the windy weather was causing the leaves to start tumblin’ down and realised my summer of music was coming to an end. What a way to end it though. Thank you very much Declan, Jimmy, Cathal and especially Christy for a splendid concert in London.

THE END.

PS, If I have made any mistakes I hope Hilary or young Colm will let me know !

PPS, I found most of the photos on Google Images. I hope nobody minds me using them.

Review: Brian Wilson At Glastonbury Abbey, August 5th 2017.

I know it is still only August but I think that Brian Wilson’s concert at Glastonbury Abbey must be a contender for my favourite gig of the year. I had been looking forward to this concert for months, even more so than Glastonbury Festival itself. I had a great time at Glasto but there was nobody on the bill who I desperately wanted to see. Brian Wilson is different though. I have been a fan of his ever since I first heard I Get Around at the age of twelve back in the summer of 1964. This is what happened on Saturday.

I went in The Crown in Westbury at 4.00 and met up with Angela, Mark, Colin, Sharon, Chris, Chrissie, Sash, Andy, Alex, Jacquie and Smithy. The mini-bus arrived and we set off for Glastonbury. It was a beautiful sunny afternoon. The journey was uneventful apart from seeing a crop-circle near Warminster. I got the driver to play Brian Wilson, Live At The Roxy on his CD player and by the time side one was completed we had arrived in Glastonbury. We found a spot to the right of the stage and had a picnic while listening to the Black Dyke Brass Band. I wasn’t all that interested in them though and went for a bit of a walk. I soon found my niece Katherine and her husband Laurence and Ben with a gang of my nephew Dominic’s friends. My brother Paul was there as well. After a bit of a chat and a couple of photos I walked back to base and it was great to meet up with fellow Van Morrison fans Simon and Sandra and a bit later John as well.

It was getting a bit chilly in the shadow of the trees so when Corrine Bailey-Rae came on stage I said to Jacquie, “Come on Jacquie, let’s go down the front and stand in a sunny bit”. It was a lot warmer in the sunshine and we listened to her act, she was very pleasant and had a great band but I’m not that familiar with her music. She did say what a great honour it was to be on the same bill as Brian Wilson. It seemed a really long wait then before Brian came on stage. To pass the time I had a bet with Smithy that California Girls would be the first song. It was of course. As soon as Brian’s band came on stage I headed for the front and pulled out my notebook to write down the set list which was this. I hope I didn’t forget any songs.

California Girls, Dance, Dance, Dance, I Get Around, Shut Down, Little Deuce Coupe, Surfer Girl, Don’t Worry Baby, Darlin’, Wild Honey,Sail On Sailor,

Wouldn’t It Be Nice, You Still Believe In Me, That’s Not Me, Don’t Talk, (Put Your Head On My Shoulder), I’m Waiting For The Day, Let’s Go Away For A While, Sloop John B, God Only Knows, I Guess I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times, Pet Sounds, Caroline No.

Good Vibrations, Help Me Rhonda, Fun, Fun, Fun.

I had seen Brian with this band in Bristol last year and I must say that Brian’s contribution to the live show seems to lessen all the time. He seemed very tired and frail on Saturday night. Maybe he is exhausted after a long tour. I’m still glad he was there though or it would just be a tribute band. In some respects, especially during some of the songs from Pet Sounds the frailty of his voice seemed to add to the emotion of the songs. The only other original Beach Boy in the band Al Jardine is only a few months younger than Brian but seems to be on as good form as ever. I especially enjoyed his singing on Shut Down and Help Me Rhonda. Al’s son Matt is also a huge contributor to the sound. His vocals on Don’t Worry Baby were absolutely perfect. I’m really pleased Blondie Chaplin is in this band as well. He was there when I went to my very first Beach Boys concert back in 1972. I think of him as the Keith Richards of the band. He brought some psychedelia to the show with Wild Honey and some soul with Sail On Sailor. All the band are great though and I would give them all a mention if I could remember all their names. I could tell that the audience loved it because they were all dancing and singing along with great big smiles on their faces.

Immediately after Fun, Fun, Fun, fireworks started exploding all over the sky and we knew it was time to start heading back to the bus. Thank you very much to Michael Eavis and everybody involved in organising this wonderful evening and most of all thank you to Brian Wilson for writing such brilliant timeless music.

THE END.

PS, I used a photo or two from the official Glastonbury site. I hope they don’t mind.

PPS, Very sorry to hear that Glen Campbell has passed away. He was a touring Beach Boy in the early days. See photo of Glen with his good friends The Beach Boys. ( I hope it is ok to show this photo as well)

Review: Glastonbury Festival 2017. Part 1,'The Sun Machine Is Coming Down'

After months and weeks and days of growing excitement the big day had finally arrived. It was time to head once again to Glastonbury, 38 years after my first Glastonbury Festival in 1979. I had been packing and unpacking and re-packing my rucksack for about two days. I had decided not to pack my wellies because the weather forecast was good but at the last moment I changed my mind and stuffed them in the rucksack. It was a beautiful Sunday morning as I locked my front door and headed to my friend and neighbour Curly’s house 3 doors away. Curly had kindly offered to give me a lift to Westbury railway station. Sitting on the platform waiting for the train from London Paddington who should come strolling along looking as lovely as ever but my friend Odele from Salisbury who I first met at Glasto in 2013. She didn’t seem a bit surprised to see me but I was amazed because I didn’t even know she was going on the train. Soon the busy train arrived and we piled on it. Odele immediately met someone else she knew called Luke. It was so crowded that we had to stand up. That didn’t matter though because it only took 18 minutes to get to Castle Cary. This normally sleepy little town suddenly becomes for a few days every year one of the busiest railway stations in Britain.

Although the festival gates didn’t open for another four days, dozens of people laden with tents and rucksacks got off the train and made their way to the shuttle buses that took us to the festival site near the village of Pilton. Me, Odele and Luke made our way to the recyclers cabin at Red Gate A only to find that our wristbands hadn’t arrived yet so we had to sit around and wait. Finally, after about half an hour a lady turned up with the wristbands. After the terrorist outrages recently we got searched on the way in but we didn’t mind that. Then we hauled on our rucksacks for the long walk across the top of the site to our home in Tom’s Field near the farmhouse.

It only took about half an hour but it was a killer in the hot sun and part of it was uphill. Odele seemed to be carrying even more than me but she has got true grit. Our camping area is called Tom’s Field because there was once a horse who lived in there called Tom. Anyway, we reported to the office and registered and got our gloves and veterans t-shirts. It only took about ten minutes to put up my tent. It was tiny, I bought it on E-Bay for £19.99 but it was a nice little house for the next 8 days. I camped about 30 yards away from the toilets in case I needed to go for a wee in the middle of the night which is always a concern. I got a passer-by to take my photo of me and my little house. Then I went to visit Odele who was setting up her tent in a corner and took her picture. Odele said she was staying back at base for the evening but I wanted to go for a walk, so I set off.

It was great walking around the vast site when it was nearly empty. In front of the Pyramid Stage the grass was really lush. In a few days it would be trampled on by 200,000 people. In the market area most of the traders were only just arriving and I didn’t think there would be anywhere open but I found a nice cafe and bought a falafel which was really tasty and a cup of tea. Then I had a lazy stroll up to the Field Of Avalon. I was a bit disappointed that one of my favourite places The Tiny Tea Tent wasn’t open yet. I carried on walking as far as Shangri-La & The Unfairground but none of it was open so I headed back to look for a drink.

The Bread & Roses Saloon or any of the other bars weren’t open but then I remembered the backstage bar at the Acoustic Stage. Thanks to my sister Margaret & her partner Wayne I had discovered this bar about 4 years ago because our friend Rob had provided the marquee for it. I had two pints of Black Rat cider in there and chilled out and talked to a few people. The barmaid was from Dilton Marsh which is a village near Westbury and she told me that it was Rob who got her a job there a few years ago. She gave me two wristbands so I could go in there any time I wanted. I gave one to Odele the next day. I ordered a large gin & tonic for the walk home.

I walked back home via the Pyramid Stage and they have these benches made out of painted breeze blocks and I just sat there taking in the view with Glastonbury Tor in the distance. It was great, and although it was gone 9.00 in the evening the sun was still beating down. The words of David Bowie came into my head, ‘The sun machine is coming down, and we’re gonna have a party’. Finally, I walked back to Tom’s Field and there wasn’t much going on so I went to bed. About 1.00 in the morning I was awoken by the sound of fireworks going off in the distance. I just turned over and went back to sleep. Little did I realise what drama lay ahead !

TO BE  CONTINUED………………..

Review: Glastonbury Festival 2017.Part 2, The Rakes Progress.

It was Monday morning at Glastonbury and I was wide awake. I looked at my alarm clock and it was 5.00 and daylight already. I was glad I had decided to bring my wellies because it was quick to pull them on for a quick dash through the lush dewy grass to the loo. Then I thought this was a ridiculous time to get up and tried to go back to sleep. At home I would be able to but at Glasto once I am awake that is it. They had given me a meal ticket  when I arrived so at 6.00 I made my way to the workers restaurant for breakfast. This is the most important meal of the day because you burn up a lot of calories with all that walking. The food is all vegetarian but I don’t mind that. I had the full Monty of eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes, hash brownies and toast.

By 8.00 it was already warm in the sunshine. We didn’t have to be at work till 10.00 so I passed the time sitting around, drinking tea, smoking and talking to people.  At 10.00 we made our way to the office to meet our leader. There were 25 people on the Trader Information team and we were divided up into five groups of five who were all given a team leader. I made sure I was in the same team as Odele. In all the years I have been on the recycling crew this turned out to be the best team and one the best leaders I have ever had. Our leader Tony is a great guy and as well as being on the crew he also did theatre at Glasto with his wife. More about that later. Along with Odele the other team members were John and John who both came from Weston-Super-Mare which was a bit of a coincidence and Scott who came from Stoke On Trent. By the time we had completed our four shifts we had gelled into a hardened fighting unit and were all the best of friends. As well as our crew t-shirts we were also given high-viz jackets to wear and a green wristband for access to the rear of the markets area. I now had four wristbands, I am still wearing them now. We also had a rake to pull things out of skips that shouldn’t be in there. One of the John’s took responsibility for not losing the rake.

Then we set off down the hill following our leader. We began work in the market just to the left of the Pyramid Stage. At the rear of each market area is a little shed where the rubbish bags are stored. Then we went from stall to stall handing out the rubbish bags to the stall holders. We had to explain to them carefully what to put in each bag. The white bags were for food waste and anything organic such as paper plates, paper cups, wooden knives and forks and cups. It is really important that nothing else goes in this bag because it is all made into compost. The green bags were for tin cans and plastic bottles and the black bags were for anything that wasn’t recyclable. Glastonbury is very proud of its record on recycling. We also had to make sure that they flattened all their cardboard waste and put it in the cages provided. The other thing that we had to do was make sure they were putting the correct rubbish bags in the right skips so that it didn’t get mixed up.

It was really hot by the time we stopped for lunch. Tony gave us some more meal tickets and we went back to base. It was quite hard work walking back up the hill in the hot sun so I resolved not to bother going back to Tom’s Field for lunch any other day. In the afternoon we carried on doing the same job. Odele was really good at giving the traders all the patter so I was quite content to just follow along tearing the bags off the rolls and handing them out. The only thing that went wrong was that we managed to lose Tony just before we finished at 4.30. It didn’t matter though because Odele phoned him up and we arranged to meet at 10.00 the next morning.

That evening I bumped into Robin who is a friend from previous years and I showed him where Odele was camped and we arranged to meet up for the workers quiz the next evening. We were determined to win this as we had done two years ago. I spent most of that evening back at the Acoustic Bar and met some Irish guys from Roscommon. One of them was really interested in my blog page and looked it up on his phone so I hope he reads this.

There was a fire pit back at base and a huge supply of firewood but nobody had bothered lighting a fire yet because it was still warm, even at midnight. I crawled into my sleeping bag about 12.30. From a neighbours tent I could hear two blokes who were sharing a tent talking. One said, “Goodnight mate”, and the other one said, “Night mate, I hope I don’t snore too much”, and the other one said, “Don’t worry about it mate”. Ten minutes later I could hear them both snoring their heads off. I wished I had ear plugs I can tell you. Anyway, another exciting day at Glastonbury was only a few hours away but little did I realise that the day would begin with a disaster !

TO BE CONTINUED…………………