Post by quizzkid on May 6, 2008 12:33:27 GMT
First gig I paid to see was Jonny Winter many moons ago at either the end of the 60's or very start of the '70's at the Royal Albert Hall - I can't quite remember exactly, although I do remember making a paper aeroplane out of a bands flyer that I managed to get from the back of the gods upstairs to the stage resulting in much applause and cheering.
So after a 'phone call from the mate a few weeks ago who I went to see Johnnny Winter with back then, who suggested we revisit our youth, we went back to see him play The Astoria in London last week.
It was refreshing to see the place [downstairs at least] full to brimming with a fairly healthy cross-section of young and old [and older] as well as both sexes.
It was even more pleasing to hear a support band of young blokes play some decent blues based music, there is hope for the future musical direction of todays kids after all - Mind you I can't imagine that the masses will take to it like we did when we were younger, still it was pretty decent stuff.
In the bog at half-time a bloke was overheard to say, "Middle age - here we are queuing for the bogs, once upon a time we would have just p***ed on the stairs." Ah, the innocence of youth!
Back out in front of the pit, Johnny Winter came on, or more precisely his backing band came on...they played a very lengthy intro, the guitarist walked off and Johnny Winter came on.
When I say came on, I mean he was sort of carried to a seat at the front of the stage. He was scarcely a bag of bones covered in skin, the guy next to me joked that his tatoos were probably the only thing holding him together.
However, he sat there and whilst he was clearly not in the best of health or indeed as adept as he once was on the fretboard he still can play a mean blues guitar.
He played for an hour and a half and thrilled the audience with a range of stuff whcih also included a cover of Hendrix's Red House and a slide version of Dylan's Highway 61.
Great stuff.
As we left after a night of standing up viewing the gig whilst Mr winter sat down, a voice behind me summed it up "I know why he sits down, my f***ing legs are killing me". Ah, the wisdom of middle-age.
So after a 'phone call from the mate a few weeks ago who I went to see Johnnny Winter with back then, who suggested we revisit our youth, we went back to see him play The Astoria in London last week.
It was refreshing to see the place [downstairs at least] full to brimming with a fairly healthy cross-section of young and old [and older] as well as both sexes.
It was even more pleasing to hear a support band of young blokes play some decent blues based music, there is hope for the future musical direction of todays kids after all - Mind you I can't imagine that the masses will take to it like we did when we were younger, still it was pretty decent stuff.
In the bog at half-time a bloke was overheard to say, "Middle age - here we are queuing for the bogs, once upon a time we would have just p***ed on the stairs." Ah, the innocence of youth!
Back out in front of the pit, Johnny Winter came on, or more precisely his backing band came on...they played a very lengthy intro, the guitarist walked off and Johnny Winter came on.
When I say came on, I mean he was sort of carried to a seat at the front of the stage. He was scarcely a bag of bones covered in skin, the guy next to me joked that his tatoos were probably the only thing holding him together.
However, he sat there and whilst he was clearly not in the best of health or indeed as adept as he once was on the fretboard he still can play a mean blues guitar.
He played for an hour and a half and thrilled the audience with a range of stuff whcih also included a cover of Hendrix's Red House and a slide version of Dylan's Highway 61.
Great stuff.
As we left after a night of standing up viewing the gig whilst Mr winter sat down, a voice behind me summed it up "I know why he sits down, my f***ing legs are killing me". Ah, the wisdom of middle-age.