Magic Band Farewell Tour 2017 – Leeds – Photos

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When I first saw Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band way back in 1967 (could that really be fifty years ago?) I was a young kid of 18 and they were certainly the weirdest band on the planet. Don Van Vliet aka Captain Beefheart brought his Acid Drenched Desert Blues all the way from the Mojave to London.

The were the most exciting band I have ever seen live – way up there with Hendrix, Doors, the Who and even Roy Harper.

I have constantly shouted the truth peacefully ever since.

From the first moment I heard them I was hooked. When I saw them live my mind was blown. What a voice. What a driving sound. What lyrics. What supreme weirdness. They had it all.

When I first saw the Magic Band reformed long after the Captain had fled the scene I wasn’t sure what to expect but I was blown away. You couldn’t replace the Captain but John French was almost as good and the band were just as mind-blowing. That first band had 5 original members. Over the years they dropped away. Until here in 2017 there is just John French as an original. But he was the guy who organised the music and it shows. The guys that have come in are all brilliant.

I miss Rockette Morton, Denny Whalley and Gary Lucas and I would have loved to have seen my old hero Zoot Horn Rollo one last time but not to be. But Eric and Max were superb. Jonathan and Andy gave it a firm based. The band still rocked.

John “Drumbo” French – Lead Vocals, Harmonica, Sax, Drums
Eric Klerks – Extended Range guitar, BKP Vocals
Max Kutner – Guitar and Slide guitar
Jonathan Sindelman – Keyboards
Andy Niven – Drums

This was supposedly the farewell tour. I hope it isn’t. But if it is it has been a great run. I’ve had another twelve years of Magic music. Something I never thought would happen. It’s been brilliant. Despite the sound problems in Leeds, which really pissed John off, it all sounded great to me and I had a brilliant evening.

Thank you so much guys.

Here’s a few photos I took in Leeds:

Peggy Seeger – in concert in York – The Crescent

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Peggy Seeger is now 82 years young but hasn’t lost any of her zest. Ably accompanied by her son Calum she went through a lively set full of political songs, swipes at the orange buffoon that is Trump, ecological destruction and the state of the world, along with some great playing on banjo, autoharp, squeezebox, keyboards and guitar and a smattering of old folk songs.

Peggy is sister to Mike Seeger and half brother of Pete Seeger. She was married to Ewan MacColl. That sure gives her some status. The crowd not only paid homage to one of the greats but revelled in the expertise and charm of a superb performer and great person.

That book of hers looks like a fine read.

Joy of Living – Ewan McColl – a powerful song of thanks

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Brilliant lyrics about saying goodbye to all you hold dear – the wondrous hills and mountains, wife and children, and giving thanks for such a life of wonder.

I was particularly moved by the verse about his children. That is the verse I’d like to pass on to my four wonders.

Ewan Maccoll – The Joy Of Living Lyrics

Farewell you northern hills, you mountains all goodbye
Moorland and stony ridges, crags and peaks goodbye
Glyder Fach farewell, Cul Beag, Scafell, cloud-bearing
Suilven
Sun warmed rock and the cold of Bleaklow’s frozen sea
The snow and the wind and the rain of hills and
Mountains
Days in the sun and the tempered wind and the air like
Wine
And you drink and you drink till you’re drunk
On the joy of livingFarewell to you my love, my time is almost done
Lie in my arms once more until the darkness comes
You filled all my days, held the night at bay, dearest
Companion
Years pass by and they’re gone with the speed of birds
In flight
Our life like the verse of a song heard in the
Mountains
Give me your hand then love and join your voice with
Mine
We’ll sing of the hurt and pain
And the joy of living

Farewell to you my chicks, soon you must fly alone
Flesh of my flesh, my future life, bone of my bone
May your wings be strong, may your days be long, safe
Be your journey
Each of you bears inside of you the gift of love
May it bring you light and warmth and the pleasure of
Giving
Eagerly savour each new day and the taste of it’s mouth
Never lose sight of the thrill
And the joy of living

Take me to some high place of heather, rock and ling
Scatter my dust and ashes, feed me to the wind
So that I will be part of all you see, the air you are

Breathing
I’ll be part of the curlew’s cry and the soaring hawk
The blue milkwort and the sundew hung with diamonds
I’ll be riding the gentle wind that blows through your
Hair
Reminding you how we shared
In the joy of living

Mountain references: Glyder Fach is in Snowdonia, North
Wales; Cul Beag and Suilven are in Wester Ross in
Scotland; Scafell in the English Lake District;
Bleaklow in the Derbyshire Peak District (near Kinder).

Ling is a variety of heather, milkwort and sundew also
Grow on such mountainous areas.

Maccoll said about the song in a book of poetry (1989):
The last time I climbed Suilven, or to be more precise,
Failed to climb it, was in my seventy-second year. I
Was with my wife and fourteen-year-old daughter Kitty.
“You go ahead,” I told them, “I’ll meet you at the
Top. ” But ‘the flesh is bruckle, the fiend is slee’,
And I hadn’t gone more than half the distance when my
Legs refused to carry me further. My body had given me
Plenty of warnings over the last seven or eight years
But this was the final notice. My mountain days were
Over. I sat down on a rock feeling utterly desolate.
The feeling lasted for several days and then my grief
And feeling of loss gave way to nostalgia and I wrote
The Joy of Living. In an odd kind of way it helped me
To come to terms with my old age. (Ewan Maccoll in
Bell, Poetry 104)

Songwriters: EWAN MACCOLL

Thank you Readers and Purchasers – Please leave a review.

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A big thank you to all those who have been reading my books under the free Kindle scheme and to those who have either bought digital versions for their electronic readers or paperback versions.

If you have enjoyed your read please leave a review on Amazon. It all helps.

All my books are available here:

In the UK

In the USA

In the rest of the world via your regional Amazon store.

Thank you for buying an Opher book.

If I may be allowed to make a few suggestions:

If you like Sci-fi

a. Ebola in the Garden of Eden

b. Green

If you like Rock Music

a. The Blues Muse

b. In Search of Captain Beefheart

If you are concerned about the Environment

a. Anthropocene Apocalypse

If you are interested in Art

a. Opher’s Art and Outpourings.

If you are interested in Education

a. A Passion for Education – the story of a Headteacher

Or maybe you want some poetry, antitheist books, experimental novels or Beat/Alternative novels. There’s plenty of choice.

Thanks for stopping by and looking.

Stuck for a Christmas Present? Why not give something cheap, unique and really interesting?

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The Christmas present to suit all tastes – an Opher Book!

It fills the gap.

They look great!!

Reasonably priced

Absorbing

And supporting an excellent cause (my writing!)

Utterly unique

Interesting

Your friends and relatives, loved ones and enemies will all be amazed!

There’s one for every occasion!

 

All my books are available here:

In the UK

In the USA

In the rest of the world via your regional Amazon store.

Thank you for buying an Opher book.

If I may be allowed to make a few suggestions:

If you like Sci-fi

a. Ebola in the Garden of Eden

b. Green

If you like Rock Music

a. The Blues Muse

b. In Search of Captain Beefheart

If you are concerned about the Environment

a. Anthropocene Apocalypse

If you are interested in Art

a. Opher’s Art and Outpourings.

If you are interested in Education

a. A Passion for Education – the story of a Headteacher

Or maybe you want some poetry, antitheist books, experimental novels or Beat/Alternative novels. There’s plenty of choice.

Thanks for stopping by and looking.

A big thank you to all those who have been reading my books under the free Kindle scheme and to those who have either bought digital versions for their electronic readers or paperback versions.

If you have enjoyed your read please leave a review on Amazon. It all helps.

Rich and Lou’s Loudhailer at Kardomah94 Hull

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Rich and Lou’s Loudhailer kick-started the evening with their brilliant set of dynamic songs. The high energy, well-crafted songs were a delight as they set the room alight.

I have watched these brilliant musicians mature over the years, stalwarts of the Hull music scene they epitomise all that is good about the brilliant Hull and its year of culture. Their diverse songs of Sci-fi and auriculars really resonated with the audience.

I look forward to seeing them perform with their full psychedelic band – Loudhailer Electric Company as they support Nick Harper and The Wilderness Kids on Friday 8th December at the Adelphi!!

Richard Strange of the Doctors of Madness at Kardomah94 Hull.

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The versatile and remarkable Richard Strange graced the stage at Kardomah94 the foremost club in Hull and what a night it was!

Resplendent in luminous electric blue suit, reminiscent of his erstwhile hair during his mad cavorting days with the early Doctors, Richard led us through a musical multimedia event tracing the vagaries of his careering life. Not so much a career as a series of happenstances that saw him playing with and being robbed by the Sex Pistols, fronting the Punk explosion, working with the likes of William Burroughs, Gavin Bryars and Tom Waits, acting in Robin Hood, comedies, and Harry Potter and performing operatically in the Frank Zappa 2000 Motels plus others too numerous to mention.

With the aid of video clips, reading from his great biography and his songs (plus the odd cover of Love and Velvet Underground), he mesmerised the enthusiastic crowd with his one-man show An Accent Waiting to Happen.

It couldn’t have been better. Kardomah94 must rate as the best club in the world with its comfy sofas, congenial setting, warm atmosphere and brilliant sound. You just sprawled back and were immersed – and Richard took full advantage. An ideal partnership of show and setting.

The message was – ‘Don’t be afraid to fail’.

Life presents you with opportunities. Grasp them and go for it. Failure is glorious.

What an evening!!

Well – look out for next march! Richard Strange will be hitting the stage with his band The Doctors of Madness who have reformed and are hotter than ever!

Here’s a link to more photos and comment on the gig and Richard Strange from my good friends Rich and Lou:

Richard Strange

Tonight’s the Night!! Strange happenings at Kardomah94!! Kid Strange hits the stage! Supported by Rich & Lou’s Loudhailer!

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Tickets cost £10 and are available from Kardomah94, by calling 01482 317941 or Hull Box Office 01482 221113.

Kid Strange, the frontman and driving force behind the Doctors of Madness brings his solo show – An Accent Waiting to Happen to Hull today.

This Son of Survival Brainstorms with Figments of Emancipation. What could be better?

Expect something different.

Expect something unique.

Expect something special.

Tell all your friends.

Come along and be prepared to enjoy yourself.

Doors open at 7.30.

Rich and Lou’s Loudhailer are supporting with their great songs from the Underground, Sci-fi and films.

What could be better!  Come and join us for a great evening!!

Late Night Movies and All Night Brainstorms with Richard Strange tomorrow Wednesday 22nd at Kardomah94.

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Late Night Movies and All Night Brainstorms with Richard Strange tomorrow Wednesday 22nd at Kardomah94.
Check out the Figments of Emancipation as Mad Doctor Strange takes on the Sons of Survival in Hull.
Doors open at 7.30. Rich and Lou’s Loudhailer at 8.00 and then it’s all about Strange.
NOV22

Richard Strange – Doctors of Madness – supported by Loudhailer
Tomorrow 8:00 · Kardomah94 Tickets cost £10 and are available from Kardomah94, by calling 01482 317941 or Hull Box Office 01482 221113.

Nick HARPER and the Wilderness Boys

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