June 16th, 2001 saw my return to attending open air music festivals after a VERY long time away. The good news for me was that I had a guest ticket, thanks to a man who shall remain nameless. (Although I can tell you that he lives in Surrey, is as passionate a John Martyn fan as it is possible to find on the entire planet, and that he makes a mean cheese and hot pickle sandwich!) On the negative side, the English summer had reverted to type after weeks of really quite nice weather! It had rained on and off all day and things did not look good for later on! In short, it was nice weather for these chaps...

So, we arrived at the festival around 2:30 to 3:00. Up on the main stage were Afro Celt Sound System.  WIth them, you really get what it says on the tin. Some afro drumming, some Celtic doodling, and a rather large dose of sound system. Not my thing, but the music seemed right for the occasion somehow. People seemed to be having fun. At this point, the ground was tacky but ok. We drifted over to the Irish Post Marquee, where John Martyn and Danny Thompson were due on at 4:20pm. One act had just finished, and Celtus were just about to begin. They were an electric band who also had a fiddle player. Again, not really my thing, but people seemed to like it. However, after a few numbers we trekked back to the guest area, and found a table and chowed down with the food we had brought with us! I had managed to pack the contents of my local Tescos store into a small holdall, and it all required immediate investigation!

While we were in this backstage area, Starsailor were on the main stage. I thought that the singer was reminiscent of Mike Scott of the Waterboys, but wasn't so good. Just about that time though, the skies started crying. Sobbing their heart out in fact. It was torrential rain, and it lasted a good 45 minutes if not longer. We sheltered as long as we could, but then it was time to cross the site in order to get in place for John and Danny. We got totally drenched on the way, and the Irish Post Marquee was understandably packed out when we arrived.

Where I was standing, the ground was two inch thick mud, and the only way I was able to stand up so long was by being stuck to the ground. There were a lot of wet, slightly drunk people in that tent, so fuses were maybe a little shorter than they would usually have been, though the spirit throughout was mostly one of goodwill! Danny Thompson was soon on-stage, seemingly unhappy with the sound provision. Eventually John Martyn joined him on-stage, but there were obvious sound difficulties, and John was also having guitar problems as well. The audience were restless for things to kick off. Eventually, John and Danny launched into a low key version of 'The Glory of Love'. John was trying to tune and sort his guitar out at the end, and a few people were calling for them to get on with it. John replied that he would love to get on with it, that that was what he was there for. I am sure these same people would have been the first to complain if John had played on out of tune and inaudible. I do have to say again though that it is understandable that things were a little tense. Musicians rightly hate having equipment problems, and the crowd were wet, uncomfortable, and wanted some fine music to lift the spirits. One or two people actually left, but the wise and lucky ones (the vast majority) didn't.

The change in performance and perception of performance came during 'Dealer/Inside Out' and by 'May You Never' it was complete. The sound was still not perfect, but the playing was wonderful. Danny's seemingly innate knowledge of how to fit in with John had not been diminished over the years. John and Danny had won the crowd over, and I felt that John had put in a conscious effort to do so. This cheered me as much as anything. Then the unfortunate thing happened.

John and Danny seemed to rush from then on in. Speaking to Joe Hennessey, John's manager, we found out what had happened. The sound man had signalled to John, making a "T" sign. he had meant it to ask if John had enough top in his monitors, but John took it to mean 'time' (this is what it usually does mean) so he had skipped 'Solid Air' and gone on to a whizz bang 'Easy Blues' that was very good and did leave the crowd wanting more. Well I presume that John and Danny found out about the mix up backstage because they were soon back, and turned in the most wonderful 'Solid Air' John's voice was spot on here. It really was fantastic, taking me back to times in the 70s when I had seen them playing together. They had played a little less than 45 minutes, but it was a set that picked up so much, and really lifted my spirits!

The rain had stopped, but the damage had been done! Mud, mud, and just a little more mud! A little beer drinking later, and Gary Moore was on-stage. What a revelation. He was the right man at the right time.  I have always felt that his playing was a little one dimensional, and I haven't really changed that opinion, but what I wasn't prepared for was the genuine feel in his playing, and his ability to put in a really energy packed show, full of Blues greats. My particular favourite was his rendition of 'All Your Love', the Otis Rush song that in many ways was the predecessor of Peter Green's 'Black Magic Woman'. I was a fair way from the stage, but Gary seemed to be playing a sunburst Les Paul during this number, and I truly hoped that it was indeed Greeny's famous '59 Gibson! Fine versions of 'Still Got The Blues' and Jimi's 'Fire' followed, and you had to take your hat off to the lad. His influences, such as Peter Green, really shone through in his playing, and it was just an unexpected pleasure to enjoy this set so much!

My friend, the website creating sandwich maker from Surrey had left by the end of Gary Moores set, and I had a little wander by myself. I caught a few numbers by Teenage Fanclub. I found them inoffensive, which is probably the most damning thing I can say about them. Then on the main stage, The Waterboys were just starting! They started off with a new song which I was not too keen on, but followed that with 'Strange Boat' a favourite of mine which I think came from 'Fisherman's Blues' originally. I was fading fast though, and my clothes were still wet and sticky. Much as I would have loved to see Neil Young, I was fit to drop, so I made to leave through the guest area. As I did so, a small frail looking woman was entering the arena, with a supportive man on each arm. She seemed very happy to be there, and although I was reluctant to leave, if I had to pass the mantle over, she was a cool person to hand it to. Exit Pete Grant, enter Marrianne Faithful!
 

Pete Grant 17/06/01
 

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