The Incisal Edge

The last Saturday in June 1969 was the 28th of the month, it was the day after I had finished my O-level exams. Ahead of me was a long summer, some holidays in West Cork where the seeds of my current residence were sowed, 4 weeks clerical work at SWEB and a return to “the 6th form”.

But first was “The Bath Festival of Blues”. 1969 was the height of The Blues Boom in the UK ie it was just about to finish. This proved to be a forerunner of the festivals to come but was thankfully mud free. There is an argument that this event was a directly responsible for influencing Michael Eavis to start The Glastonbury Festival – Somerset, open air, music etc.

I attended with 30,000 others, the venue was Bath Rec, the security was scant and the atmosphere was very, very laid back. My friend Pete (who went on have a varied and successful career in the oil industry) & I hitch hiked from Cardiff (it took ages) and then caught the train back; silly really as a cheap day return would have cost a tiny amount more than the single fare.

What do I remember? Setting my eyes on the legendary DJ John Peel (who was responsible for our house being affectionately nicknamed Rees Acres), Fleetwood Mac headlining, Led Zeppelin’s performance, Ten Years After warming up for their astonishing performance at Woodstock, Keith Emerson’s Hammond organ solos and choreography, the political call and response of the Liverpool Scene (featuring poet Adrian Henry).

Most of all I remember feeling “grown up” and free to be myself, I have never lost my love of live music and this kicked off a decade of seeing every band that I could in venues large and small. I have grown more selective over the years but am still a sucker for a “bit of live.”

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One of the greats that I did get to see, Peterborough City Council and Hereward Radio thought it would be a good idea to hold a “Rock ‘n’ Roll” evening on September 3rd, 1983, the day after their annual Country Music Festival. Chuck was the main attraction at the Wirrina stadium (a former rolling skate arena) and I blagged a way in with the sound crew, “carry this mic lead Al, and look as if you know what you’re doing”. Most of the evening was pretty unremarkable and I was prepared to be disappointed, “never meet your heroes” as they warn you.

Rumours that he was threatening to walk away if he didn’t get on stage at the scheduled time and that he be paid in cash up front all turned out to be true. So who ever was due on before him didn’t play and on came the great man on the stroke of 9pm. He was sensational, his set included: Schooldays, Sweet Little Sixteen, Roll over Beethoven, Every Day I Have the Blues, Memphis Slim, Bio, Maybellene/Mountain Dew, Let It Rock, Carol/Little Queenie, Key to the Highway, Got My Mojo Working, Reelin’ and Rockin’ and Johnny B. Goode, he was joined on some songs by his (?) daughter Ingrid Berry.

How do I know? Well it turns out that the set was recorded and had a limited CD release, but is still available as a download on Amazon. 

Chuck’s songs, usually played by other people particularly the Beatles, the Rolling Stones (their first single was a Berry cover), then ELO, and especially Dave Edmunds, woke me up to the “rock and roll end” of pop music. A great stylist, fantastic guitarist but above all a wonderful songwriter who inspired several generations to pick up a plank and spank it. 

My favourite song of his is Promised Land, my favourite version is a Cajun tinged arrangement by Johnnie Allan closely followed by the great Welsh rocker Dave Edmunds below.

Can there ever be a better couple of verses than these:

“Swing low chariot come down easy, taxi to the terminal zone, cut your engines and cool your wings, let me make it to the telephone.
Los Angeles give me Norfolk Virginia, Tidewater four ten o nine, tell the folks back home this is the promised land calling and the poor boy is on the line.

Fablas.

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