I’ve been in London all week. If you know what I do you can probably put two and two together with regards to why I’m here. I like visiting this place any time but this week has been made that little bit more special by a few extracurricular musical trips. Although I’m often suggesting that Clitheroe has everything I might have to concede there’s a better gig or two to be seen in the city.
The Bees Are Back
Back in 2004 The Earlies did the only support slot of our career at the Electric Ballroom in Camden. It wasn’t our only support slot ever because we became a big deal shortly after, we never became a big deal. We were however a big band. Eleven people with a lot of equipment needing a ton of channels on the desk is basically nobody’s idea of a convenient support. The Bees however decided to go for it despite having seven guys on stage themselves and I loved them for that. We were late due to a person on our bus having a massive panic attack requiring a hard shoulder ambulance visit. We got to the venue at 6.30 for a 7.00 start with all of our shit. We unloaded the bus in the pouring rain and then hurriedly set up in front of the audience with barely enough time to line check. It was so nearly a disaster, I felt sure we’d be sounding shit and I could barely look up from the keyboards out of awkward shame. When I finally lifted my eyes during Devil’s Country the entire room was bouncing, including the Bees themselves on the balcony. We’d somehow pulled of a minor triumph and the rest of the evening featured a queue of people lining up for photos with Tom Knott. I think in 2004 handlebar moustaches were still of such exquisite novelty that it was as though we’d turned up with a genuine time travelling cavalier on guitar.
As you can see on the flyer above one of the other supports that week was Little Barrie, I didn’t meet him then but I love finding out that I’ve been moving through the same spaces as people who will become dear friends in 20 years without the slightest awareness at the time. Barrie rang me up on Wednesday morning to say the Bees were reformed and playing in Islington on Thursday night so I graciously took his plus one. It was an amazing gig as I’m sure you’d have guessed. I’d forgotten how much I cared about that band and how many of their tunes I love. Watching a group of friends who’ve drifted a little over the last ten years rekindling their shared endeavor surrounded by the warmth and goodwill of a packed house sent me home with a glow. True multi-instrumentalists, strong singers and a real sense of fun that you wish you were in on. I do hope they carry on, I’d watch them weekly without tiring of it. Get back into them this weekend.
The Return of the Caped Crusader
Right at the opposite end of the musical spectrum I went to watch Rick Wakeman on Tuesday night. This clip isn’t from then, it’s Birmingham from the same tour though. I don’t film gigs because, conveniently enough, everybody else seems to be doing it so I watch their clips should I ever need to revisit the memory. Which I rarely do. Neither do they, but will they ever learn?
Last summer when our drummer Dan was forced to take a few months respite due to a wrist injury Adam Faulkner stood in. He did it so seamlessly that I rarely even noticed we had somebody new in the band, copying all the fills and endings with an uncanny accuracy. If he hadn’t the whole thing would’ve been doomed but he had a rare and impressive professionalism to which we all owe a massive debt.
I was pretty much the only person impressed to hear that one of Adam’s regular gigs was playing with Rick Wakeman and I think I was one of the only people who he could think of as having any interest in a guest list spot on this tour. I’ve seen Rick four times previously doing his solo shows and once with Yes in 2004. There’s always been something to enjoy about it but I think the shows had been getting weaker as the years went on. When I counted up how many I’d already seen I was quite surprised and fairly sure I wouldn’t be bothering again.
But Adam pulled me back in and I’m glad he did. This was a really enjoyable show with a younger band (probably all aged between 40 and 60 but you know what I mean) who really understood the stuff. In particular it always seems to make a massive difference when Adam Wakeman is involved as second keyboardist, he seems to have a very positive influence on his Dad and the arrangements. He seemed to have largely moved back into the classic 70s sound palette with far less DX7 bell tone crystal myth patches. I don’t think I’ve ever come away from a Wakeman gig raving about the vocals but this one had three really phenomenal backing vocalists with the last minute addition of Steve Marriott’s daughter Molly as the lead. There’s some awkward melodies that have obviously been written on a keyboard first and there are some even more awkward lyrics that have obviously been written by someone who never considered what it would feel like to have to sing them. To walk away from a Rick gig not thinking about the vocals is a minor triumph but to come away impressed is beyond unusual.
It goes without saying that the guy is still hilarious in a “just on the edge of cancellation” kind of way that you can just about get away with in your mid 70s. We were talking about it afterwards and Adam reminded me of his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame acceptance speech. After the rest of Yes have thanked their families and inspirations Rick gets up and gives an American audience five minutes of totally out of context stand up comedy that makes me truly proud to be British. Long may he continue!
Great memories: good read.
Enjoyed that, thank you. I had a similar 'The Bees' experience this week. A friend went to see them in Bristol last night and it spurred me to revisit their records. I think I like them now now then I did then. Like you said, their sound is just full of fun and exuberance and love of ALL kinds of music.
Bees member Aaron Fletcher has put a bunch of great playlists on Spotify: 'stuff we were listening to while making sunshine hit me'. That kind of thing. They're good.
I have nothing to contribute re Wakeman, either A or R.