John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers
Saturday 25th October 1986. Do you remember where you were that day? I can tell you where I was. Selina's at the Coogee Bay Hotel. What a night!
I was working for Bandanna and we had gotten a gig that we were all rapt about. Supporting John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers as well as Aussie blues legends, Chain. This was a big gig for us, band and crew alike. John Mayall is such an influential person in the music industry that it was like doing a gig with some sort of minor God. To quote John Mayall in one minute:
We arrived early that afternoon for the bump in with the bands gear. After helping get the main acts' PA system in & setup, It became obvious that they had underestimated the size of the room and didn't have enough PA. They asked could they hire ours as well to supplement it. Yeehah! We were getting paid by our band already so the extra cash was a bonus. This was going to be a reat night. Not only was Chain & Mayall playing, but at Selina's in those days you could not load your gear out until 9am the following morning due to noise restrictions. They would then give you a hotel room to "sleep" in. Party, party party!!
The afternoon was a bit of a blur as we rushed around adding our system to theirs and getting soundcheck done etc. Finally, the show started. We were first up and the boys played like demons. Talk about rising to the occassion. the place was packed and was going off. I was surprised at how many of the crowd were Bandanna regulars. The set seemed to last only 5 minutes & then we were dragging gear off the stage. A couple of quick beers & then Chain hit the stage. If you never been to a Chain concert then you have truly missed out on one of lifes great pleasures. I got to work with them a few times over a period of years with various lineups and it was always outstanding.
Finally, the big moment arrived.
Selina's is a great venue as it has a mezanine level which in those days was only open to "VIP's" & drunken roadcrew. We stood up on the mezanine, just off to side stage and just stared. Wow, what a band! Apart from the amazing Mr Mayall, his band contained guitarists Coco Montoya and Walter Trout as well as drummer Joe Yuele. We were just mesmerised by this performance. Hot, sweaty, gutsy... everything you expect from an actual blues legend. Man, this guy was the same age as my Dad!
I remember walking up to Joe Yuele after the show and declaring that I was going to throw my drumsticks away in disgust after watching that.
Upstairs in the band room was a sight that we didn't see very often. A real rider. A "rider" is the bit tacked onto a performers contract that sets out things like food and drink to be supplied by the venue. Usually the best we could hope for was a carton of beer but this was something special. Cheese platters, cold chickens, bread rolls, fruit platters.... the bloody lot mate. The Mayall crew had all had a good go and declared we could hoe in & finish whatever was left. Yeehah. I remember sitting pissed as a nit and still buzzing from the show, making sandwiches, when Walter Trout staggered in, barely able to remain upright, wondering if we had anything that "might help him stay awake". We couldn't help him but somehow it felt like a compliment to us to be asked. Weird eh? Walter was a legendary partaker of anything remotely illegal but apparently is a teetotal these days. Beats choking on your own vomit I suppose.
Walter Trout
I'm not sure what time we stopped drinking & talking about the show. Somewhere just before 9am I suspect. What a night!
I was working for Bandanna and we had gotten a gig that we were all rapt about. Supporting John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers as well as Aussie blues legends, Chain. This was a big gig for us, band and crew alike. John Mayall is such an influential person in the music industry that it was like doing a gig with some sort of minor God. To quote John Mayall in one minute:
- John Mayall and Eric Clapton's Bluesbreakers album was groundbreaking when it was released in 1966. Suddenly everyone wanted to emulate their music.
- Eric Clapton joined Mayall after leaving The Yardbirds in '65 and left to form Cream in '66.
- John McVie was the longest serving Bluesbreakers musician of the 60s, lasting four years, before forming Fleetwood Mac with fellow Bluesbreakers Mick Fleetwood & Peter Green.
- Mick Taylor was their star guitarist in the late 60s until he left to join The Rolling Stones.
- His Laurel Canyon mansion is home to one of the world's largest pornography collections, worth over a million pounds.
We arrived early that afternoon for the bump in with the bands gear. After helping get the main acts' PA system in & setup, It became obvious that they had underestimated the size of the room and didn't have enough PA. They asked could they hire ours as well to supplement it. Yeehah! We were getting paid by our band already so the extra cash was a bonus. This was going to be a reat night. Not only was Chain & Mayall playing, but at Selina's in those days you could not load your gear out until 9am the following morning due to noise restrictions. They would then give you a hotel room to "sleep" in. Party, party party!!
The afternoon was a bit of a blur as we rushed around adding our system to theirs and getting soundcheck done etc. Finally, the show started. We were first up and the boys played like demons. Talk about rising to the occassion. the place was packed and was going off. I was surprised at how many of the crowd were Bandanna regulars. The set seemed to last only 5 minutes & then we were dragging gear off the stage. A couple of quick beers & then Chain hit the stage. If you never been to a Chain concert then you have truly missed out on one of lifes great pleasures. I got to work with them a few times over a period of years with various lineups and it was always outstanding.
Finally, the big moment arrived.
Selina's is a great venue as it has a mezanine level which in those days was only open to "VIP's" & drunken roadcrew. We stood up on the mezanine, just off to side stage and just stared. Wow, what a band! Apart from the amazing Mr Mayall, his band contained guitarists Coco Montoya and Walter Trout as well as drummer Joe Yuele. We were just mesmerised by this performance. Hot, sweaty, gutsy... everything you expect from an actual blues legend. Man, this guy was the same age as my Dad!
I remember walking up to Joe Yuele after the show and declaring that I was going to throw my drumsticks away in disgust after watching that.
Upstairs in the band room was a sight that we didn't see very often. A real rider. A "rider" is the bit tacked onto a performers contract that sets out things like food and drink to be supplied by the venue. Usually the best we could hope for was a carton of beer but this was something special. Cheese platters, cold chickens, bread rolls, fruit platters.... the bloody lot mate. The Mayall crew had all had a good go and declared we could hoe in & finish whatever was left. Yeehah. I remember sitting pissed as a nit and still buzzing from the show, making sandwiches, when Walter Trout staggered in, barely able to remain upright, wondering if we had anything that "might help him stay awake". We couldn't help him but somehow it felt like a compliment to us to be asked. Weird eh? Walter was a legendary partaker of anything remotely illegal but apparently is a teetotal these days. Beats choking on your own vomit I suppose.
Walter Trout
I'm not sure what time we stopped drinking & talking about the show. Somewhere just before 9am I suspect. What a night!
posted by Gibbo at 5:42 pm
1 Comments:
Doing a gig with John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers !!!!
To quote the old guy in The Life of Brian - "You Lucky Lucky Bastard!"
Great stuff!
Nitescott.
Post a Comment
<< Home