Sprinter’s Malady
The above named band performed at a venue in Thomaston on Saturday. When I arrived, the drummer had set up his set, with the guitarist and bass player arriving a few minutes later. The harmonica player arrived and soon left after taking a quick look around the club. He is a man in his sixties with fairly long white hair, cowboy hat and a beard; rather tall. Finally he returned to the club, being held up by two middle aged women on each arm. Behind him was a man with an oxygen tank. The harmonica player then collapsed at a booth and started huffing oxygen through a mask. Audience members, one by one, came up to him; paying their respects to him and offering words of encouragement. The three instrumentalists started playing music in a blues-rock style. One of the songs was Suzy Q by Creedence Clearwater Revival. The harmonica player was still slumped in the booth taking medicinal hits of oxygen as needed. The bass player and drummer were playing at a semi-pro level and the guitarist was fluid and energetic enough to be considered a pro. The guitarist was the singer as well. The style of music was in the Stevie Ray Vaughn ballpark. Despite the presence of a good guitarist, I left after three songs. I assume that the harmonica player eventually walked to the front of the club to join the band. I bet that he had two women helping him to the stage, amid thunderous applause. When a musician’s offstage presence is that over the top, it is usually difficult to tell if he is a good musician or not. He seems to be going for an image of ” I’m going to play harmonica until my last breath!” And speaking of musicians with over the top offstage presences…
Many of you may know that Sid Vicious was the bass player of the Sex Pistols, who replaced Glen Matlock in the band. John Lydon says in his autobiography that after Glen left the band, Glen, himself, was hired as a studio musician on the band’s recordings. Does this mean that he played on the band’s Warner Brothers recordings as well as the EMI recordings ? Sid is listed as the bassist on the album cover. Perhaps this mystery will be solved by the time I finish the book.
In the spirit of stage presence,
I.C.