Memphis, Chicago, California, Birmingham, Andalusia, the North West of England.
Sometimes we need reminding that if you are a music fan, and you live in the North West of England you are in an incredibly lucky minority of the World's population to live in one of the globe's capitals of popular music.
Even though here in Nantwich, I'm in a relatively countryfied, indeed gentrified backwater, if I stand on my narrowboat roof, I can actually see Manchester, and Liverpool is just as near (or even nearer if train fares are anything to go by). Both iconic cities on this planet's musical map. Birmingham, the birth place of all things metal, is less than half a day's bike ride away (if you're serious about bike-riding anyway). Some of the world's biggest music names on this little planet of ours will play within an hour or two travelling time of here every time they tour the world and we should NEVER EVER take that for granted.
I remember an interview with one of my musical heroes Flea (he of The Red Hot Chili Peppers fame) recently, saying that it's pretty tough playing in Manchester, England and even in their home town of Los Angeles, as such cities are so blessed with mega-heroes of music playing in these places week in and week out, there can be a tendency to for audiences to feel quite blasé about it, whereas if they play in Mexico, or a country in South America, the crowds are absolutely wild with excitement; dancing, crying and singing every word at the top of their voices and in a two hour joyous state of pure ecstasy in their one and only chance, in their one and only city in which they can ever see their heroes.
DON'T. TAKE. IT. FOR. GRANTED.
Anyroadup, although there weren't too many about for my set at Big Day Out Cheshire I felt the surrealness and the pure luck of being born in the right place to have an experience like this, of playing my little set, then walking a few steps to a see a band whose music I have grown up with as part of the background soundscape to my life/our lives on the radio at home, on the coach or wherever. What a thing!
I also greatly enjoyed a superb set by Tim Lee, especially a new song which I think was called 'Performance', the always brilliant Photo Booth Smile and the inimitable brilliance of Baxter!
Thanks to all involved, especially that very busy Lizzy and the whole team surrounding Redshift Radio who seem to have a lot to do with it all.
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| Tim Lee in great acoustic form, |
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| The ever-awesome Baxter! |
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| The expanded line-up and even bigger sounding Photo Booth Smile. |
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| I played a lot more than is on my surliest here! |
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| Many Thanks to Tim for this photo! |
