I will attempt to give you a quick once over of the Portmeirion gig performed on Wednesday 8th September.
The first time I visited Portmeirion was earlier this year when friends took my wife and I for a belated 50th birthday treat. We stayed in the hotel at the bottom of the village and had fantastic sea view rooms. It is a seriously enchanting and magical place, so if you have never been,put it on your list!
Not long after we returned I logged on to Steve's website and read with astonishment that he would be playing an acoustic set in the tiny village hall. The mention of Bolan in Steve's diary entry made me even more determined to attend this gig.I was lucky to obtain four tickets and we all managed to book a couple of days off work and overnight accommodation.
The gig was in aid of Alzheimer's and included performances from Chloe Hall, an Australian singer and Show of Hands, a very popular folk group.
The hall was very small and very full by the time we got there, which was about 5 minutes after kick off. We were assured that there were 120 tickets and 120 seats although we had to stand;this suited me. I stood at the back by the doors to get the best sound I could, I think it worked. Chloe trio were excellent and the sound perfect, we bought her CD and she was happy to sign, meet and greet with the happiest smiley face you will ever see! Check her out.
Show of hands, who are apparently pretty big on the folk scene, were equally impressive and delivered a very professional set and an excellent sound.
Steve was due on at 9.45pm but it was 10.10pm before Barry, Steve and James came onto the stage. "They said you'd be close not in my lap"! he quipped and away he went.
Now I would love to tell you the order of songs but I really can't remember and I didn't take notes. I can tell you that the set included Mr Raffles, Best years of Our Lives,All the men are Hungry,Tumbling Down, Mr Soft,Star for a Week,Judy Teen,Friend for Life,Journey's End,Riding the Waves,This Old Man, True Love, The Last Time I Saw You and Come Up and See Me.I'm sure I've missed some and they will, no doubt, come to me at four in the morning!
All sounded good from where I was standing although Steve was obviously not happy and, at first, looked over at James and Barry,then asked for help from the technical bods. His monitors were playing up and I think he was getting feedback in his ears? All was sorted and Steve continued with his usual passion, effort and professionalism to produce an excellent performance.Some of the crowd, and I wouldn't like to guess how many, were obviously not familiar with some of the songs and struggled with ' Oh dear look what they've done...........' despite Steve's efforts!
Chloe and Show of Hands joined the stage for 'Come up and See Me' , everyone was now on their feet and jigging. (Even some of the people who had sat in the bar chatting all night popped their heads around the door!)
Barry played the Jim Cregan guitar solo perfectly, what a talent he is!
So there I was 51 years old waiting outside a rock stars dressing room for a chat and a few photos! My kids would never believe it! Steve didn't disappoint, does he ever?? Jane, my wife, was thrilled, I was thrilled, Steve? Well, he was cool as a cucumber!
A great night for a very good cause!
Julian.
