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Old 06-07-2011, 11:37 AM
THD THD is offline
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Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Battersea ,London
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Default Concert at the Royal Albert Hall 22April 1969

We were right in the highest balcony which goes most of the way round the circular building, but we were a long way from the stage watching at a very steep angle. In this position there was always a problem of hearing a loud reverb reflection, being so close to the domed roof You hear it louder and sooner than the people at lower level They put glass fibre baffles, shaped like flying saucers suspended below the dome, but I don’t recall them helping much -they were probably for the benefit of those in the main body of the hall Don’t even remember if they’d been installed at this time.
Duster Bennet was very good he sat on a stool ,played a goldish coloured les Paul -probably the one Peter had given him ,played harmonica on a harness round his neck, and played a bass drum with one foot and hi-hat with the other. It was a delight to see ,and he kicked up a storm, but it became a little monotonous after several numbers and the novelty had worn off .
Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee were on the bill , but I remember nothing !if indeed I saw them (The only memories I seem to have of them are TV appearances )
Fleetwood Mac were as usual excellent At one point Peter was heckled from the floor of the hall with” You’ve sold out!” when he announced Albatross (I think ) He probably said something back, but if he did ,I don’t remember what it was! I recall one number was a master class in building the excitement up to a climax and then Peter signalled with his hand I think and they took it right down, but still a swinging little blues shuffle like you could hear a pin drop, and then they built it back up to an intensity that you didn’t think was possible- higher than the original climax .That was the exciting part of FM and then Peter would break your heart with some sad song., Danny and Jeremy did their numbers all fine stuff but I don’t remember any R&R parodies this night !
BB King and band were great, I think they were the last on . Exciting ,moving and I was really impressed .Only time I’ve seen him live . BB broke a string and regaled us with the story of how Lucille got her name.
I enjoyed Fleetwood Mac the most and hoped that my school pals who accompanied me were suitably impressed, and had learned something about the real way to play blues I’ve read accounts that say Eric Clapton was there ,with George Harrison and Patti Boyd so I’d make a guess that Mick’s wife Jenny ( Patti’s sister )was there with them (it would be interesting to hear her first hand account if she and the others were there because the accounts say BB said something like” sorry but Peter’s the best English blues player” from the stage to Clapton and Harrison. If he said this I’m sure I would have remembered ,I didn’t see any of the aforementioned sitting in the front rows they may have been in a box of course and from our position it would have been impossible to even see the boxes below us let alone anyone in them !

Last edited by THD; 06-07-2011 at 03:45 PM..
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