Greeny to play in England
 

Peter Green And Friends are scheduled to play a blues Festival in England next January 2011...

:D
He is playing at the Rock & Blues weekend at Butlin's in Skegness on Friday 28th to Monday 31st January.. You can check out the line-up etc by going to 'The Weekends - Butlin's Big Weekends' web-site and look at the Rock & Blues weekend.
:D

Mario.

Good News
 

Thanks Mario, I'm pleased to see that he's not finished with P.G. & friends.

an early christmas present that guarantees a happy new year for zero. brilliant news mario. thanks!

GREAT NEWS, MARIO!!! You ceratinly are The Ledge watch-dog. What should we do without you? :wavey:
Very nice to know PG is still intending to play and has not retired ect...Even though in this weather hibernating would be the most obvious thing to do.

It is not possible to see the band line-up on the Butlins site, though. I hope the bandmembers are still the same.

Ms Moose :woohoo:

I just saw that Greeny isn't scheduled to play in Skegness anymore, sadly...

Mario.

Thanks, Mario
 

Without you Mario, we Peter Green fans would never get any inside information during the years of this message board's existance.

I knew in late 2009 Mike Dodd made the same mistake as Nigel Watson, and Mick Fleetwood. Dodd pushed Peter Green into a normal tour schedule regimen. I also knew things weren't "right" when Peter became "Lancaster, PA" Amish man, with his beard. Peter grew his beard as he grew it during the last months with FM, he was not happy.

Yes, I think you are right. When I saw PG & F in the beginning of november 2009, he looked bored and fed up, and Mike Dodd seemed irritated with him. When you admire someone - maybe idealize them, you might not see them very realistically. You just want them to fit into the picture you have of them. It's very human really. Maybe that's the case with Mike Dodd and PG.

PG is a brilliant musician, but a very vulnerable human being who should not tour extensively for 18 months. Somehow I think "the guardians" (whoever they are...) should have stopped it long before, because he does not seem to be able to take care of himself (say NO, for instance instead of growing a beard), and is easily taken advantage of.

We will probably never know "what really happened", because obviously no one is allowed to talk and to give an objective account. What a pity.

Ms Moose

I don't know what to say about Peter, I guess that you
already know the underlying facts of it all. There have
too many concerts - more than Peter appreciates -
and that's the meain reason that his concerts are on hold.


I am sure that Peter needs to do a soul searching about
his future concerts and that he will continue to perform
in one way or the other. The most important thing for all
of us that PETER keeps on playing - it is not so important
which band he is in. It is important also that they want
what is best for PETER and don't see it from their economical
point of view. Peter is not interested in money - he is only
interested in creating and playing music:-)

Merry Christmas!

Mario.

Perhaps I'm naive, but I like to think that there isn't that much of a problem..:shrug:
Here are my thoughts:

1: I always thought that the "Amish" beard looked very cool.:cool: I never thought of it as some sort of decline in health.

2: I thought Peter and the band looked very happy and together on the last gigs. Peter standing and smiling and communicating well. I think his playing was stronger and stronger. (However, his playing was also at its best just before he left Fleetwood Mac...)
Check this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9NNh7zk4JM

3: Mario (bless him!) has told us that the band members are on good terms and still playing together.

4: I think Peter's partnership/friendship with Mike seems much healthier that that between Peter and Nigel. I think Mike understood what went wrong with the Splinter Group. But on the other hand, Mike is only human, longing for money as all the rest of us...:shrug:

The positive thing though, is that Peter seems much more protected with the Friends. I mean, I myself met him backstage at Splinter Group gig, the same way dozens of other Ledgies did. It seems they had no security. Nigel went off, and no body really looked after Peter. So my impression is that Peter is more protected now. He hasn't even given a real interview as far as I know since he started playing with these guys. In the Splinter Group days you could find him (& Nigel) in every other music magazine!!

The difference (in my oppinion) is that Peter is more respected by the Friends. They haven't even released a single record yet! While Splinter Group would have released several albums during such a period. And those albums were filled with several crappy songs made by so-called "song writers" getting royalties out of Peter's name. The Friend's set lists have consisted of Green originals and blues standards.

I don't think that dates being cancelled automatically means internal trouble in the band or Peter being in bad health. He's 64 old, and if he needs a break they should respect it without questioning.

I don't think living or working with Peter is easy in any ways! But from what we hear, they are still playing together. Perhaps Peter wants to try out new things? Perhaps he wants to stay home for a while? Doctors order?

These are some of my thoughts about this. Maybe too optimistic? But it's Christmas after all! :)
So I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and thanks for all the great posts!!!
And Merry Christmas to Peter and his friends, and best wishes for the new year!

-Daniel
(This was written without seeing Mario's post above...)

Daniel makes some good points.
 

I'm very impressed with that "Oh Pretty Woman" youtube clip. It's Peter Green at his best, and most animated during the '09/'10 run.

Just as he played with FM at the Roundhouse late 4/70, Green knew he was going to leave PG and F shortly, so he went all out, and gave his best performance.

As for my "Amish beard" comments, go back and look at those shows a year ago through Youtube when you could tell it became a "grind".

I thought Mike Dodd treated Peter Green with kid gloves for nine months, then for some reason "PG and F" had to play concerts spanning around thirty days, every other night. I knew then it was the beginning of the end of this great relationship.

But how do you keep a band together if they're not doing regular touring? A few gigs here and there won't put food on the table. It's the same issue, all through Kolors, Splinter Group and Friends.

No, here you are wrong, that great friendship is still there..........

I cannot quote the source, but I got this email just today, a hopeful one, I believe:

"All is ok Mario. It's about what Peter wants - we love him dearly - lets see what happens next year. Best wishes to you and yours for the New Year". ;)

Mario.

Thanks as usual, Mario ;)
Sounds kind of reassuring.

Connection
 

Mario,

I imagine that this has been covered before, but how do you know Peter? Just curious.

Thanks for keeping us all informed.

Regards,
Hitch

:blob2::blob1::blob1:


I'm glad to be wrong.

This is a very good point!! Hopefully the Friends have regular daytime jobs and are able to take time off when/if any abroad tours take place. The personell did change a bit,didn't it? Some stand-ins to step in then somebody's schedule doesn't work. :shrug:
Anyway, the most important thing is that they care for Peter and realize that this is not going to make them rich. I hope Mike Dodds has made that clear...

MARIO: Wonderful news!! Thanks again! :D

Actually I have meet Peter only twice, both in Milan, the first time back in 1997 and then last November 2009....

But Peter knows who I am because of Martin Celmins, he told Peter about myself....

Mario.

Which, of course, begs the question, "What is your connection with Martin Celmins?"

My connection with Martin started back in 1995 when the first edition of the
"Biography" came out.

A common friend here in Italy gave me his phone number and that's was the very beginnning.....

I do remember I first rang Martin the day after the SG gig in Guilford, July 1996, if I'm not wrong...

Mario.;)

If you have a good day job, it is possible to be in a 'part time' band which engages in a short tour or two every year totalling perhaps 20 gigs in an entire year. Peter isn't short of money, but it is possible that the other guys in PG&F might need the financial rewards of a more full time gigging schedule.

I do wonder if Peter might do better recording in the studio at his own leisure? But then his studio recordings with PGSG weren't stellar, for the most part. On a good day, Peter really seems to enjoy performing live.

The most important thing is that Peter is always treated with respect, and that his wellbeing is paramount. The late Cozy Powell said as much in the very early PGSG days.

Some years ago I bumped int Neil Murray just after he'd finished working with PGSG and he said that working with Peter was more of a challange than most musicians but it was very rewarding and often fun. He'd have continued longer if he didn't have other commitments. I didn't ask explicitely about Peter's mental health issues but Neil did allude to having to make allowances for Peter's condition, and that they'd rehearsed more old FM material than was actually performed on stage because Peter didn't want to delve back into the FM canon too much. But Neil was adamant that he'd had a good time in PGSG and that Peter was making great progress with his playing as he regained confidence. Its not well known but in his teenage years, Murray was quite a FM fan, he told me of playig "Oh Well" at loud volume in his school dorm.

I can see how PGSG simply got too big. Peter Green never wanted to be a star, but he does want to play. Something Mick Fleetwood said back in 1995 "Pete's actually playing again. You won't see him back in the showbiz sense of the word but he's doing what God put him on earth to do"

OK I'll stop rambling.

performing regularly
 

I can not hope to speak for all musicians but I am going to try to give some insight into people I have been around. As you get older there are many more issues that you have to deal with on a mundane level before you even consider touring regularly. I know a few very good musicians in their 60s who just don't have the will ore desire to live on the road. Why is it that there are so many songs written about being on the road so long and wanting to get back home....from 20 year olds.

There are very few people with the temperment of, lets day, Richard Thompson, if you look at their tour schedule is in the range of 250 dates a year. He says he lives for the road and would be a fair vendor in a circus if he was not a performer because he loves the gypsy life. BB King also lives for the road even at his age.

Would you say that eric clapton has the same schedule now? Actually look at how few dates he actually plays. A lot of local talent who make their living doing this do not have the luxury of making the choice no matter what physical or mental shape they are in. I am not yet 59 (close though) and it is all I can do to get myself together for playing four nights a week with my wife and still have a sane life. And I donot have the burdens of "legend" status nor the expectations waiting for me when I go to play. I can just imagine what Peter must be experiencing every time he goes out. God bless him for being willing to do it at all.

doodyhead, mel and vinnie