Spudmurphy
Well-known member
I made the 3 and a half hour drive from Cardiff to Froncysllte (vron - cuh- sulch- ta) later another hour onto Birkenhead to See Big AL play with his Hogans Heroes Band at the Pacific Road Arts Centre which is part of the Wirral Guitar festival International Guitar Festival of Great Britain
Our timing was perfect - Big Al was on stage finishing the introductions and just about to start the first set.
I was very near the front in the first set and right at the front for the second.
A bottle of Newcastle Brown accompanied me and my trusty camera - the "Newkey" was only £2.30 too!
Albert's band had a new keyboard player since I last saw them Elio Pace (more about him later!) replacing Pete Wingfield.
I've hosted a few photos of the gig but my digi camera is not good in concert conditions! My friend who took me to the concert has taken some excellent shots on a digi SLR and I'll get copies soon.
Albert's band played two sets and numbers that stuck in my mind were Tear it up, the ubiquitous Country Boy, Breathless and various Everley Bros numbers.
He also did the number that his daughter accompied him on the Road Runner Album called Dimming of the Day.
Elio Pace is a great keyboard player and a fine singer. - he fits in so well with the band and contributes one hell of a lot to the harmony vocals.
Pete Baron the drummer is a great singer too - both when singing harmonies and taking the lead vocal.
I have included pictures of Big Als gear but his AL was so difficult to photograph - a pinkburst with tiger stripe grain and a birseye figured neck to die for!!
Pictures of this AL have appeared on the forum before.
After the gig, Albert and the band did their usual signing session. However on the other occasions I have seen them, the venues have been smaller - more intimate - this time they were sat behind barriers and it wasn't quite so easy to have a chat with them.
I asked Albert if he would come onto the forum when he is at BP's? He said that BP had asked him a couple of times - I get the impression that big AL and computers don't mix very well - but I said that Knuckleheads would love to "see" him on the forum.
He signed a few things for me and I purchased a photo and got Al to sign the front and the rest of the band signed the back.
I will be giving this away together with a ticket stub, to a lucky forum member (anywhere in the world - I have ideas on how to do this but I'm waiting on an "ok!").
I'd better cut out here but before I do so back to Elio Pace - now he looks like a man not to tangle with!
I was asking Albert whether he knew an old acquaintance of mine called Mickey Gee - he was the first guitarist to play in Bill Wymans Rythym Kings. Albert said yes he knew Mickey - he admired his playing and asked how he was?
Elio made a point of calling me over (shoot I thought what the f have I done!!) Elio said that he had played with Shakin Stevens and had heard a lot about Mickey Gee, and had heard recordings of his playing. He said that he had never met Mickey but he offered me his hand, and asked me to pass on his regards to Mickey, - he was really sincere about it.
Close up of AL's AL
and another!
AL's Gear
Close Up of AL's Gear
AL tearing it up
'Ello Elio!!
4 String Mandolin - Hey BP make him an AL Mandolin ??
Green Sterling Bass
Our timing was perfect - Big Al was on stage finishing the introductions and just about to start the first set.
I was very near the front in the first set and right at the front for the second.
A bottle of Newcastle Brown accompanied me and my trusty camera - the "Newkey" was only £2.30 too!
Albert's band had a new keyboard player since I last saw them Elio Pace (more about him later!) replacing Pete Wingfield.
I've hosted a few photos of the gig but my digi camera is not good in concert conditions! My friend who took me to the concert has taken some excellent shots on a digi SLR and I'll get copies soon.
Albert's band played two sets and numbers that stuck in my mind were Tear it up, the ubiquitous Country Boy, Breathless and various Everley Bros numbers.
He also did the number that his daughter accompied him on the Road Runner Album called Dimming of the Day.
Elio Pace is a great keyboard player and a fine singer. - he fits in so well with the band and contributes one hell of a lot to the harmony vocals.
Pete Baron the drummer is a great singer too - both when singing harmonies and taking the lead vocal.
I have included pictures of Big Als gear but his AL was so difficult to photograph - a pinkburst with tiger stripe grain and a birseye figured neck to die for!!
Pictures of this AL have appeared on the forum before.
After the gig, Albert and the band did their usual signing session. However on the other occasions I have seen them, the venues have been smaller - more intimate - this time they were sat behind barriers and it wasn't quite so easy to have a chat with them.
I asked Albert if he would come onto the forum when he is at BP's? He said that BP had asked him a couple of times - I get the impression that big AL and computers don't mix very well - but I said that Knuckleheads would love to "see" him on the forum.
He signed a few things for me and I purchased a photo and got Al to sign the front and the rest of the band signed the back.
I will be giving this away together with a ticket stub, to a lucky forum member (anywhere in the world - I have ideas on how to do this but I'm waiting on an "ok!").
I'd better cut out here but before I do so back to Elio Pace - now he looks like a man not to tangle with!
I was asking Albert whether he knew an old acquaintance of mine called Mickey Gee - he was the first guitarist to play in Bill Wymans Rythym Kings. Albert said yes he knew Mickey - he admired his playing and asked how he was?
Elio made a point of calling me over (shoot I thought what the f have I done!!) Elio said that he had played with Shakin Stevens and had heard a lot about Mickey Gee, and had heard recordings of his playing. He said that he had never met Mickey but he offered me his hand, and asked me to pass on his regards to Mickey, - he was really sincere about it.
Close up of AL's AL
and another!
AL's Gear
Close Up of AL's Gear
AL tearing it up
'Ello Elio!!
4 String Mandolin - Hey BP make him an AL Mandolin ??
Green Sterling Bass
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Glad to see you get that whole date thing finally figured out
