Tooting Common

Neil Young did indeed play an enjoyable set. He really rocked actually, which quite surprised me. Even if we did get acoustically faithful treatments of Old Man and The Damage Done in the middle of the set, he played and rocked out with a powerful and full sounding band. Chad Cromwell, who some of you may know from Fortunate Sons, (Healing Ground) took care of the drum duties and Neil’s wife, Peggy, supplied one half of the backing harmonies. There was some great pedal steel and twanging Telecasters. Neil himself, came on, wearing a paint – spattered suit, á la Jackson Pollock and kind of gallumphed around the stage as he wrenched some seriously tortured guitar sounds out of his old black Les Paul. I realize NY’s guitar style is not to everyone’s taste but I like it - always have done. The art theme was followed through by some artist dude at the back of the stage working on actual canvasses, which he displayed from time to time for the audience’s enjoyment, at the front of the stage, on a large easel, Not sure where they were going with these, but he whipped ‘em off really quickly and some of them were quite angst-ridden, garish and aggressive. For example; one was a giant fist, giving the audience the middle finger, as it were! They didn’t seem to mind and he was really into it.

Anyway, it was a good time and the music at this particular festival was really enjoyable, which is not always the case of course. I could not help commenting to all and sundry hanging out back stage, that there was not even a whiff of rock & roll mayhem about the scene there. You see, they had a wi-fi service and literally everyone was online, checking e mails and playing World of Warfare or whatever. Even the young bands like Adam Green were so calm and polite and sober. What ever happened to out - of - control rock & roll? All this, despite NY’s song with the refrain, Rock & Roll Never Dies.

Actually, speaking of rock & roll, I meant to tell you, that as I was leaving New York to get here, I followed Dee Snyder of Twisted Sister through security. He was there being accompanied by his wife and daughter, obviously heading out to earn some Euros. He looked quite the gentleman too. Pause for thought. Funny old world - I’d also seen him on cable TV quite recently, hosting a high – brow art show on the Gallery channel. It was all about gothic graveyard art. Dee did a very plausible job. Even Lou Reed has been on this channel, interviewing art photographers. Everyone, it seems, is getting into ‘Kulcha’. My my , hey, hey.

Walking around Vienna itself the next day, was also definitely not a rock & roll experience but can be interesting nonetheless, especially if you are in the mood for some cultural pursuits. You’ve got your Mozart and Strauss and the Opera and palace and Spanish Riding School plus the zoo and Schonenbrunn. By a stroke of luck, the Tutankamen exhibition is currently showing. I’d always wanted to see this, back from when it first visited London, years ago.

It was hot by this time and I made up for the teetotal vibe backstage at the festival, the previous night, by consuming a few brewskies in the street cafes and bars. Nice. I got to thinking of the American in London, years ago, who, while trying to get a ride to the Tutankamen exhibition by taxi cab, found himself being dropped at Tooting Common. Funny old world.

Next stop München and then up north by road to Hamburg. Germany is always nice, winter or summer and, like I said, it gets one out of the house and away from the humidity of the North East. Muddy Manninen and his new wife, Mia, head out to Rome next week for their delayed honeymoon.

Should be hot there!

~ A.P.