Nite Owl writes:

I had to share this with you......

I had a day off on Monday & went to Southsea (Hants) to check out the second hand record shops. As I got out of the car, I saw I had parked outside the Wedgewood Rooms music venue. My eyes were immediately drawn to large poster of the Trout Mask cover on the door & the words 'The Magic Band 7th March'. Well, I can tell you, I had tickets in my hand in nanoseconds.

I've never seen them live before & it was an amazing night. Drumbo isn't Don & he doesn't pretend to be. I have never felt so much power & dedication at a gig. Rockette Morton paces & sweats around the stage like a man working up to a coronary. Denny Walley screams out the slide parts & the second guitarist (name escapes me) does a fine job of replicating Jeff Cotton's guitar parts. He told me that he had been learning every Beefheart guitar solo since he was foureen.

Got a chance to chat & get autographs at half time (I wish I'd taken some vinyl to sign).

Drumbo spotted my Zappa tattoo & asked why I had a tattoo of Margaret Thatcher. Denney Walley said 'no, that's Billy Connolly'.

From the 'AND' at the start of Steal Softly Through Snow to the slide fade at the end of Big Eyed Beans from Venus, it was a nerve tingling night.

I don't know if they are coming to a theatre near you, but they are not to be missed!

cheers for now

Nite

Some Magic Band Autographs yesterday.

Editorial comment: You don't get reviews like this in the Murdoch rags. Tune in next week, when Bill will be interviewing Bruce Springsteen, and I shall be holding a séance with Charles Darwin.