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God Bless LINK WRAY!
Bluesman Jon Paris who joined Link for about 5 tunes to end the set
rightfully called Link the "Godfather of the Guitar", adding "this
is where it all started".
While on stage, between singing and playing some wicked harmonica,
Jon Paris called out, "hey Robert, why don't ya' come up and join
us?" I thought he was referring to Robert Gordon, who Link has
recorded and performed with (as has Jon), but in fact I learned
after the show it was ROBERT PLANT! I say 'after the show' b/c
Robert didn't join them.
Link asked everyone to sing "Happy Birthday" (I think he said for 25
yrs of age?) for his son OLIVER, whom Link called "his Boss". I
met briefly after the show with OLIVER and he seemingly is
overseeing Link's career at the moment. Keepin' it in the family!
And speaking of which, Link's Wife was on stage playing her
usual "unsteady tambourine back-beat". Half-way thru the show she
switched from playing it with her hand to using one drumstick. I
guess she's Link's "Linda McCartney" huh? Kinda pointless to watch
her but she was having a great time, and Link clearly loves having
her there with him, so who am I to judge?
I thought Link sounded great, cranking away on his Strat at his
usual blistering high-volume (but as I recall Dick Dale is a lot
louder! Though the Surfalicious Dudes can give him a run for his
money!! Come to think of it, The Surfalicious Dudes "unplugged"
would probably be louder than most artists!!). Looked punk (which
ain't easy when you're 76 years old!) and playing punk -- come to
think of it, isn't Link Wray the original, or one of the
original, "punk rockers"? When his music first was heard, clearly
it was a rebellious no-holds-barred sound, probably freaking a lot
of people out! He banged through many of his 'classics' including,
if my memory serves me, RUMBLE, RAW-HIDE, BATMAN, FIRE (and
he 'sang' the Springsteen vocal there too!), JACK THE RIPPER, RUN
CHICKEN RUN. He broke a string (certainly not the first time!) and
had some fun changing guitars; he even signed some CDs and vinyl
while this was going on, causing a rush to the stage. And as I said
already, the closing blues set with Jon Paris was just wondrous --
Link was clearly enjoying himself and letting Jon take over the
stage. Link really got a kick out of Jon changing the lyrics to "Go
Link Wray Go" in JOHNNY B. GOODE.
I have been reading some reviews in the Yahoo Groups that vary from
positive to very negative re: Link's current tour. Well, for this
knucklehead, I must add that it was a privilege to see Link Wray so
close-up, and hear him still fuzz away with the best of 'em. Took
some great foot-of-the-stage shots, and will post them soon (OK so
he has some 'dental issues'!!). A great evening of twang and
reverb!!
Unsteady Freddie
Amen to that, thats how I felt watching Link play here in Toronto a
few years ago. After he played for nearly 2 hours he said "I broke my
strings, blew up my amp, I got nothing left." Pretty damn good for an
old fella I think!
DanO
--- In , "Unsteady Freddie"
<schizofredric@y...> wrote:
> God Bless LINK WRAY!
>
> Bluesman Jon Paris who joined Link for about 5 tunes to end the set
> rightfully called Link the "Godfather of the Guitar", adding "this
> is where it all started".
>
> While on stage, between singing and playing some wicked harmonica,
> Jon Paris called out, "hey Robert, why don't ya' come up and join
> us?" I thought he was referring to Robert Gordon, who Link has
> recorded and performed with (as has Jon), but in fact I learned
> after the show it was ROBERT PLANT! I say 'after the show' b/c
> Robert didn't join them.
>
> Link asked everyone to sing "Happy Birthday" (I think he said for
25
> yrs of age?) for his son OLIVER, whom Link called "his Boss". I
> met briefly after the show with OLIVER and he seemingly is
> overseeing Link's career at the moment. Keepin' it in the family!
>
> And speaking of which, Link's Wife was on stage playing her
> usual "unsteady tambourine back-beat". Half-way thru the show she
> switched from playing it with her hand to using one drumstick. I
> guess she's Link's "Linda McCartney" huh? Kinda pointless to watch
> her but she was having a great time, and Link clearly loves having
> her there with him, so who am I to judge?
>
> I thought Link sounded great, cranking away on his Strat at his
> usual blistering high-volume (but as I recall Dick Dale is a lot
> louder! Though the Surfalicious Dudes can give him a run for his
> money!! Come to think of it, The Surfalicious Dudes "unplugged"
> would probably be louder than most artists!!). Looked punk (which
> ain't easy when you're 76 years old!) and playing punk -- come to
> think of it, isn't Link Wray the original, or one of the
> original, "punk rockers"? When his music first was heard, clearly
> it was a rebellious no-holds-barred sound, probably freaking a lot
> of people out! He banged through many of his 'classics' including,
> if my memory serves me, RUMBLE, RAW-HIDE, BATMAN, FIRE (and
> he 'sang' the Springsteen vocal there too!), JACK THE RIPPER, RUN
> CHICKEN RUN. He broke a string (certainly not the first time!) and
> had some fun changing guitars; he even signed some CDs and vinyl
> while this was going on, causing a rush to the stage. And as I
said
> already, the closing blues set with Jon Paris was just wondrous --
> Link was clearly enjoying himself and letting Jon take over the
> stage. Link really got a kick out of Jon changing the lyrics
to "Go
> Link Wray Go" in JOHNNY B. GOODE.
>
> I have been reading some reviews in the Yahoo Groups that vary from
> positive to very negative re: Link's current tour. Well, for this
> knucklehead, I must add that it was a privilege to see Link Wray so
> close-up, and hear him still fuzz away with the best of 'em. Took
> some great foot-of-the-stage shots, and will post them soon (OK so
> he has some 'dental issues'!!). A great evening of twang and
> reverb!!
>
> Unsteady Freddie
Great review, Unsteady! I was there that night and was blown
away by Link's energy. I just wish his guitar got to my side of the
stage before he blew out a string and stopped handing it out to
audience members...I had my pick ready!!! Can't wait to see
some of the pics you took!!! Will you post them here?
[G]
--- In , "Unsteady Freddie"
<schizofredric@y...> wrote:
> God Bless LINK WRAY!
>
> Bluesman Jon Paris who joined Link for about 5 tunes to end
the set
> rightfully called Link the "Godfather of the Guitar", adding "this
> is where it all started".
>
> While on stage, between singing and playing some wicked
harmonica,
> Jon Paris called out, "hey Robert, why don't ya' come up and
join
> us?" I thought he was referring to Robert Gordon, who Link
has
> recorded and performed with (as has Jon), but in fact I learned
> after the show it was ROBERT PLANT! I say 'after the show' b/c
> Robert didn't join them.
>
> Link asked everyone to sing "Happy Birthday" (I think he said
for 25
> yrs of age?) for his son OLIVER, whom Link called "his Boss".
I
> met briefly after the show with OLIVER and he seemingly is
> overseeing Link's career at the moment. Keepin' it in the
family!
>
> And speaking of which, Link's Wife was on stage playing her
> usual "unsteady tambourine back-beat". Half-way thru the
show she
> switched from playing it with her hand to using one drumstick.
I
> guess she's Link's "Linda McCartney" huh? Kinda pointless to
watch
> her but she was having a great time, and Link clearly loves
having
> her there with him, so who am I to judge?
>
> I thought Link sounded great, cranking away on his Strat at his
> usual blistering high-volume (but as I recall Dick Dale is a lot
> louder! Though the Surfalicious Dudes can give him a run for
his
> money!! Come to think of it, The Surfalicious Dudes
"unplugged"
> would probably be louder than most artists!!). Looked punk
(which
> ain't easy when you're 76 years old!) and playing punk -- come
to
> think of it, isn't Link Wray the original, or one of the
> original, "punk rockers"? When his music first was heard,
clearly
> it was a rebellious no-holds-barred sound, probably freaking a
lot
> of people out! He banged through many of his 'classics'
including,
> if my memory serves me, RUMBLE, RAW-HIDE, BATMAN, FIRE
(and
> he 'sang' the Springsteen vocal there too!), JACK THE RIPPER,
RUN
> CHICKEN RUN. He broke a string (certainly not the first time!)
and
> had some fun changing guitars; he even signed some CDs
and vinyl
> while this was going on, causing a rush to the stage. And as I
said
> already, the closing blues set with Jon Paris was just
wondrous --
> Link was clearly enjoying himself and letting Jon take over the
> stage. Link really got a kick out of Jon changing the lyrics to
"Go
> Link Wray Go" in JOHNNY B. GOODE.
>
> I have been reading some reviews in the Yahoo Groups that
vary from
> positive to very negative re: Link's current tour. Well, for this
> knucklehead, I must add that it was a privilege to see Link
Wray so
> close-up, and hear him still fuzz away with the best of 'em.
Took
> some great foot-of-the-stage shots, and will post them soon
(OK so
> he has some 'dental issues'!!). A great evening of twang and
> reverb!!
>
> Unsteady Freddie
--- In , "cooolcatnyc" <adguy67@y...>
wrote:
> Great review, Unsteady! I was there that night and was blown
> away by Link's energy. I just wish his guitar got to my side of
the
> stage before he blew out a string and stopped handing it out to
> audience members...I had my pick ready!!! Can't wait to see
> some of the pics you took!!! Will you post them here?
>
>
hey thanks!
probably post them eventually at www.reverbsuperb.com, or maybe
www.readyunsteadygo.com
yeah that was an amazing evening!!
AN ASIDE....though not 'surf' by any means, I caught BRIAN AUGER and
his OBLIVION EXPRESS Monday night at the Knitting Factory -- Jesus I
love that guy! And though I am not sure this makes sense (well it
does to me), he plays the Hammond B3 like a lead guitarist,
seriously!! If you've seen him live maybe you know what I mean. Oh
yeah, his daughter Savannah and I are planning a Winter 2005 Wedding
(she isn't aware of this yet, but I will try and inform her soon).
UNSTEADY FREDDIE
