I was
planning to include some photos of this gig
but Robben Ford clearly doesn’t like having
his picture taken. I was discrete, in the
shadows, and on an angle away from his face
as to not disturb the vibe of this gig but
somehow he copped my camera, dismissively
tutting away like I was about to steal his
soul!
Next
thing, like the shopkeeper in Mr Ben, his
roadie is by my side saying “no photographs”
in a stern uncompromising way. I explained
my dilemma – that I only wanted a couple of
quick snaps and would be on my way -but was
greeted with more of the same. Then I looked
around the room sarcastically at all the
other phone cameras and Digitals and thought
you must be taking the piss my son. Why
single out me?
Ford
didn’t like the cut of my jib and to be
honest I felt likewise after this lacklustre
but over indulgent night at the Club
Academy. Problem is I loved his last album
‘Truth’ and it even featured in my top ten
albums for 2007. Ford is undoubtedly one of
the finest Bluesmen of his generation but
live he proved himself to be just a little
anal and oversensitive. Hence you might
question why there was only a hundred or so
there. Or maybe that’s a rhetorical
question. Clearly then a bit of free
publicity wouldn’t do any harm, hence my
bafflement at the no photos incident. It’s
2008, we live in a Digital age, and you need
all the help you can get to put bums on
seats these days. Ford might live in a
bubble but times are getting harder here in
the UK. Such self-indulgence frankly pissed
me off big style. Call it sour grapes.
Don’t get me wrong he’s genial enough on
stage. Quiet and unassuming. But he hides
his ego well until he starts slamming the
acoustics of the venue with the bizarre
retort ‘but we all understand that, don’t
we’ as if by way of an excuse in case he
hits, shock horror, his first bum note for
fifteen years. Scary. The crowd loved him of
course, hanging on to his every note. Which
in fairness was brilliantly crafted – and I
mean every note!. Unlike his set which was
awkwardly paced and had no structure or
excitement. Joe Bonamassa was brilliant in
his recent shows bringing Blues to the
masses and screaming into the 21st
Century. Sadly Ford seems happy to rest on
his laurels and reputation and not to give a
real toss about the fans. This was a very
disappointing night that said everything
that is wrong with the Blues genre. Thank
god then for guys like Bonamassa and the
brilliant Jeff Lang.
Bryan Clarke
