Quote:
Originally Posted by Blue Horizon
Hmmm a really interesting thread this one...........anyway here's my take on post Mac Peter Green.
Fast Forward to the early 80's and Peter's first proper comeback gig was at the Golden Lion Pub in Fulham, London. The Place was packed out as you can imagine but alas what a disappointment it turned out to be for all those Punters who came to see PG as they remembered him with FM. The Guy was totally out of it and should never have been on the stage....I felt so sorry for him and came away from the place feeling angry that the people around him at that point in time were using him and his legacy to their advantage and had completely disregarded his mental state and health.
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You can't help but come away with those kinds of feelings if you witnessed it first hand.
I cannot recall how long it was before I had the next opportunity to see 'my guitar hero' but I just had to go with the hope that what I witnessed at the Golden Lion was a One Off....bad day at the office type thing. This Gig was at the Tolworth community centre (South West London/Surrey) and what a transformation! Peter for better not worse (high on something or totally clean?) was on FIRE that night with his guitar chops and vocals well and truely nailed.
There ya go, more of the YMMV I spoke of earlier. Call it the WYSIWYG syndrome.
The Next time I saw PG was with Kolours at (I think) The Astoria Theatre in Victoria London. I wont dwell on the details to much but just to say that it was a repeat of the Golden Lion gig. Peter during one number stepped on his guitar lead and pulled the Jack plug from his guitar and continued to play without realising that nobody could hear anything.....it was so sad to see him totally out of it. Also he did leave the stage soon afterwards during one song leaving the band to conclude the number and the concert. No encores or a return to the stage for any of them that night.
And but again. With the experiences I had, I simply couldn't handle more of the same, and gave up the concert ghost.
Fortunately he made a more steady recovery as the eighties begat the nineties and beyond. Keep yer fingers crossed is all I can say.
Now as far as Danny Kirwan's guitar playing.
I can usually tell the difference between Peter's and Danny's playing but I do recall going to see the Mac one night at a gig in London when they decided to give 'Need Your Love so Bad' an airing....I was coming back from a bathroom break and they were just going into the final guitar break which Peter plays......I re-entered the hall to witness Peter give Danny the nod and Danny just stood there and played note /touch perfect the end guitar solo. Out of all the Mac gigs I went to I never ever saw that happen again. If I had not seen him play that break with my own eyes I would of sworn that it was Peter's playing.
Like a breath of fresh air, from one who saw it with their own eyes and ears. But still, we have the Doubting Thomas's by the score, and others who size up Danny to be little more than a convenient foil for the Green God.