Boss GoodmanNews & Reviews
Benefit for Dave “Boss” Goodman
A review by Ann Yonan
I had the pleasure
of attending the benefit for “Boss” Goodman on November 12, 2010, at the
Inn on the Green in Ladbroke Grove, UK.
This event was coordinated by Ian Grant, (Dissenters Gallery)
with the help of Rich Deakin, (Keepin’ It Together).
For those too young
to remember, Dave “Boss” Goodman is the former roadie for the
Deviants/Pink Fairies, who in the old days held these young musicians
together whether they were “together” or not.
A few years ago he suffered a stroke, hence the “benefit.”
The advertisement
for the gig boasted such legends as Mick Farren, Nik Turner, the Pink
Fairies, and the Dirty Strangers, among other heavy-weights such as John
Sinclair, Tim Rundall, Terri Ollis, and Brian James.
I didn’t want to miss the chance of meeting some of these greats,
and seeing Nik Turner again, nor reuniting with my old friend, the
original “Deviant,” Mick Farren (who had moved back to the UK two weeks
prior, after living in L.A. for nearly twenty years), appearing on stage
with the Pink Fairies.
I immediately booked a ticket to London
Apparently, many in
the London underground scene were as excited as I was at the opportunity
of seeing the original Deviants/Pink Fairies together again, playing
with such icons as Nik Turner.
The event was sold out a few hours before the anticipated start.
I arrived at the Inn on the Green with my camera men and
proceeded to set-up.
While the crowd was pouring in, Dave and his bar crew were busy pouring
drinks, Ian and his wife busy poring over the guest list, Rich Deakin
pouring books, CD’s, T-shirts, and other memorable items on the table
for sale, and Russell Hunter and Duncan Sanderson were nervously
rehearsing with other musicians, after a long hiatus.
Who cares, if the Pink Fairies rehearse or not?
They’re the Pink Fairies for heaven’s sake!
You never knew what you were going to get, but you always knew it
would be thrilling. That’s why they’re the Pink Fairies!
After directing my
two cameramen, I decided to go out to the balcony and set-up my next
scene, the Ladbroke Grove that lay down below.
That’s why I was really here; to
document a reunion of all the bands born in Ladbroke Grove,
(Deviants>Pink Fairies and Hawkwind>Motorhead) and to meet some of their
members that would be appearing on the stage tonight.
I’d come from Los Angeles to
revisit the UK underground scene that was about to reunite for a greater
good…a good man…the great “Boss” Goodman, whom for years had “kept them
together” on the road and at home, managing, supervising, chauffeuring,
and even cooking for them, until their music was embedded into history.
I was too jet-lagged
and too excited to notice who all the smokers on the balcony were, but
there he was…one of the original Fairies, Duncan Sanderson - “Sandy.”
I wasn’t even sure that it was him at first, but I inched my way
slowly and asked, “Are you…I’m Ann and you are?”
He said “Hi I’m Sandy.”
Whew! It’s a
good thing I didn’t say “where’s Larry Wallis” because as it turned out,
Wallis didn’t come…which brings me to the point why Sandy and Russell
played with guest musicians, and didn’t bill themselves as the Pink
Fairies, but the Portobello All-Stars. What’s
the big deal? They’re the
Pink Fairies! (with or without Larry and others).
After playing a few songs, and
drawing the audience out of the bar room and into the gig hall, their
tribute band comes on stage:
The Pink FA, is Graze on lead guitar and lead vocals, Blacken on bass
and vocals, Tonal on drums and vocals, Nik Turner on Sax, and Ralph
Beckford (Mr. B) on guitar and vocals, with Terry Ollis on vocals and
Ms, Angel as the dancing fairy.
They played our favorite Fairy songs and did justice to all the
Fairies of the world.
An absolutely divine set!
Tim Rundall was next and proceeded to seduce the audience with a
five-set solo performance.
Now I know why he’s called “slide-man.”
Tim introduced Mick Farren, and
after a couple of songs together, Mick’s vocals and Tim’s slide were
joined by Russell Hunter on drums, and Duncan Sanderson on bass, with
Jacki Windmill doing percussions and Greg McKenna on clarinet and
electronics. It was
the old times again.
Mick was in top form. His
powerful performance could only be attributed to his reunion with the
original members of the Deviants, minus Larry Wallis, which is probably
why he found it necessary to note his friend’s absence.
The crowd reached nirvana towards the end of the Aztec Calendar,
after which Mick asks “Boss” to join him on stage.
“Boss” was the reason we were all here, and he was the reason why
the UK counter-culture had amassed to see their predecessors perform for
them. They’d come from all
over the UK to be part of history in the making and to benefit “Boss.”
Boss was luminous! He
was so elated that he even joined in singing Let’s Loot the Supermarket,
remembering every word.
Just when we thought we couldn’t
get much higher, the Dirty Strangers come on, with a special appearance
by John Sinclair. What
a band! What a poet,
that Sinclair…How lucky can a person get when they can experience two of
the greatest poets, (Mick Farren and John Sinclair) all in one venue?
But lucky we were!
The Dirty Strangers, who have their roots in the Rolling Stones,
were the biggest surprise for me.
I had loved Nik Turner since I was a teenager, going all the way
back to Hawkwind days, and of course, Larry Wallis from the same era,
not to mention Larry’s contemporary, Lemmy Kilmister, who together had
been part of Hawkwind with Nik and later formed the original line-up of
Motorhead, and of course, Mick and the Deviants/Pink Fairies were no
strangers to me, but the Dirty Strangers were!
I was astonished!
They were so delightful we didn’t want to let them go.
The Dirty Strangers are John Proctor on bass, Alan Clayton on
guitar, George Butler on Drums, and Scottie Mulvey on piano.
If you like the Rolling Stones, you’ll love the Dirty Strangers.