Sinister: college, gigs, and Willie Rushton

[Johnston, John CT]

Adam Robinson wrote about seeing "Guys and Dolls" at the National
Theatre and I'd like to second that emotion. I went with my mum and dad;
and dad, who is 79 said it was the greatest thing he'd ever seen. There
was so much joy and ecstasy in being  alive in that show that it
couldn't but move you. I know mankind is capable of many horrors and all
that stuff but it's times like that remind you what we can also be; our
capacity for beauty and laughter and just how great life can be.

Shows like that also turn me green with envy because I want to be a part
of it. Although I love music and seeing bands I've never really wanted
to be in a band. But I have always fancied being an
actor/comedian/all-round-entertainer (My friend always advised me to try
and promote myself as "the new Willie Rushton" as there was clearly a
dearth of New Willie Rushtons on the comedy circuit  - now of course
Willie is dead and there's no one there to fill his place - oooh I'm
kicking myself!).

I've been to concerts that I've really enjoyed and were memorable
perhaps because they were an event or there was a big name. But I
suppose what unites the really great gigs and shows I've seen is the
fact that the band/performers weren't trying to be cool they are just
trying to be fun or be themselves. And by so doing in my eyes they
become wildly cool. Shakespeare said "There's nothing so becomes a man
as modest stillness and humility." and I've always subscribed to that
point of view. That's one of the things I love about B&S and it's what
made perhaps the greatest gig I've ever seen so special. This was the
Bhundu Boys at the Potterow in Edinburgh 1989. I'd never seen them
before or really heard their music but I knew the name. From the very
first strum of the guitar the entire room was dancing, bouncing up and
down all night as the sweat started to rain down off the ceiling. The
band themselves were so charming - so bloody polite in their thanks for
our appreciation it was incredible. Their keyboard player had gone back
to Zimbabwe the day before as his wife had died and they dedicated the
performace to him with genuine condolence.

Thank you for your time
john
xxxx


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