Les Morts Dansants

Another fallen star, we are at the age of life where people move from this mortal coil, people outside of our family circle, people from our friends, and yes even some musicians are friends,

Tony Clarkin passed the day I posted the last blog, if I hadn’t spent time typing the previous blog up this would have gone in its place, I’m not going to claim to know him, because I didn’t, I met him about four times, I think I said hello twice and then moved on, the wife however was a friend and followed the band for a number of years, it was Mr. Clarkin who gave her his  and his wife’s back stage passes for Donnington to her and her friend, how do I know this, because I have seen the pictures and yes Kirk Hammett looks all of about 17, the wife and her friend were close to the band, hell they even took baby clothes to Bob Catley upon the birth of one of his children, this was all before I had met the wife.

Having said that, we travelled in the same circles, because I saw Magnum about a dozen times between 1978  and 1988 they were the perennial support band, along with Budgie ( I saw Budgie just a few times more) the first time I saw them was supporting Blue Oyster Cult, I always liked to see the support bands, yes I was young and naïve, I enjoyed them but I thought they were ancient Clarkin was 32 I was 13, I didn’t think I would see them again, oh how wrong I was.

A number of friends and acquaintances liked them and we would travel to see them if we could, I saw them in Blackpool (in 1980) where we didn’t think we would get back home as we coasted into Durham on fumes, at the city hall supporting the Tygers of Pan Tang I did get to see them make the transition to bigger halls and become ever more polished, and I can honestly say I never saw a bad gig, but life gets in the way and other bands took over so I didn’t see them again until nearly 20 years later when SMOR (keep up boys and girls) got us in on the guest list to see them, and it was like being a 13 year old again, we saw them a few more times after that and we were actually thinking of going to see them on this tour, before the sad announcement of Tony Clarkin’s passing, a man who steered the band through nearly 50 years of albums and touring, a great songwriter and an inspiration to a lot of bands, but like taxes, death is the only other thing guaranteed.

A short one for sure, but I felt the need to comment, the name game is in play, but come on boys and girls its really not that hard, a couple of blogs on the boil including some musical blogs are on there way including a new Now Hear This Blog, don’t say that you haven’t been warned! So until then stay alive and stay safe…………Toodles!