Joe Brown

[Tone]

Hi All

A group of us from the Berks Shads Club went to see Joe in concert in Henley on Thames last night and what a great show it was!

Even though Joe was suffering from a cold (hence, in his words, " a catarrh solo") he was his usual chirpy self and treated us to a two hour set of songs ranging from Bluegrass through Bob Dylan to rock, not forgetting his own hits. One of the highlights for me was when he duetted with his son on "Duelling Banjos" with Joe playing banjo and his son playing the guitar part.

There were loads of electric and acoustic guitars on stage (although no Strats) and, in Hank vein, Joe remarked on them saying "We thought you'd like to see them because you paid for them!"

Joe and his band which, as I said, included his son and also his daughter, were out and out professional. Magic!

Cheers and a Merry Christmas to one and all.

Tony

[tony parnham]

Hi Tony,
I went to see Joe Brown about 5yrs ago and I thoroughly enjoyed his show and not only that he treated us to all his hits unlike a few other 60's artists. He was funny and had some great stories to tell. This guy was a great lead player. I did some research on him afterwards and he's met a lot of artists. He lived next door or a door or two away from George Harrison and they used to be round at each others as you do. For instance in the early days I used to wonder how the Everly's got those fast rhytham sections in the old tunes, well, I found out from Joe on a TV program, Phil Everly used to stop at his house when on tour and apparantly the Everleys used to use open tunings even in those days for the recordings. Although boring as hell to some people, I'm fascinated by them.
Happy Xmas and thanks for the great card, its better then one that comes in the post and does'nt do much.
Many regards Tony

[neil2726]

I go to see Joe every year while he's on tour and its always a fantastic show. Nice to see he still has a great band , even though two of his long term band members sadly died in the last 12 months.

[Mikey]

I too saw Joe in Bristol earlier this year where he and Pete did Duelling Banjos. He also did jokes I'd heard him do before but who cares, it was a great night. His tour with Marty Wilde back in 2007 (?) was excellent - two more underrrated pioneers of early British rock and roll.
Wasn't it Joe who gave (sold?) his echo unit to a certain Mr Marvin because he couldn't get on with it? The rest, as they say, is history!

[Tim]

I always try and get to see Joe Brown every year if I can. He varies the programme every time (apart from the jokes!) and is so enthusisatic and talented. Always a great evening. He is one of the most underrated musicians around. Has inspired me to try other instruments - mandolin, ukulele, banjo. I have just bought the Joe Brown signature soprano ukulele - really good. Hope he goes on for a long time to come.
Tim

[Dave Dixon]

Always a great evening.

Agreed. We try to see Joe at least once every year and have never been disappointed. Fantastic musician, plenty of variety in the shows - a thoroughly enjoyable time to be had by all in the audience. Sad that Neil and Rico are no longer there but he still has a great band (Sam and Pete aren't there solely because of the family conection).

Anyone who hasn't seen Joe live is missing a treat. If you can't get to a concert, try to get hold of one of his DVDs

[kev mey]

Joe is a superb entertainer, in the truest sense of the word and he never disappoints. I too go and see him once or twice a year,his enthusiasm and stamina (he's always on the road), amazes me.
Another sixties guy I admire enormously is Paul Jones. If he plays in your town or close to, I recommend him in any of his guises, Manfreds or Blues Band. He's a true professional, amazing singer and harmonica player and a thoroughly good guy.

Happy Christmas folks,

Kev Mey

[d jones]

Hi all taken David Dixon's advise and just watched the DVD An audience with Joe Brown,it's superb and just goes to shows what an excellent showman he really is!
PS can't wait to see him live in a couple of weeks.
Dave