Friday 1 May 2020


On this day, 50 years ago, by virtue of one half of a ticket stub I can tell you exactly where I was that evening. (see pic). I was sitting in the Upper Stalls at the Fairfield Halls in Croydon enjoying John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers, for the princely sum of 15/- (75p in today's money).
The father of British Blues John Mayall is now 86 years old, still performing and in 2003 celebrated his 70th birthday with a special concert. Earlier this year I picked up, in a charity shop, a CD of that night, for a similar ridiculous sum of money.* It's a double CD too and full of incredible music and guest artists from down the years of Bluesbreakers: Eric Clapton, Chris Barber and Mick Taylor.
I could therefore select any number of tracks from this concert (most of which are available on YouTube) and had already earmarked 'Blues for the Lost Days' before it became appropriate for this time. 
So pull up a front seat for a near 12 minute treat, with solos from (in order): Tom Canning organ, Buddy Whittington guitar & finally Mick Taylor playing guitar, in his usual understated way.

* CD actually cost me £2. A single LP back in 1970 would have cost more than that ! 



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