Another old bloke, and also another one from Noo Awlins and who also just roils around the piano scales. Playing at the Trinity was the perfect venue – well, in Bristol anyway – for the great Dr John, the Night Tripper (aka on occasion as Mac Rebennack). Bringing his gris gris (I hope you’re getting all these references – it’s not easy fitting them in) and going through his back catalogue and also picking up the occasional track by Professor Longhair (what is it with people from New Orleans and their names?) he performed an object lesson (or is it masterclass?) in how to look effortless whilst leaving everyone else in the dust some way behind. Highlights included Walk on Gilded Splinters – although not quite as weird and eerie as when he played it recently (a couple of years back?) at the Colston Hall (I think – see how weird it must have been?).
Only slightly spoilt by some strange people who insisted on standing near the front so that they could shout louder at each other. This was duly dealt with when a very large man who asked them to be quiet (politely as far as I could tell but also fairly pointedly) and then adopted a decidedly heavy bouncer stance to one side. Let’s hear it for big blokes doing the decent thing. Yay!
Anyway, the good Doctor was as nimble as pie on the keyboard, his lethargic wanderings off-stage, around the piano and elsewhere not necessarily down to his age (he must have been performing for well over 40 years now – though with the occasional rest between shows) as he was never exactly athletic, Bless.
So go and see him. He’ll be around again. He’s not as regular as Robyn Hitchcock but he turns up now and then. Or, if you can, take a trip to the Crescent City (that’s New Orleans which of course I just underestimated your knowledge of) and se him there. He – and there – is fantastic.
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