Putney’s Half Moon was heaving on St Patrick’s night with
great music, familiar faces, and five of the biggest ‘stars’ loosely associated
with London’s old pub rock scene. It was all in aid of former Grease Band and
Wings guitarist Henry McCullough, who in 2012 suffered a massive heart attack
and now finds himself in reduced circumstances and wheelchair-bound.
The charitable evening was proposed and skilfully organised
by Dave Robinson, of Stiff Records fame, who has known Henry since the 1960s
when Dave managed Irish band, Eire Apparent.
The evening’s music commenced with a funky set by London’s
world-class musicians, Tim Hinkley (keyboards/vocals), Mel Collins (sax), Neil
Hubbard (guitar), John Halsey (drums), Bob Tench (guitar/vocals), Steve Simpson
(guitar/vocals), and Kuma Harada (bass). The Band’s ‘The Shape I’m In’ and
McCullough’s ‘Gone With Another’ were stand-outs. Kokomo’s Tony O’Malley made a
guest appearance for Bill Withers’ ‘Use Me’, and the band was then on hand to
furnish versatile accompaniment for some of the name singers that followed.
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| The auction lots, pic courtesy of Justin Tunstall |
In between sets there was an auction, in which many items of rock
memorabilia went for eye-watering receipts, largely down to the style and skill
of auctioneer, Nick Stewart. These included a platinum disc for ‘Dark Side of
the Moon’ (awarded to McCullough); a set of Beatles LPs (signed by Paul
McCartney, whose virtual presence was duly noted), and some fine cheddar
cheeses, 45-disk shaped, with appropriate ‘record labels’, courtesy of the Town Mill Cheesemonger. The ‘So It Goes’ /
‘Heart of the City’ cheese went for £600.
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| Nick tunes, Dave and Nick Stewart auction, pic courtesy of Justin Tunstall |
First-up, post auction, was Nick Lowe, who received a hero’s
welcome from the capacity crowd and delivered a chilling version of
McCullough’s ‘Failed Christian’. Nick was soon joined by Andy Fairweather Low and
Paul Carrack for an acoustic and harmony strum along on some old classics,
including Ray Charles’ ‘Crying Time’, Bobby Darin’s ‘Things’, and Johnny Cash’s
‘I Don’t Hurt Anymore’.
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| Andy, Paul, Nick, pic courtesy of Justin Tunstall |
See a video of Lowe - Carrack - Fairweather Low in action here (courtesy of Claire Robinson)
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| Fairweather Low, Carrack, Lowe, pic courtesy of Pia Meijer |
It was then left to Carrack to rouse the audience with his
evergreen ‘How Long’, which no doubt reminded Paul of a football crowd
sing-along on the Sheffield Wednesday terraces.
Graham Parker was up next for storming performances of ‘Local Girls’ and ‘Soul Shoes’. Close your eyes and it could have been The Rumour, so sympathetic was the band.
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| Graham Parker, pic courtesy of Vernon Wallis |
The evening finished with Suggs, who was charm personified,
delivering his Madness hits, ‘It Must Be Love’ and ‘Madness’.
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| Suggs, pic courtesy of Claire Robinson |
Should you wish to make a donation to the Henry McCullough
cause, a Facebook page has been set up here
To round off a great evening with lots of rocking music and old
friends, I made the trip back into town on the tube with GP, who agreed it was
a classic night for sure. Let’s hope it raised plenty of dosh for Henry.
