'Wilko Johnson, the guitarist for Dr Feelgood and a formative influence on the British punk movement, has died aged 75.' Pleased to say I saw him play a few times, met him, liked him.
It has made me wonder about things. You, like myself, probably remember him as a musician and a character ... ... those people currently popular don't seem to have musicians behind them. And I don't see many characters either, all just much of a muchness.
Not many guitar players can own the stage but he could ! Unique style, the intensity was spellbinding. RIP Wilko
I saw Dr Feelgood a few times in the 80's I remember being totally memorized by his synchronised pacing around the small stage at the Half Moon in Putney. Absolute legend. RIP
I've just had a look at the current top 20 singles chart, and what a bloody depressing sight it is. Full of dull, soulless, instantly forgettable ****e, each one indistinguishable from the next, by mostly talentless people who will be forgotten about this time next year. Nowadays, the real musicians are surplus to requirements really.....not part of a "band" as such, no input into the music, just there to back a singer, and I use the word singer very loosely. I don't want to hear about some dreary fat lasses latest break up, or some minor chord, breathy, cover version. Musicians, like Wilko, helped define an era, an era where the music was king. It was all about the band, the music. This is why, to me, with the passing of these musicians...Garry Roberts from The Boomtown Rats a couple of weeks ago also springs to mind....a bit of the real, creative side of music died along with it. Sadly, I can't see it returning any time soon.
Sky Arts changed their schedule tonight, and put on Oil City Confidential as a tribute. Brilliant stuff.
Wonderful tribute from Dennis Greaves NBZ on their website and will be incorporating a tribute to Wilko on the latest tour which l will see them on Jan 27th MK. Met Wilko with Norman Watt Roy some years ago and that has been a lasting memory. If you haven't watched Oil City Confidenial, give it a go all about Dr Feelgood. Wilko was big into Astronomy as well as a fantastic musician RiP.
