Well, it’s a week since the last show, and my feet still haven’t touched the ground. After 14 shows and 23 days spent mostly travelling and sight-seeing, I’m shattered: my health is wrecked (I god a bad gold id by dose, anyway); my brain is addled; and my husband’s response is: “and you are?”… How the Jukes do it and play night after night so immaculately, I simply do not know.
So the first thing I have to say in conclusion is a big thank you once again to Southside, Chris, Joe B, Ricky, Bobby L, Ed, Neal, Muddy, and Joey; Hood, Sean and Joe P; the Druids; Tony and Paul; and Bill and Graham for coming all that way, spending so long away so far from home, putting up with the weather, bad roads, uncomfortable hotels, funny food and even funnier accents all around them, and still coming on stage every night with such a whole-hearted, giving-it-all attitude, never once taking it easy or going through the motions, but playing (or helping) their big, big hearts out every single night. And for being so kind, friendly and gracious whenever we met them; despite my clumsy, tongue-tied and no doubt tedious expression of the sentiment, I hope they know we truly do appreciate it.
I cannot think of another band who would put themselves out that way to give audiences that size a good time and give us something different and surprising at every show. And it was fascinating to see how the new Jukes progressively gelled more and more into the mix so that by the end of the tour it felt like this incarnation of the Jukes could stand with that of any other vintage. From the start, it was lovely to see Bobby L’s wide-eyed enthusiasm (and to hear his outstanding keyboard skills); to get Ricky’s distinctive tone and his cool, benign, always smiling response to the moments of mayhem (and by the end he was really reminding me of Beano-era Clapton, which is quite something for an 80s rocker); and to experience that extra ooomph that Neal’s trombone undoubtedly added to the horn parts – and his very enjoyable solos. While I would never not want Jeff and BB back if they ever get tired of the big time, my wish-upon-a-star, if I ever see another one now the Jukes have gone, would be that sometime in the near future we’ll see another big band Jukes, with two trombones, two sets of keys and two guitar players. Wouldn’t THAT be great?
But this is not, please believe me, to underappreciate the stalwarts of Jukedom, who all seemed to be playing absolutely out of their skins. Joe is such a great drummer, especially for the Jukes, who need something more than your straight-ahead rock drummer and always get it. Muddy is just wonderful: he has always seemed to have a knowledge beyond his years and now he just seems to know everything, and he always sounds so beautiful, even on a substitute instrument – and of course, he acted like a true hero in carrying on in such a good spirit after being robbed of his most loved bass. I am full of gratitude and admiration.
And, as I believe I may have said before: oh! those horns! Eddie’s gorgeous, velvet sound, Joey’s searing lift-offs, Chris’s creativity (and choreography) and all the references, from jazz to the most primitive rock ‘n’ roll to Tin Pan Alley to Latin sophistication, that they bring in. What a band, my friends, what a band!
And as for the lead singer, words fail me, which is only fair, as they’re too busy doing whatever he wants them to do. It was so great to get a whole tour when The Voice never seemed to have an off-night (whatever the temper was having) – every night he made the ballads tell and the rockers blast; and the wit, the stories, the improvised new words, the phrasing surprises, the the new arrangements figured out in the middle of the songs, the contortions, the interference with other people’s instruments, the audience participation… well, I ask you, who else? Who else does that?
And I must make one more mention of the sound guys – step forward Hood, Reggae Sean and Joe Da Prince – who not only did a fantastic job getting the Jukes sounding great in all kinds of awkward rooms, but could be seen dancing, cheering, grinning and generally demonstrating their enjoyment at every show, which greatly added to our own.
While I’m thanking people – so, ok, I go on longer than your average Oscar-winner, but bear with me, all these people truly deserve it – I must once more offer my hearfelt gratitude to all the people who travelled with me and whom I met along the way and who all helped make the journey so joyful. First: Doug, Deborah, Jenny, Marjan, Brian and Mickey B, Steve UK, Evelien, Karin, Maurice, Carina and Maurice who put up most generously and cheerfully with me as host, guest or travelling companion; Reiner, Klaus and Maggie for all the organisation of the unforgettable Osnabrück bash and enabling me to be there; and the friendly faces who greeted me at every show: Dave, Mike, Glasgow John, Liz (thanks for the party!), Bradford John, Jackie and friends, Andy and sister, Mick and Norma, Pauline, Eileen, Ashley, Shaggy, Peter Owen, Mac, Murray, Chris and Paul, Watford John and Cecilia, Miss October, Natalie and Kirsten, Steve LI, Rene, Marc, Joos, Ulla, Ian, Wolfman, Julian and partner… and anyone else whose name I didn’t get or lost along the way. Thank you all; it was a great time; and next year… I reckon I’d better stay home and just tell all you guys where to meet up ‘cos co-ordinating myself and all that lot may well be beyond me!
FINAL RANDOM STATISTICS:
Shows: 14 (+ one by Micky Kemp)
Songs heard: 125* – of which:
Jukes repertoire: 55
Spontaneous covers: 68
Made up on spot: 2 (excludes RB’s verses of WTH and Santa Lee & Rudolph)
Songs heard only once: 62
*(not bad for a band whose newer members are only supposed to know 45 songs, huh?)
Trains: 20 – of which
Trains on time: 9
Planes: 3
Motorways: 8
Museums visited: 8
Castles seen: 6
Palaces seen: 2
CDs bought: 6
Books bought: 3
Lowest temperature: -5C (Glasgow)
Wettest day: Bristol
Most disturbed night: Wolverhampton (hotel fire alarm)
Longest day: Osnabrück (5.30am Sat – 6.30 am Sun)
Injuries sustained: bruised knee, bashed nose, head cold, permanent loss of dignity
Recovery time: I’ll let you know. Probably till I see the Jukes again.
Till then:
THE END
