Rats! Sometimes it’s the gigs you don’t go to that you remember as much as the ones you do. This evening, I could so easily have been toddling down to the German Church in the Old Town of Stockholm to attend the opening concert of the Stockholm Early Music Festival. It looked very promising but the 600 SEK price put me off.

Silly me! If I’d gone for it, I could have found myself sitting in the same pew as the King and Queen of Sweden who also had tickets. The Queen is the patron of the festival so it must have been very enjoyable for them to go out gigging together.

And what a perfect opportunity it would have been for me to have a chat with His Maj about his favourite music. He’s a shy chap but I’m sure a mention of Jerry Garcia or Augustus Pablo would have loosened his tongue. His missus loves Purcell, Buxtehude and Bach. But which is his favourite Dick’s Picks Grateful Dead bootleg? And what about dub reggae? How often does Drottningholm Palace sway to the sound of King Tubbys Meets the Rockers Uptown?

What a very lively discussion It » Continue Reading.