That RT certainly knows how to bring back lapsing penitents. I was of the view to sit out the forthcoming tour, in part down to the conflated ticket prices, telling myself I’ve seen him a zillion times, or thereabouts. And the he announces his UK band. Michael Jerome has his own project now, but Taras Unpronounceable remains on bass. Mrs T3, Zara, remains 2nd vocals. So @niallb ‘s would be alter ego, Dave Mattacks is back, and instead of his guitar roadie sidling on and sitting in the shadows for 2nd gutsr, it’s only Zak Hobbs taking that role. He is the son of RTs only non musical child with Linda, and has clearly learnt at the feet of Gramps. I saw him play with his Auntie Kami in her band, The Rails, back in 2016 at Cambridge, and he is a right chip off the old block, giving his Uncle James Walbourne a good run for his money. Now I wanna go!!
(There are loads of sons playing with their Dads in bands these days; is this a first grandson?)
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Baxter Dury’s son Cosmo writes and plays with his Dad so there’s three generations there…
Sorry to hear that Mike Jerome won’t be present. At the last couple of RT band gigs I’ve spent almost as much time watching him as Richard. Zak is great though. I’ve seen him a few times with a collective of north London musicians and a couple of times in guest slots with his grandad’s band.
Here’s a Thompson family snapshot I took at RT’s 70th birthday shindig at the Royal Albert Hall. Zara Philips (dark hair) on backing vocals with Christine Collister, Mike and DM at the back. Zak and son in law James Walbourne in the foreground, youngest son Jack on bass, and Kami, Linda and Teddy Thompson to the right.
Edit – Zak runs online tutorials on how to play Richard Thompson songs in Richard’s style.
I too had decided not to go, like you I’d spend time watching M Jerome so I was tempted when I saw it was DM on drums and now Zak is making me think again. Also Simon Tassano is no longer doing the sound he had a tendency to thing 11 was normal so I may bite the bullet and go.
Not playing Dublin this time around so a moot point for me.
Looking forward to the new album though
With what have they conflated the ticket prices?
The cost of tinnitus treatment.
Eh?
Well, quite.
The Greek will inherit the earth?
I was already looking forward excitedly to the Albert Hall show. Now I’m wondering whether to go to more dates on the tour. RT is always worth seeing for me.
Bugger I’ll be away when he does Cambridge. Back for the RAH but it’s a dog to get to and more often than not the sound is awful. Dilemma. *Drums fingers*
Just bagged the same front row seat as when I saw the last band tour. (The advantage of Billy NoMates, aka wife hates gigs.)
If Simon Tassano has finally gone (totally deaf), I might be interested.
I’ve walked out of more than one RT gig at the Cambridge Corn Exchange.
Saw RT at Cambridge Folk Festival when tassano did the sound, bumped into a friend on the way out, we both commented how LOUD it was.
Yes he’s gone.
Retired, or so I’ve heard. I have memories of a Thommo gig at the Royal Festival Hall which was almost painfully loud. I like to think some people attended because they hadn’t been keeping up and thought a sexegenarian ex-Fairporter guaranteed an evening of mellow folkiness. Those people are probably still wandering the south bank with glazed expression and whistling ears, taking shelter in the skate park when the wind howls down the Thames.
When I saw him there a few years ago the sound was good but it was quite loud. The main annoyance was the number of people who appeared to think they are in the pub, though. Constantly edging along the row, coming back with armfuls of dripping pints, going back to pay a visit and buy more…
Jesus, do you even get that at Richard Thompson? Where do you have to go to get away from these pricks?