You're only as good as your back-catalogue

January 2nd – Chick Churchill was born today, he of ‘Ten Years After’ (TYA) keyboards fame. I’m trying to remember when it was I saw them… sometime in ‘70’ or ‘71’, post their Woodstock gig and the rendition of ‘I’m Going Home’ that made them mega rock stars. They were headlining at Birmingham Town Hall (can’t remember who else was on the bill) and if EVER there was a warning shot across the bows of just what constant touring and set repetition does to your rock soul then this was it; four blokes of immense talent going through the motions and who really couldn’t give a stump. It’s what happens when ‘fans’ won’t let their rock heroes grow, either musically or spiritually; see it all the time in many bands; the cries of, “Never mind the new stuff, do your last hit!” or “Do that one, the one we all know and have paid money to come and hear, not this new shit!” echoing across the park or hall. It’s very demoralizing for the performer but it’s what the fans want from them and they evoke our wrath if they ignore it; Catch 22 right there. Think TYA were burnt out as a band and broke up in ‘73’ or ‘74’. Sad really but then, that’s agents, managers and tour bookers for you (see yesterday’s entry) oh, and intransigent fans…