Quote
SonicDreamer
That is the last time I pay attention to, "Thou shalt not bring cameras and take photographs," at a show. One could have got a Hasselblad in there!!! FUMEEEEEEEEEE.

Really, really fun show. The whole experience was enhanced by Chuck being in a rip-roaring mood, playful and entertaining. My appraisal of the musical part of the show is somewhat tarnished by seeing him "kill 'em all," at the Edinburgh Playhouse in the 1980s. On Sunday, when his riffs and playing connected though, mannnnnnnnn it was a joy to behold. The best part of the show was the amount of jamming they did, rather than play a stream of the hits. It made the whole deal incredibly special.

His son needs to lighten up though and Chuck needs to dip into his mattress for some new stage apparel.

SD

<<< That is the last time I pay attention to, "Thou shalt not bring cameras and take photographs," at a show. One could have got a Hasselblad in there !!! >>>

David, perhaps you COULD have got a Hasselblad in to the venue, but you'd have been ill advised to use it I reckon. Those pics I took from 2-3 feet away, I wouldn't have DARED get my camera out until that last number, by which time I figured that it wasn't going to be too likely that the powers that be were going to come down on me like a ton of bricks. My cue for starting to take pictures was Reelin' and Rockin', when Beast and BarRoomQueen (among others) got up on stage, and I made a point of taking a few of them in between sneaking in a few of Chuck and his son and the drummer. Even then, one of his minders did actually signal me to turn the flash off, which I have to say I did not do ... fortunately there were no repercussions. But honestly, I don't think it would've been wise to have gotten the camera out before that last number, I suspect they would have made an issue out of it had I done it much before then.

Thanks, Stargroves! Can't argue with that review.

Another review:

[music.guardian.co.uk]

Chuck Berry/Nine Below Zero
4 stars 100 Club, London

Ian Gittins
Tuesday March 25, 2008
Guardian

Having formed in the postpunk years, Nine Below Zero have spent three decades playing a sturdy, robust, very British strain of blues from an era when R&B meant Alexis Korner and Dr Feelgood rather than Beyoncé or Rihanna. They are also highly unlikely ever to have existed without the pioneering musical efforts of tonight's legendarily idiosyncratic headliner.

Chuck Berry's influence on rock'n'roll has been acknowledged by everybody from Keith Richards and John Lennon to Brian Wilson, but tonight, the 81-year-old icon has more basic matters on his mind. "It's gonna get warm in here tonight," he cautions, surveying the compact 100 Club's low ceiling and packed clientele. "But let me tell you, I'm gonna rock you!"

Berry was once notorious for playing take-the-money-and-run live shows with hapless local bands he would hire on the day, but thankfully he has mended his ways. Leading a slick group of bluesmen including his son, Chuck Berry Jr, on second guitar, the smirking figure in a US Navy cap and sequinned turquoise blouse gives what amounts to a one-hour crash course in rock'n'roll history.

He is, understandably, a largely static performer nowadays, but Berry remains spectacularly dextrous, firing out the serrated Roll Over Beethoven and 1955 debut single Maybelline as if he wrote them yesterday. The nimble, shifting blues rhythms of You Never Can Tell collapse into themselves, but Berry has his defence prepared: "Look, I'm 81 years old, and you can't top that!"

Responding to audience entreaties, he even revisits his lewd nursery rhyme 1972 No 1 My Ding-a-Ling, punctuating its Carry On-style innuendo with lascivious, throaty chuckles. His days of doing the Duckwalk may be well behind him, but Chuck Berry remains a compelling, bona fide, rock'n'roll original.

· At Camp Bestival, Lulworth Castle, Dorset on July 18. Box office: 0844 888 4410.

Nice reading, thanks ever so for that.

as soon as you well informed guys and gals hear about Hackney ticket sales,
could you post it here? many thanks.

Quote
Adrian-L
as soon as you well informed guys and gals hear about Hackney ticket sales,
could you post it here? many thanks.

You betcha !! Beast ... pay attention now. This is on your doorstep, so finger most firmly on pulse please !!

Quote
paulywaul
You betcha !! Beast ... pay attention now. This is on your doorstep, so finger most firmly on pulse please !!

thank you

Hi Pauly and Beast,

was great meeting you again.

Here's a short video.





And a souvenir we got.



See you soon.

Camera advice...shoot like hell during the last song, have 2 memory cards/sticks. Shoot one off quick and then remove it from camera and hand it to a friend. Reload and shoot off the second card/stick. Do this just in case you get nabbed during the end and they ask for the memory stick/card or demand you erase it in front of the person demanding you to do so. At least you will have a back up. Shoot for speed, not composition. Be fast and if you bring someone with you have them be your lookout.

Hiya Roadster,

Thanks for that clip there, brings it all back. Maaan I wish he'd have played for 2 hours. Yep, see ya soon.

PS: Yeah, I remember you showing me that pick. I'm VERY jealous !!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008-03-25 19:48 by paulywaul.

Thanks for posting that, Roadster - terrific stuff! And a very coooool souvenir, you lucky man! And great to see you both again - may it not be another five years before the next time....

Quote
paulywaul

Quote
Adrian-L
as soon as you well informed guys and gals hear about Hackney ticket sales,
could you post it here? many thanks.

You betcha !! Beast ... pay attention now. This is on your doorstep, so finger most firmly on pulse please !!

I'm paying attention - this week. Thereafter it'll be just a tad difficult to keep my finger on that pulse from 1000s of miles away :-) So you guys will just have to put your fingers in that dial from time to time. Which I did this afternoon and the word is - NO word on when tickets may be on sale :-( Chuck is "pencilled in" but they are awaiting confirmation.

Quote
Beast

Quote
paulywaul

Quote
Adrian-L
as soon as you well informed guys and gals hear about Hackney ticket sales,
could you post it here? many thanks.

You betcha !! Beast ... pay attention now. This is on your doorstep, so finger most firmly on pulse please !!

I'm paying attention - this week. Thereafter it'll be just a tad difficult to keep my finger on that pulse from 1000s of miles away :-) So you guys will just have to put your fingers in that dial from time to time. Which I did this afternoon and the word is - NO word on when tickets may be on sale :-( Chuck is "pencilled in" but they are awaiting confirmation.

Yeah don't worry, we'll keep our fingers on the pulse whilst you're outa circulation, albeit that we might wind you up by sending you text messages saying things like "Hey sugar, WE'VE just bought tix for Chucky Wucky at the Hackney Empire, but we didn't get YOU one cos' we didn't think you like him" ...

Anyway, wots the number you dial ?

Thank you.
We don't think it'll will last that long again. We're pretty often in London. Next time in May for the three Weller shows at Hammy and then in September "going on the road with the Stray Cats".

So we'll see...

Cheers



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008-03-25 22:37 by Roadster32.

SonicDreamer, and all that were at the 100 Club show...

I must apologise for the intense expression on my face during the show. I've been playing music with my father for several years now. The look on my face is not because I'm mad, pissed or trying to be a @#$%&. I'm just trying to not goof up or be a distraction from the person everyone really wants to see, my father!

The 100 Club show was a personal highlight for me. To know some of my hero's have played that small stage was awe inspiring. Many of the people that have played their are personal friends of the family and it was a pleasure to take that stage and back my father. Man, it may have looked like I needed to clear my intestines but let me tell you, I had SUPER FUN at that show. By far, it was the LOUDEST show I can ever remember doing.

The real treat happened before the show. We try and get a sound check in just to make sure everything is ready. This time and one other during the tour, my father actually sat in on the sound check! We played roughly 45 minutes. It was incredible! I have a couple of photos of that on myspace.com/sonofrocknroll. Its a memory I will never forget.

I did not get to see Nine Below Zero but I did get to meet Ben Waters the night before. He's an excellent keyboard player! Ben was playing the show with Chris Jagger (another new friend). From what I'd seen the night before, I know NBZ had to have been fantastic.

Thanks to everyone that came to the show that night. Everyone and I mean everyone was very kind and crazy Rock n Rollers just like we like them.

I'll do my best to "lighten up". Thanks for the heads up.

Charles E. Berry Jr.
myspace.com/sonofrocknroll

My fathers information
ChuckBerry.com
ChuckBerry.com/forum
myspace.com/officialchuckberryfanclub

CBII,

Thanks for posting on here. Can I take this opportunity to ask you/your Dad something ? There "was" a vicious rumour circulating this fair town of ours here that you were going to play a delighthful (recently renovated at huge expense) venue in London called the Hackney Empire, on 19th & 20th July. Apparently the promoter got their wrist severely slapped by the Chuck Berry organisation for advertising tickets for sale before things were contractually tied up, ticket sales were postponed and people were advised to phone the venue and check in periodically for updates. I spoke with them just yesterday and was pretty much emphatically told that those shows are off, you won't be performing there on those dates. Shame, because it was a once in a lifetime treat to see you/your Dad from 3 feet away at the 100 Club, and I was really really hoping (as were plenty of others) to have an opportunity of doing so again in London, albeit in a significantly larger - but no less wonderful - venue. And if I MAY be so cheeky as to ask, why did it fall through ? (You don't have to answer that if you do not wish to).

Anyway, thanks for that 100 Club gig, you made a couple of hundred people deliriously happy that Easter Sunday.

Respectfully

Paul (lifetime Chuck Berry fan)

CBII,
I saw your sister in Antwerp and it was fantastic. Any chance she will be touring with her own (blues) band in the near future in Europe?

thanks for posting -
please come back to the UK soon

Opssss, now did I put my Centaurian mouth in it or what, poor guy was just trying to be conscientious and I chastised him, blushhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Just as well CBII was forgiving.

SD

Pauwaul,

That's news to me. I got to meet the promoter of those shows (a cool guy). No one in my dads organization told me anything about any shows planned here in the USA or anywhere else being taken off the table. Who exactly told you the shows were cancelled, the venue or the promoter?

Charles...

CBII,

thank you very much for the pick.

A great souvenir.

Harm,

I can only hope I get to be in the Blues Band if she starts another one. My big sister has been in several bands. One was Capitan Jack (her band) and Chuck and Ingrids Blues Band (Chuck being her husband Henry Charles "Chuckie" Clay). They both were excellent bands.

Ingrid is a fantastic muscian and entertainer (yes, I'm bragging about my sister). She has a captivating aura and is a real crowd pleaser. She is a true entertainer. Unfortunately for me I have neither much talent or personality!

I have suggested to her to start a band and record some of her own original material. I think like you, she could go a long way.

Charles...

SonicDreamer,

No foot in mouth on your part. That comment has been made about me before. I thought I'd gotten better at it. OOPS! I guess I need to work on that more. I am so glad everyone that came enjoyed themselves. That's the whole idea.

Charles...

Roadster32,

The pleasure is all mine. I had those picks made for my father about 6 years ago. In fact, there are two different backs to the picks. One says "Roll Over" and the other "King Bee Social Club". I'll bring some of both for the Hackney Empire and Camp Bestival shows in July.

Charles...

My wife got the "King Bee Social Club".

Thanks again.

Long live R'n'R and your father.

Cheers
Birgit and Hermann

>> That's the whole idea. <<

smile: ~*YEAH!*~ that's what it's for all right.
great to see your typeface, CBII - swing on, you are sounding most well if i may say so

with sssoul,

Thank you for your kind words.

Charles...

Quote
CBII
Pauwaul,

That's news to me. I got to meet the promoter of those shows (a cool guy). No one in my dads organization told me anything about any shows planned here in the USA or anywhere else being taken off the table. Who exactly told you the shows were cancelled, the venue or the promoter?

Charles...

Hi Charles,

It was the venue, probably 2 days ago now (say 3rd April). To be more precise, the box office at the venue. They confirmed that you HAD been scheduled to play on 19th/20th July, but that for some unspecified reason those shows were now no longer taking place. I explained that this (see link below) had been up on the net for a while:

[aficionadotickets.com]

and they in turn said "o, that was premature, the contract wasn't as yet signed so they should not be on sale yet, that's why we suggested people call in to the Hackney Empire itself periodically to check on the status of those shows".

As I say, I phoned the number below a couple of days ago to do exactly that ...

291 Mare Street, London E8 1EJ
Box Office: +44 (0)20 8985 2424
Email: info@hackneyempire.co.uk

... and the voice on the other end of the line in the box office emphatically told me that as far as he was aware, those shows would not take place.

YOU'RE confused ? That makes two of us !!

Now if you can you can do all of us a huge huge huge favour and actually make these shows happen ... well it would be cartwheels and handstands and stage invasions and joy and celebration and good vibes all round !!

Kind regards

Paul



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008-04-05 11:24 by paulywaul.

Man, that sucks! I'll have to do some digging and find out whats going on. Like you guys, I'm in many cases completely in the dark util I'm told...

"We leave for X in a couple of days"

I pack my bag, pick up my Guitar, put it in my road case, hope my playing will be better than the last time and get on the plane.

I hope these get back on the schedule. If the 100club show was any indication, I can't wait to do another show in London. The people were great!

CBII

Hi I CBll and Paul
Any news on this show? I have booked tickets for this show through the promoter and my credit card has been charged for them! I am currently trying to contact the promoter to see what is happening; would love it if the show was to go ahead! Would be great it you can help make it happen.
Best wishes Peter