MAX MIDDLETON

Mick walked onto the stage rather casually, hardly greeting the audience, and started tuning his guitar and checking the sound with the other band members. Nobody took the trouble to announce that Snowy White (guitar) and Max Middleton (keyboards) had been replaced. Mick did introduce the band later, but I must say that his mumbling did not allow me to catch the names of the replacements. Quite some people had come to see Snowy and I myself was quite interested in hearing Middleton, because I like his piano playing on Jeff Beck's earlier LPs and also because Mick once said he was preparing studio sessions with Max. The tuning and sound checking took a while and Mick's attitude seemed to reflect indifference (maybe it is just British flegma!).

The first few bars, however, buried these mixed feelings. He did long versions of You Gotta Move, I Wonder Why, You Shook Me, Going South and Blind Willie McTell - then quit the stage as casually as he had entered it. The audience had shown its appreciation throughout the show, so Mick had to do an encore and played a purely instrumental version of Can't You Hear Me Knocking. With each song lasting approximately ten minutes, the band played for over an hour. Announcements were kept to a strict minimum, the band introduction was quite short and there was no room for comments or the typical concert bla bla (good evening Belgium, is everybody happy, etc). In fact, the concert sounded like one long blues instrumental with plenty of time for improvisation and elaboration and little or no stress on the singing. Quie rightly so, since Mick's guitar playing was just superb; in fact he treated us to some of the best guitar blues I have ever heard. Mick's instrumental approach and the ease with which he plays this instrument reminded me of a concert by the Jeff Beck Group I attented at London's Marquee Club some 30 years ago, when I was astonished to see how Beck produced a unique sound although one had the impression he often hardly seemed to touch the strings.

UNIQUENESS

I came to realise that there is something like a Mick Taylor sound and I wondered why his uniqueness has never been truly captured on his solo records - with the exception of 'Once in a Blue Moon'. Someone should put together a decent set of songs for Mick, arrange a recording session that really re­flects his abilities and search for a record compa­ny executive who is familiar with the concepts of distributi­on and promo­tion (just try to get hold of a copy of 'Shadow Man' for instance!). He could keep this band, in particular if it were to feature Max Middleton and Snowy White or artists of this calibre. A singer would not be a bad idea either, because I'm not really impressed with Mick's vocal range (even if the instruments come first). Finally, someone should convin­ce Mick there is no interest in his doing Stones covers: he's got so much potential he can easily do without his past. 

NOTE ON COLLECTIBLE ITEMS:

a) ticket, programme and poster

b) part of the concert was filmed and at my request a 22min video was compiled of which two copies are in cicrulation

c) many fans took pictures and at my request Mr Stephen Pelgrims sent me some shots

d) I have no knowledge of audio recordings and unfortunately I could not find any press articles or professional press photos; in case you did, please let me know.

Eddy Bonte

First published on this website in 2007.