An Evening With Roger McGuinn.

by Rick Johansen

And so with old friend Tim and his friend Tony, it was off to Cheltenham Town Hall for An Evening With Roger McGuinn.

I appreciate that this is probably not one for the kids but McGuinn is a very important part of rock music history. The man who founded the legendary Byrds, performed with some of the greatest talents in music and now plies his trade as a solo musician, playing a mix of old songs and new ones with two guitars, a 12 string acoustic and a seven string Rickenbacker. And what a jangler the latter is as McGuinn played the opening notes to Hey Mr Tambourine Man and Turn Turn Turn.

I was worried that without a band, McGuinn’s songs might sound a little sparse and empty but no they didn’t. If anything, his beautiful playing filled the packed room.

At 72, McGuinn shows little sign of decline. The voice is still intact, the musicianship sublime and he is now a highly effective storyteller, with witty sections devoted to the likes of Bob Dylan (many of the songs were his and McGuinn does more than a passable impression), John and Michelle Phillips from the Mamas and the Papas, David Crosby and others from the Byrds, Tom Petty and a wonderfully diverse group of superstar players and singers.

This was the final show of a long tour before the great man returns to the USA.

I was going to say it was hard to pick out a highlight but I will anyway. He played a brilliant acoustic version of Eight Miles High but the best part for me, sung and played with tremendous passion, was Chestnut Mare.

We were in the front row and all the way I knew I was in the presence of greatness.

If he’s ever round this way again, don’t miss him. He is awesome.

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