Topic: Eric Bogle concert
Went to see Eric Bogle and John Munro play last night in glasgow's old fruit market hall. 1st time in there and I was impressed. It didnt look like a sort of music venue at all, and also the acoustics were ptretty good too.
They came on stage at 8pm, went off for a half hour break at 9:30pm then from 10pm until 10:45 when he finished.
The two of them were in fine form even though this was their 70th gig since the end of May when they started their tour of britain. The patter from them was very witty.
I think John Munro especially enjoyed playing there as he was originally from Maryhill (just down the road from the fruit market) he had some old friends and girlfriends there as well as Eric's Auntie.
they done classic songs like "NO man's land", " and now im easy" " and the band played waltzing matilda" ( the best version I have heard him perform) " a candle lit from a candle"
and many many more toe tapping stuff as well as his sad not so toe tapping stuff.
He done a few new songs that is on his new CD which were very good, especially hearing them for the first time. Only one I can remember a name was " bring billy home" another anti war song.
Eric said " someone asked me when I am going to stop writing anti war songs" his reply to them was " when there are no wars to write about"
He told another funny story before singing No man's land AKA green fields of france ( it changed to green fields of france after the fury Brothers from Ireland decided to change the name but Eric had patented both names)
In 1997 when tony Blair became prime minister he got a letter from a 10 year old girl from Northern ireland saying how she wanted Tony to make sure there was peace in Northern ireland as she never knew what life was like with peace. Tony replied to her and invited her to 10 Downing street for a P.R excerise. He presented the little girl with a gift. It was What Toney Blair said was his favourite poem. It was in fact No man's land. It was in a frame and titled " Green Fields of France". Tony Blair told her it was written by a scottish man in the first world war and he is now dead.
Eric Bogle's auntie read this in a national paper and phoned Eric to tell him. She said she was going to sort this out. She wrote a letter to Tony Blair saying she was the aunt of eric Bogle the writer of No MANS LAND a.k.a Green fields of france, Tony's favourite poem. She told him the correct name and also told him that Eric was alive and well and to get his facts right before talking rubbish. She got an embarrassing letter back from 10 downing street. She also wrote to the Herald that said Eric was dead and gave them a bit of lip. Eric was touring britain at the time and she gave them the full tour schedule.
This was his retirement tour, he is 65 this year but he said he wants to come back in a bout 4 years time with his wife and do one final wee tour of scotland. I will attend this.
Ken