BLOG 2011
Pete Lincoln
Pete Lincoln was a performer that I'd go and see probably during the same period when I was terrorising school kids with my rendition of American Pie. He'd play regularly down at what was Piper's Island in Caversham and they were always really very enjoyable nights. Pete was a great singer and guitarist and there didn't seem to be a song that he didn't know. He was really very popular with the crowd and I'm sure people would turn up (much like myself) just to see him play.
I guess at some point my life changed and I got out of the habit of going to see Pete play, so I was intrigued recently to see his name advertised at the Hatchgate Pub. Would he still be any good? How had age affected him sixteen years later? I think I anticipated that maybe he wouldn't be so lively, that perhaps he wouldn't be commanding such a big audience; that perhaps he'd be playing in the background as people chatted.
How wrong I was.
There was barely room to move in that pub last night, most people were standing and watching him, singing with him. The moniker "The Human JukeBox" rightly belongs to him. It was such a great night and if anything I think he's better than he was all those years ago; everybody was joining in towards the end and it was really a great atmosphere. In the words of Don McLean, he can surely "make those people dance". I've travelled far and wide seeing my musical heroes in concert but I think there will have been very few occassions when I had a bigger smile on my face than when I left the pub last night. If you see the name Pete Lincoln advertised near you, do yourself a favour and go and see him and have a great time. A terrific night last night Pete, thanks!
