Festival Fanfare - March 12

Lugano Jazz Festival 2009
Photo © Ben Fenner

The Isle of Wight beckons as the sun gains strength...

I'm looking forward to returning after my last experience as a punter of the famous Isle of Wight Festival all those years ago in 1970. My friend Gordon and I arrived on a balmy day, wandering through the hazy sunshine between a colourful swirl of kaftans, headbands and tasselled leather jackets whilst also breathing in the heady aroma of patchouli combined with dope. That night it was extraordinary to hear Jimi Hendrix's guitar flying and screaming through claps of thunder with a monsoon-like downpour. This was just the second time I experienced him live in his last big concert, which I believe was only two weeks before he died. He certainly inspired me with his unique sound, as did the spiritual, soulful voice of Ritchie Havens who a few years later worked with me. Electric in more ways than one, that night impressed itself on me in a particularly powerful way.

I wasn't to know then that only a couple of years on I would be part of that magical musical spirit on stage in festivals with Genesis...

Culture, music and fashions change, but outdoor festivals maintain that sense of freedom and the air carries sounds across wide distances. There's usually a strong feeling of space, cross-fertilisation and openness to many different musical sounds and influences. I remember the highly charged atmosphere of the Reading festival when I first played there in 1979. The crowd was receptive and charged with excitement. It was great to realise that by then as a solo artist I was affecting people in the way my own heroes had inspired me in those distant heady days.

Quebec City International Summer Festival 2010

High Voltage Festival 2010