Gilbert O’Sullivan

This is a rather strange story with an unexpected outcome.

Last Friday, Gregg McClymont, Justin Cash, Jenny Davidson and I were sitting in the Cockpit celebrating the end of the working week.

We were joined by a small lady called Linda from Bakewell in Derbyshire who chatted with us. She was in town to see a Gilbert and Sullivan concert and had a spare ticket to the event. With gratitude, I accepted the offer of the ticket and, Stella being offline, I made my way to the Mermaid Theatre for what was advertised as “Friday night is music night”.

Outside the theatre was a long line of disgruntled pensioners hurling abuse at stewards for keeping them out in the cold. I was ushered past them as a VIP and took my seat, thanks to Linda’s hard work in the best seat in the house.

I was surprised to see in front of me an electric piano, a number of guitars and a drum set. This was not what I expected to accompany Ruddigore, Yeomen of the Guard and the Mikado.

On came some old geezer (no older than the rest of the audience) and then came on the fellow in the picture.

OMG! He started singing the songs that I – as a pre-teen, had derided. I was three yards away from Gilbert O’Sullivan and for two hours I had to endure some of the worst tripe that the UK charts has ever witnessed.

From a sociological point of view, this was interesting. It is no surprise that Britain was in such a state at the time. And to think this guy was singing his rubbish while Bowie strutted his stuff as Ziggy Stardust.

The set was amiable and the music was well performed. A highlight was when Gilbert forgot the name of the very famous Irish chanteuse he was introducing. Oh the delights of growing old!

Thanks to Linda- who i never saw at the gig- if you ever get to read this, the gig was surreal and fascinating. Gilbert O’Sullivan has thankfully had no influence at all on Brisith popular music and  I will not be listening to this rubbish when it goes out next Friday night.

But I will never forget the moment when the coin dropped and this shaggy haired fellow demonstrated that when you get given a concert ticket, you should always mind your apostrophes!