Most, in fact nearly all, of my favourite bands feature a guitar virtuoso/exhibitionist (you can take your pick) and in particular I tend to admire those who are significantly better than me (which allows plenty of scope) from Django with the Hot club de France via Dire straits through White Stripes and John Williams and Sky to Chet Atkins, Frank Vignola, Les Paul, Tommy Emmanuel (who I may have mentioned before) The Rhythm Kings, Jools Holland's R&B Orchestra and really so so many more.

I love the blues. Country or urban, Lightin' Hopkins and Muddy Waters to the (slightly) more current people like Blues Boy himself (guess he's both old and new) Freddie King and Buddy Guy etc. I love big bands too, Buddy Rich, Count Basie (specially with Ella as vocalist) the magical Stan Kenton band, Ted Heath. Piano players like 'Fatha' Hines, Oscar Petersen, George Shearing, Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock, Jools Holland..............

Love classy vocals too, among others Diana Krall, Joss Stone, Nora Jones and the best of them all Bella Ella. Classical is also in my sights, especially big orchestral stuff I've seen all the usual suspects at one time or another though, for some unfathomable reason I've never seen my favourite piece (Mozart's Jupiter) done live, which I'd love to remedy.

To be honest all the above just scratches the surface of my musical 'likes', which are pretty eclectic to be fair and I promise I'll try to listen to Patti and the others you mention, though mentions of punk [iare[/i off-putting Lol..

At the moment there are some good documentary type progs about, last night I watched one on Sky Arts about the Hollies, and excellent and educational it was too. This is the sort of stuff I wish kids could be persuaded to watch, because you understand so much more then, and can gain an appreciation of the music and the people from a whole new perspective.

For example, Carrie-Ann was intended to be Marianne, after la Faithfull, but they bottled it; Jennifer Eccles was a totally dumbed down pop song done in 10 minutes with parts written by their wives etc., as a sort of reaction to being asked by the record company to concentrate on more basic, poppy, charts stuff - yet became one of their biggest hits; Stop Stop Stop was inspired by being invited somewhere in the US where the young ingenues were exposed to a fit belly dancer a foot or two from their table!

Or Graham Nash recalling how they paid a young session musician, Elton John, £12 to play keyboards on one of their biggest hits! Must-see TV, catch it this weekend if you can.

I saw that one as I was going through the channels but it was, well nearly half way through, so I didn't put it on. It is the sort of thing I like to see though so I'll definitely watch out for the next showing.

The world's greatest living guitarist, Richard Thompson, Leeds Irish Centre, 4th March.

World's greatest is a big pat on the back, TT.

Never sure how, or even if, you [ican[/i compare different players who have vastly differing styles. It's pretty hard to choose between classical, finger style players players like John Williams and Julian Bream with other pickers like Tommy Emmanuel, Richard Harding or Biréli Lagrène let alone plectrum style electric players, like leaving out maybe some more obvious names, Robben Ford, Larry Carlton or Pat metheny.

That said, there are a few of those who make me believe they are the 'best in the world' whilst they're on stage, I guess that's as near as it gets.

Obviously it's not really possible to prove who is the best, for the reasons you state. Thompson is as good as I have seen though.
Special mention should go to Sabbath's Tony Iommi who, if legend is correct, lost 2 of his fingertips on his last ever shift before turning pro in an industrial accident. For a while he played with false fingertips fashioned out of the ends of washing up liquid bottles.

I used to like Black Sabbath back in the day but didn't know that story, a bit Djangoesque, you might say. I remember seeing them live at the St George's in the early seventies and was impressed at the time. That was a super time though, there was some star musicians on every other week (or so it seemed!) Richie Blackmore, Paul Kossoff, Alvin lee..

Did anyone else see Ballad of Mott the Hoople on BBC4 last Friday (or Saturday)? I caught it on catch up last night; a brilliant story of one our greatest rock n roll bands & my favourite group of all time.

Never realised they were so big and prolific. All I'd heard of was All the young dudes via Bowie.

No wonder the country is going down the pan. A big influence on Harry Styles.

Give over, we all know your favourite is the Cheeky Girls

Was he related to Nobby Styles??

Dick does come to mind, so to speak.

Is that Noby Dick or Dick Styles?

Anyone know what is happening regarding these concerts? There was meant to be an announcement about the Sun gig weeks ago. I assume this isn't now happening?? Perhaps one to ask at the fans forum...

It's all gone very quiet. If there is another announcement the promoters are leaving it late for ticket sales.

Was it a wind up when someone put on here the killers and madness and loads more bands were gonna be at odsal at end of May

Serves you right for being a fair bit younger than me...



Missed the programme (working...) which was a shame.

The were very much at the forefront at the time I was discovering rock & pop in my early teens. I think All the Young Dudes was one of the first songs I taped on my (Wahey!) Bush mono cassette radio, and I definitely recall taping Honaloochie Boogie, All the Way from Memphis (the MTH song that I guess most comes to my mind), Roll Away the Stone and Foxy Foxy. Some of the album tracks were better songs IMO, mind. Saw them (post-Hunter, as "Mott"icon_wink.gif live in Leicester in 1976, supported by a short-lived but IMO excellent band called Lone Star. Strangely, I realise that whilst I have both Lone Star albums, I have none of the Mott the Hoople albums.

Ah well...reminiscing nostalgia over, back to the shìtty present...as you were...

Was Paul 'Tonka' Chapman on guitar for Lone Star at that gig Adey?

To the best of my recollection it was the full original line-up, just after they had released the first album and before Driscoll left. I recall my mate telling me one of the guitarists had played with UFO, so I presume so. But its a long time ago now!

I remember they struggled a bit to excite the audience, and Driscoll saying "come on Leicester, wake up" or similar, whereas everyone was on their feet and very animated for Mott.

Even though I can't remember what I did yesterday I remember Lone Star did an album titled 'Firing on All Six' which I had on tape & still might have. I'd forgotten all about them until you mentioned them. I never got to see the great Mott the Hoople, though I've seen Hunter several times & am seeing him in Leeds in just over a week.

Yesterday? I struggle to remember what I did [itoday[/i...have I had my tea yet?

But indeed. The second album (before they sadly imploded). "The Bells of Berlin" makes it onto my iPod favourites playlist. You can get the two albums together now on one CD - I was ecstatic when that CD was released a few years ago! I still have both albums on vinyl up in the eaves somewhere, along with about 400 other bits of black plastic...

And guess what - I lied. I know I have "Mott" on vinyl, and on tape someplace ages ago, but I've just found MtH's "Greatest Hits" on a CD, and its on my iPod too.

EDIT: In fact, I've just opened iTunes on my PC and am listening to it as I type. Just played "Roll away the Stone - and hell, I can remember them clearly on TOTP with some backing girls doing pushing motions as they sang "shalalalapushpush..." how sad is that?? Yet I can't remember when its the day to take the bloody bins out or if I have brushed my teeth!

Is that the great Phil Lynott who's with Rory Gallagher on your Avatar pic? Never knew they'd played together?

Saw Thin Lizzy in Leicester same year as I saw Mott & Lone Star. Excellent.

Musy admit, I have never really "got" Mott the Hoople. Just not my cup of Darjeeling I am afraid.

Now JLS. There is a proper band.

Funnily enough I've never seen Thin Lizzie live, though half of them [idid[/i come to see the band I was in.

Lizzie were staying in the Metropole hotel in Leeds, and were due to play at the uni that night but Lynott and Brian Downey obviously heard the racket we were making in the hotel bar and came to investigate...sadly, we never got to speak to them as they left just before the end of our first set.