Re: Eddie Clearwater and Eddie Burks concert

[clarke@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

>Eddie Burks shambled on and sang a song about a woman who was mean because she
>wouldn't cook his meals or wash his clothes. He sang very well and often
>without using the microphone, which the audience loved. 
>
>And can he play the harmonica? Well, can he play the harmonica? I am not so
>sure. I am not a great harmonica player, but a lot of the time he plays about
>as badly as me. At one point he gave the band the wrong key when playing the
>chromatic and they were feeling about for the right one. He played short and
>amateurish solos, with odd notes that I tried to persuade myself were way-out
>bluesy noises, but they were similar to the noises I often make by mistake. 
>There were Eddie Burks compact discs for sale and I almost bought one out of
>curiosity, to see if he plays better on disc. Tell me I'm wrong, somebody.
>
I have critiqued Eddie Burks befrore, and I swear he only gets gigs
because he's big and black and people don't listen to his harp playing.
I ran sound for his band once in Hamilton, NY with my equipment and his
woman companion starts giving me instructions:  Once I have the sound set,
I am to walk away from the board and never tounch it again.  Basically, if I 
touch it again Eddie will get mad and I don't want to see him mad as the 
last guy that screwed with the sound got his nose broken.   I get the sound going
Oh, I forgot, I had to move the sound inside after doing three other bands outside
because it started pouring.  Anyway I got them started and left things pretty much
alone unitl his band kept turing the stage volume up more and more until they 
were overdriving the channel pre-amps and distorting things, so I go over to
fix things and the big, ugly woman gets in my face and starts threatening me 
again and I told her if she didn't get out of my face, she would have no sound at
all.  I had to endure their crap as well as their crappy music.  I have never dealt
with ruder people.  His woman friend tries to act like he's some star.  Let me 
quote her: "Eddie is a wonderful, kind man and an extrordinarily gifted musician,
but you don't want to make him mad."  I suppose he may be gifted, but he just
hasn't found the instrument his gift was for!

Cheers 
Bernie Clarke
"Don't start me to talkin', I'll tell everything I know" - SBWII