Tommyfest 2008 (Part 1)
Last night I was in the West Wing. Not the multi-award-winning US TV series, but the Arts centre in Slough based at the former Orchard Secondary School. As an Alumni of Warrenfield Comprehensive, I was on the lookout for old faces who might slip me some steel for being on the wrong “manor”. All this weekend the West Wing is hosting Tommyfest 2008, which has been displaced from its normal home in Windsor after the Windsor Arts Centre went into administration shortly before Christmas 2007.
Anyway, this makes the current event the most important cultural event in Slough since John Betjeman wrote a poem about the place.
I’ve seen Tommy Emmanuel about eight or ten times previously, and he never disappoints. He is probably the best guitarist you have never heard of. You do need to see him live to realise that it is all technique and not studio wizardry. He had a couple of guests up on stage, one of whom (Edgar Cruz) does a version of Bo Rap that has to be seen to be believed. The other guest was called Antsy McClain.
Met up with some friends from Windsor (TC, The Fern, Clive and Sally-Ann) of whom only TC had seen TE before, and whom were suitably blown-away.
The venue, although being only 2 miles from my house was new to me. It’s a pretty good conversion of an old school into an entertainment venue and the bar had Rebellion Beer (yay!) but at £3 a pint in a plastic container (boo!)
Some photos taken with my small, discrete, camera (so the quality isn’t perfect)
...ravings from the Shell... 
Yes, I see what you mean about the photographs. They are merely clear, artistic, evocative. Just terrible!
Do’st thou mock me, fair lady? 🙂
Perchance, dear sir.