Last Thursday there was a rare Lewis night out and for once not in the name of rock’n’roll.
Instead it was a night of quality stand up comedy with the good lady and myself in attendance at Frank Skinner’s appearance at the Bedford Corn Exchange. The same venue I’d been enjoying some right old real ales at the Bedford Beer festival exactly a week before.
Frank is another of my men of the midlands – always ready to reflect on his working class roots which I can well relate to. I once …

In amongst all the craziness of the past couple of weeks, much needed calm arrived via the new album by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss.
Raising Sand is a melancholy delight. Much more than a mere collaboration, this is two artists at the top of their game applying their unique vocal talents with masterful subtlety .This is the complete antidote to the familiar Plant histrionics of yore. You don’t have to be a bluegrass or country fan to appreciate the depth of beauty contained in performances such as Killing The Blues, …

With the new Tight But Loose out on the streets and reunion rumours abounding, it’s been a hectic couple of weeks here. A trend that looks likely to continue as we move it to what will be a very interesting few months. Before I get down to the task of gathering text for the next issue – there’s time for quiet reflection and a look back at my 50th year. Forgive the indulgence as I round up the traditional birthday listing.
DL 51 at 51:
On the occasion of my 51st birthday….
The …

In between my daughter Samantha doing some work experience at the Times Educational Supplement (another budding Lewis scribe in the making!), the Lewis hols have consisted of some enjoyable days out including a trip to Brighton last Saturday where at last it was a case of sea,sand and shopping – the highlight of the shopping was the visit to Borderline Records a very fine outlet where I picked up the CD reissue of Sandie Shaw’s 1969 album Reviewing The Situation which is notable for the inclusion of her version of …

There are certain dates in my calendar year that instantly inspire a host of memories and August 4 is unsurprisingly one of them. The fact that this year the date occurs on a Saturday adds yet more poignancy. For it was all of 28 years ago today that I awoke from a couple of hours sleep in a vast field just outside Stevenage knowing that before the day was out I would see Led Zeppelin performing live in front of my very eyes.
Me and over 100,00 others.
I’m sure I wont …

If there was to be a reunion – and that’s a mighty big if (and these latest rumours are probably just that and I’m as much in the dark as anyone), if I were to speculate on an appropriate set opener in my opinion there can only be one contender and that would have to be The Song Remains the Same.
As good as the likes of We’re Gonna Groove, Immigrant Song and Rock And Roll were in that hallowed position, for me nothing set the agenda more effectively at …

To Bristol on a very wet and dull June Friday for Robert’s Plant’s opening date of his Strange Sensation summer extravaganza.
This one was always an attractive proposition although as usual the logistics to fit it it all in were of military precision – not least the not inconsequential taks of working a massive shift over Wednesday night to install the Virgin Megastore new sale offer (Price Blitz to you and full of great bargains you should investigate as soon as!).
With that task signed off, I hooked up with Mr Foy …

”We’ll call this gig Bonzo’s birthday … Bonzo’s Birthday party”
Those were the first words spoken onstage by Robert Plant at the Inglewood Forum on the night of May 31 1973 that came out from my record player around six months on from that gig on as I eagerly listened to my latest Led Zeppelin underground LP acquisition – a double album set on the Trade Mark Of Quality label titled Bonzo’s Birthday Party.
That is some 33 years ago – sadly longer than John Henry Bonham lived in his lifetime.
For today …

Three enjoyable days out in the last couple of weeks. Two weeks ago it was to the Esquires Club in Bedford to attend ex Free / Bad Co drummer Simon Kirke’s gig. The show was excellent with Simon on acoustic guitar and keyboards and very soulful vocals backed by Larry Oakes and doing absolute justice to a clutch of Free / Bad Co faves – amongst them My Brother Jake , Weep No More and Shooting Star. Later he played drums on the climax of the well impressive Free tribute …

30 years ago this weekend, Led Zeppelin performed a pair of memorable shows at the Richfield Coliseum on their 1977 US tour – later to be immortalised on the Destroyer box sets.
To commemorate this Zep milestone all roads lead to the Knights Templar pub in London on Saturday for a special fan gathering. These events are always great social occasions as we emerge from our respective dens to communicate with like minded enthusiasts on the subject that continues to inspire us.
So was this 1977 US tour better than 1975?…what exactly …