Ginger Baker Live At London’s Jazz Cafe
Come inside for a review of – and photos from – last night’s gig by the legendary drummer, part of Classic Rock’s week of special awards shows.
Words: Hugh Fielder
There were more drummers than you could shake a stick at for Ginger Baker’s packed performance at London’s Jazz Café on Wednesday night (November 4), part of Classic Rock’s week of special awards shows, all craning to get a glimpse of the legendary drummer making one of his rare live appearances.
Most enterprising of them all was The Damned’s Rat Scabies who secured a close-up view of the maestro by offering to become his roadie for the evening. Packing away Baker’s trademark double bass drum kit after the show was a small price to pay for such a privileged view.
Baker, who won the Innovator Award at the Classic Rock Awards on Monday, hand-picked his band from across his career that spans more that half a century, including veteran alto sax player Pete King who played with him back in the 50s, guitarist Chris Goss who recruited Baker into Masters Of Reality in the early 90s, and top jazz-rock bassist Jonas Hellborg who has performed with Baker regularly for the past 30 years.
But it was also something of a family affair. There was his daughter Leda on guitar and the show was introduced by his grand-daughter Zara.
Baker started by apologising for the absence of one of his special guests, Eric Clapton, who couldn’t perform as he was recovering from a gall bladder operation but had nonetheless shown up to give his support to his old Cream mucker. “God bless Eric,” he muttered before launching into Alamout from his mid-80s album Middle Passage.
For the next hour he roamed across his cutting edge fusion highlights, leavened with a sprinkling of jazz standards, before alighting on Sweet Wine from Cream’s debut album and Aiko Biaye, a Nigerian folk song that was a showstopper for Ginger Baker’s Airforce at the start of the 70s.
For the finale he was joined by Steve Winwood who recalled seeing Baker at Ronnie Scott’s Club when he was 13 before playing two Blind Faith classics, Can’t Find My Way Home and Had To Cry Today.
He also led an impromptu version of Happy Birthday when Baker was presented with a three-tier cake to mark his recent 70th birthday.
The cake, which for some reason ended up at the Classic Rock table, was delicious.
– Hugh Fielder
Ginger in action last night at London’s Jazz Cafe.
Ginger was joined on stage by Steve Winwood.
Baker and his band.
£66 for 45 minutes of live music? No wonder Ginger is smiling in the photos.
Absolutely shocking way to treat fans who have spent lots of money in tough times on the ticket price and travelled fair distances to be there.
And judging by the CR review above, with the notable exception of Steve Winwood, the only special guests were in the audience…not sure that what i was paying for.
Exploited, lesson learned, never again.
I’m sorry but this gig was awful. Not only did it seem like the band hadn’t rehearsed, it went on for only one hour! Which is totally unacceptable for £60. An apsolute rip-off!
A fine gig and a privilege to be there, but at what turned out to be an unexpected £1 per minute it was hardly good value for us tightly-packed punters at ground level.
What, no guests from Hawkwind there, then?
)
well he is 70 after all, maybe after 1 hr (or 45 as someone stated), the joints just can’t keep going…..he is a legend in the field of rock…so £60 for an intimate night possibly is value for money?….would loved to have been there!!
As i have already mentioned to the jazz cafe this was shambolic we were left waiting for 2 hours and then treated to 50 minutes to 1 hour of music.If Peter wasnt up to it cancel the concert or do what older veterans do let the band play for 45 minutes and then come on like bb king does and no one has any problems pad it out with some anecdotes like rick wakeman and then we would have been happy little bunnies,but this never again.Peter have the dignity to let us remember you at your absolute best.
Feel completely cheated- less than 1 hour for £70 is disgraceful.
Band were pretty awful-very under-rehearsed
Johnny Rotten’s famous last words at the Winterland come to mind:
“Do you ever feel like you’ve been cheated?”
I work for Jonas Hellborg and I can inform you that “the Band” did not know it was to be a gig with tickets sold. Not one of the musicians got paid. All including mr Baker paid for their own travel and expenses and did not see a cent. Everyone who played that night thought it was a party, a jam. So it was not only the audience that got ripped off the musicians as well. And it also explains the loosenes of the performances.
Classic Rock should be ashamed of themselves after this dreadful show. Nobody expected Ginger to play all night, but for £65 we could have had some additional entertainment before the main show. Chris Goss would have been better off doing a couple of acoustic numbers on his own, he was completely out of his depth here. Having seen Ginger at Shepherd’s Bush this time last year I know he can still deliver but the band was poor and woefully under rehearsed. Fair play to Jonas Hellborg he kept it all together and was professional throughout. Steve Winwood added the bit of class that was missing but two numbers wasn’t enough to salvage the evening. Having driven 4 hours to get there I really wish I hadn’t bothered.If Classic Rock are going to get into promoting they need to think about the audience a bit more or they won’t have any readers left.
i traveled a fair distance 2 see this gig a paid the same as every one else and really enjoyed myself i’d rather pay £60 for this than £200 for bon jovi
A GIG TOO FAR?
Further to the comments above, I would like to add:
There was no attempt by the promoters, the venue management nor his granddaughter, or any member of the band, to come on to the stage and explain why there was to be no encore!?
Whether individuals enjoyed what there was of the gig or not, we were all short changed with regard to the face value of the ticket, which I would estimate to have been worth no more than £40 including booking fee and postage.
I for one came away from the gig with the impression that I had been conned by an artist who felt he could be indulgent because of his age and it being his birthday, and dismissive of his fans because of his still recognisable talent, and with whom he had been associated with over the decades. An artist’s indulgence nevertheless at our expense!
That gig should have been a memorable one for all concerned, and now it will be remembered by many for all the wrong reasons.
The question is: is Ginger man enough in musical stature or wise enough in years to try to rectify the negative impression he left, or is it the case that he feels that he has paid his dues and if the fans don’t like his attitude – well tuff!!
PS. Check out the Review AND COMMENTS in The Times On Line.
I’ve already posted something fairly similair on another review site, but I’ll say it again..
A complete lie, claiming that Ginger didn’t give a ‘thank you and goodnight’ before leaving the stage – he did both of those things. And claiming that Steve Winwood was the only special guest? Well what a slap in the face of the other musicians that is :/ ignorant, in my humble opinion.
I’m more than happy with what I got to see, and the atmosphere and vibe of the place, which was great! Someone on another site said they were dissapointed that it felt like a jam session rather than a ‘proper concert’ that he’d paid to see…well, THAT’S WHAT WAS SO GOOD ABOUT IT! How often can you see someone of Ginger’s calibre in such an intimate setting? Exactly. Cost me over £100 in total to go, and will never regret it.
Oh, and it was great to be part of the crowd that sang Happy Birthday for Ginger, too!
Cheers, Tom
First time, I saw Baker with legendary „Cream“ in Herford, Germany, in summer 1967. Entrance fee was DM 6,50, that´s about 3 quid … On June 7th 1969 I hitchhiked from Berlin to Hyde Park, London to see Ginger & Stevie with „Blind Faith“. In following years I met him several times and photographed him with Fela Anikulapo Kuti (we got terribly drunk and Baker was nearly unable to reach the stage of Berlin Philhamonie).
Now he´s 70 and still working on the kit. But as the band obviously hadn´t rehearsed, 60 quid is overpriced for the short gig. Besides, I personally had even paid more to meet Ginger again.
I totally agree with BC & Andrew a rip off Nothing, not even a drum legend can justifie that price, this gig was completely overpriced. The band didn’t even give the audience a chance for an encore as they left stage without a: Thank you and goodnight. Everybody thought it was the end of first set. I personally won’t ever return to a concert at the Jazz Cafe, and I won’t recommend this place to anybody! I understand if Bakers health doesn’t allow a full concert but then the band could have played the additional time or they could have lowered the price. This experince borders a scam.
I agree with BC & Andrew, though I think the music was ok, yet unrehearsed. The Jazz Café must have known that this was a minor gig, and still they demand 60£ entrance. Jazz Café could have arranged additional music or lowered the price. The band didn’t even give the audience a chance for an encore as they left stage without a: Thank you and goodnight. I won’t recommend a concert at The Jazz Cafe to anyone…
Did I go to the same place or even the same planet as your reviewer? This was one of the worst shows I have ever seen (and like most fans of ginger baker I am over fifty and didn’t think I was that fussy). it was overbooked anyway – for £60 we didn’t expect not to be able to get in the same room as the performance!! We had to view the band from the bar. The arrogant attitude of the musicians and staff was diabolical and all we got was about an hour’s music (out of tune and out of time – even Steve Winwood)! You may as well have put up a big sign saying leaving your money by the gangplank and piss off because that was how it felt!! Not even a cheery wave goodbye let alone an encore – but then he may have been ashamed at the poor show too.
Many people had travelled to see the show from all parts of the UK and from abroad too and had booked hotels etc hoping for a great night and a good weekend all we got was an expensive insult!!
Next time Goinger has a birthday – I suggest he stays at home instead
Glenn Donnelly
Why is my Email comment of the 8th Nov. still awaiting moderation?
Was the content so controversal?!
Christ, what’s wrong with you all?
I’ll go back to the point I made previously about the goodbye, he did thank the crowd and give a goodnight, so why are some of you trying to deny it? Strange.
And saying the band was ‘out of tune and out of time’ is ridiculous.
One last thing, I could go on all night here – I think it’s absolutely disgusting, the attitude of some who claim that Ginger ‘ripped everyone off’, also claiming that the musicians were ‘arrogant’ or claiming that the show was ’self indulgent’…naa, that’s it, I’ll stop now while I still can.
Having not seen the show but reading your reviews, make me sad. The Royal Albert Hall and MSG Cream shows were only about 5 years ago, so to hear yall complain about Ginger is perplexing. I guess for all of you brits having to pay over 100$ american for 1 hour of loose jamming is a lot.
This is not 1988 people. Yall are lucky that the guy is even alive still. I think if Hendrix was alive and played less then an hour of loose jamming and maybe a little out of tune, I would gladly pay way more then your piddly 66pounds to see that. The fact that yall were even able to get a ticket and to be that close to a man who has made so many happy should be enough. I will reserve any negative opinions from you people until a recording of the show is upped to the web so I can listen and make my own determination of the quality of playing. First off, Jonas Hellborg is a friend of mine..I would have paid the $100 just to see him.. so suck it up you ungrateful limeys. pfffft.
It’s not ALL of us that are being ignorant and ungrateful, matey…
For those of us who couldn’t get tickets I see from SPIN cd’s that an official CD/ DVD release is due on March 8th on the Voiceprint label.
We’ll then be able to see and hear what the gig was like.