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CounterPunch
October
30, 2002
Keith Richards
Surprises LA
by PHYLLIS POLLACK
Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards and two
of the band's back-up vocalists, Bernard Fowler and Blondie Chaplin,
gave a surprise performance on Monday night, October 28 in Los
Angeles, California at the Joint, a small club that only holds
approximately a hundred people.
The core band was comprised of longtime
Stevie Nicks guitarist Waddy Wachtel, former Tom Petty drummer
Steve Jones, and bass player Rick Rosas, who played on Neil Young
hits including "Rockin' In The Free World." Also lending
support in the band were upstart vocalist Memphis, and veteran
British singer Terry Reid, whose long list of performances includes
having played at the wedding reception of Stones vocalist Mick
Jagger to Bianca Perez Morena de Macias.
Some of those who were in the audience
had arrived at the gig, anticipating that something special would
happen this evening, due to the fact that prior to his joining
the current Stones tour, Fowler had been a member of this band
that played at the club every Monday night for over a year.
It was not lost on many who were in the club that the Stones
would be in town this week, gearing up for two Los Angeles shows.
For many who were present, this was essentially Fowler's greatly
anticipated homecoming, and his return would have been enough
for the stunned audience, let alone to also have the stage additionally
graced by Richards. Fowler credited Wachtel with inviting Richards
to join the band for the evening. Backstage, Wachtel quipped,
"I didn't start the rumors that Keith would be here. Really,
I didn't! I can't help rumors that start out there."
Fowler entered the club, coming through
the back entrance, and upon seeing his fellow musicians, gave
emotional long hugs and greetings. Fowler would tell the audience,
"I missed you all. Damn, I missed you all,"
as he introduced the band's members to the audience.
Richards, donning his trademark handcuffs,
skull ring and other assorted silver jewelry, was clearly the
life of the party, along with Fowler. The Stones guitarist ascended
the stage with a black Gibson, and then would later use Wachtel's
1970 sunburst Gibson SG. Richards and company broke into a rendition
of the song "Key To The Highway," a blues number written
by Charles Segar and Willie Broonzie, a standard that has been
covered by countless blues artists. Richards and Fowler interacted
on stage, and an animated Fowler grabbed Chaplin by his jacket
and hugged him while the pair added vocal lines and harmonies
interlaced between Richards' vocals and guitar licks.
"You know I know some of the guys
here," quipped Richards. In addition to solo work and Stones
projects that the Stones axe slinger has done with Fowler, Wachtel
was Richards' other guitarist in his side project, The X-pensive
Winos, which embarked on tours in 1988 and 1992, and released
two albums, yielding Richards' solo hit "Take It So Hard."
In addition to his performances with the Stones, Chaplin appears
with Richards on the Grammy-winning Hank Williams tribute album,
Timeless, on the track "You Win Again."
As the surprise ensemble broke into the
Stones classic, "Jumping Jack Flash," an energetic
Richards looked as if he was performing it for the first time,
as he showed endless energy on stage. The intimately situated
audience caught a close-up view of Richards, who donned various
silver charms that were weaved into his hair. Fowler pranced
about the stage in his black leather jacket, singing lead on
one of the song's verses. In addition to his work with the Stones,
Fowler's extensive discography includes recording with Yoko Ono,
as well as co-writing and co-producing Stones guitarist Ron Wood's
Slide On This.
When Richards left the stage, he joked,
"Thank you very much. I've got work to do now. Bye, ladies
and gentlemen," and with that, the guitarist of the greatest
rock and roll band in the world departed the stage.
Fowler stayed on to sing AC/DC's metal
anthem, "Sin City," as Wachtel shredded power chords.
Fowler's mastery for captivating an audience had long been well
known to members of the audience who had previously witnessed
Fowler's diverse vocal range, which allows him to seemingly effortlessly
rock hard or to otherwise mesmerize an audience with his uniquely
soulful introspective style.
Richards, Fowler and Chaplin will perform
with the Rolling Stones at the Staples Center in Los Angeles
on Halloween night and and at the Wiltern Theatre on November
4.
Phyllis Pollack
lives in LA. She is a music producer, publicist for rock and
rap bands and an anti-censorship activist.
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