Here we are in April and as usual I am surprised that the year is nearly a third over. Does everyone go through that? Then again, I have to acknowledge that I’ve been rather busy lately, to say the least. The European tour was a blast, Rapture Of The Deep hitting stride through many countries, and the youth of the audience continues to impress. We had some amazing gigs during a recent trip to Santiago and Buenos Aires (where the enthusiastic crowd sang every word and riff back to us, including the bass solo in Pictures Of Home!). Now, we are gathering energy for the tour around the far east.

Last week I had the opportunity and privilege of standing on the Albert Hall stage with Ian Gillan, performing songs from Ian’s forthcoming CD, Gillan’s Inn, with some great musicians; Harry James, Steve Morris, Dean Howard, Michael Lee Jackson, Sim Jones and Richard Cottle. The evening was a memorial concert celebrating the life of the DJ Tommy Vance. His wife Cookie did an amazing job of organizing the occasion, in conjunction with Roger Daltry’s Teenage Cancer Trust and I thank all the people who attended, it was a really great night. Tommy’s presence was palpable as his children Danny and Jessie stood on the stage under a giant picture of their smiling father, gazing down with a characteristic glint in his eye. When Tommy died last year it was a real blow. His legendary voice is missed and his passion for music can now only be remembered. But passionate he was, and he championed many a band in the face of fashion, particularly Rainbow, Deep Purple, Gillan, Whitesnake and many other hard rock bands in the 80s. Thank you, Tommy. I’m proud that he was a friend of mine.

These rare occasions are a joy, not just for the concert itself, but also for the chance to meet up with old friends. It has been decades since I last said hello to the mighty Judas Priest – good to see Rob Halford looking so impressive. The Scorpions are a band that we regularly bump into from time to time and their energy and vitality always impresses – Rudi Schenker is a force of nature. I am indebted to their bass player, Pawel, for the loan of his bass rig, saving the gig for me. Boned, whom I’d not met before, also proved themselves to be good blokes and a fine band. Backstage teemed with familiar faces, including that of Tom Allom, the producer, with whom I haven’t had a chat since Vancouver, 1985, although I can hardly remember that. I first met him in 1972 at The Manor studio in Oxfordshire when we were recording the Dave Cousins album, Two Weeks Last Summer.

Doesn’t time fly?

Good luck,

RG