This Christmas and New Year was a bit different - I enjoyed the experience immensely. Having someone to play with helped. Christmas with my favourite inn-keeper (and family) and New Year in York with Suzi Q at the Theatre Royal Panto (Berwick Kaler’s 30th year!) with a visit to my family in Wales wedged in between. I drove a fair few miles so over indulgence wasn’t an option but quite honestly I feel better for it. First weekend in 2009 Bruce came to stay with his new “block of flats” on wheels (seriously his American Motor-home is as big as my old London flat!) - dogs and all - we terrorised my local pub - the dogs looked on in amusement and were very well behaved.
As the New Year trundled on the inevitable sad news of Dave Dee’s death from cancer hit me. I first met Dave and the “Dozies” in 1965 when I was in a support band (Missing Links?) playing at Connahs Quay Bath Hall. He was always supportive and always great company and even when diagnosed was always positive. When he was an A&R man at WEA we took a couple of his acts into the studio but sadly without success. Eventually we ended up playing together on many shows in Europe and putting the world to rights in the hotel bar afterwards. Dave, I will miss you my friend. I would also like to pay my respects to two more icons who passed away this week. Patrick McGoohan had a profound impact on me with his brilliant series “The Prisoner”. As a Welshman, his choice of location, Portmeirion, was genius. Likewise David Vine was from a golden era of Sports Anchormen. I was having dinner with his daughter and her new husband (a good friend of mine) last Saturday only to hear the sad news the next day. We are all mortal.
I am 60 this year! I keep telling myself it is only a number! My head understands but does my body? The plan is to have an event in the UK in the summer which will probably involve an afternoon get together followed by a gig in the evening. Stewart will have the details as soon as we can get it organised. We may film the day for posterity.
Sweet have come a long way in 40 years and we are still on the journey. Life’s too short for regrets so just get out and do the things you always dreamed of before it’s too late. I don’t know what 2009 holds but I’m looking forward to it.
Andy Scott (59 years 6 months)
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24/01/2009 at 06:21 pm
Hope for you that 2009 will become a great year as I hope for everybody else who reads this, including me (okay I’m a little selfish). Hope to see the band in Germany at least twice this year. Looking forward to a lot of fun at the concert and best wishes to everybody!