@Parsifal - I posted on that experience here some time ago. My girl - the one who is suffering from cancer now - had a girl band, all string players, all classically trained - and they have gone their separate ways now, but S. (that's my daughter) was the leader, got all the gigs etc. and ioften played with popular musicians to earn her crust. The Knopfler gig came about in the 90s and Knopfler had contacted them because he wanted string accompaniment for part of his European gig and the relevant music (which my daughter wrote to some of his songs) - i think it was 1996. I caught up with them in Germany where they played at the Alte Oper in Frankfurt - and was introduced to Mark and to the band and one of them said (not my girl!) - why don't you come and see us in France? They were scheduled to play at Vaison La Romaine.
I then said 'no, too hard, have to visit my rellies in Switzerland - who, when I visited, said to me: "it's easy, just hop on the train and get yourself to Avignon, there must be a bus from Avignon to Vaison La Romaine!" - (which I did)
...............the finding and getting the bus, then being stranded on a kind of roundabout in the middle of what could have been Australia, the desert etc., with a couple of closed shops in the middle and awaiting a taxi driver - and me with just basic French - is a comedy waiting to be written
After a long taxi drive I got to my destination (it wasn't Vaison, but a village about 1 hour away).
In fact I got there before the band and ended up in a wonderful hotel on the physical high point of a town, The building was a former castle, it still had ramparts and walls, still had a small deer park with deer in it, a natural swimming pool, lots of outlook points from the hotel windows - and they let me in without even asking for my passport. So I finished up in my daughters bedroom, who duly arrived 1 hour later and said: 'Oh, I have to share my bed now!' -
But I had a marvellous time, especially since one night the concert had been cancelled because of a thunderstorm and the venue was a Roman amphitheater - open to the elements and with electric guitars etc. it was too dangerous to play. The audience would quite happily have stood there and cheered with umbrellas and raincoats, though. So there was a whole evening we shared, with respectful and awed, young (and handsome) waiters awaiting our every command and we drank and chatted, about music, politics (a lot of the support musicians were Americans and had no idea about politics, the world, or history!) in a most beautiful room with an ancient fireplace, equally old furniture but modern seating.
Quite an experience, Parsifal. Same girl is now on her second trial with a cancer drug and I am hoping the imposed house arrest, which they are sitting out in the country (Suffolk) will give her the peace and quiet to heal.
You see everyone has their story, their moment of precarious fame -
- I must get the record, was totally impressed with their music, my first big 'immersion' experience with popular music - thinking then: 'classical musicians, eat your heart out!'
https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/mark-knopfler/1996/theatre-antique-vaison-la-romaine-france-3bd89ce0.htmlGo well
Taurisk
