Charlie Musselwhite Still Isn’t Ready To Retire #Review #Melbourne

Don’t bother asking 80 year old blues legend Charlie Musselwhite when he is retiring. I did and this was the answer I got. “I haven’t really thought about it a whole lot. I’ve really enjoyed what I am doing and I would love to come back to Australia. We have always loved Australia. Never had a problem there. Its always been a great time, great people, great audiences. Its just a beautiful place to come and we are looking forward to it.”

Watch the Charlie Musselwhite Noise11 interview.

As Steve Winwood once said “while you see a chance take it”. Taking a chance to see Charlie live is a privilege this far into his career which goes back to that first album of 1967 ‘Stand Back’ which he acknowledged playing ‘Strange Land’ off the album at his second Melbourne show at Memo Music Hall in St Kilda.

He said he wrote the song when he was 18 years old, walking around Chicago looking for a job and came up with the line “stranger in a strange land” not realising Robert A/ Heinlein beat him to the title with his 1961 science fiction novel.

Nobody know who I am
Well, I’m just a stranger in a strange land

Charlie may have been a stranger in Chicago in the early 1960s but everyone knew his name in Melbourne last night.

He revisited the debut album once again with the instrumental ‘Christo Redemptor’ as his final piece.

Across the one hour 20 minute set, Charlie gave us a masterclass in the Blues. He is the Master, so much so that Dan Ackroyd based his Elwood Blues character in The Blues Brothers movie on Charlie.

A special mention of Norwegian guitarist Chris ‘Kid’ Anderson, who has also worked on albums for Elvin Bishop and Maria Muldaur. Charlie got the applause at the end of every song but Anderson matched him for the insane guitar solos that felt like Jimmy Page was up there if you shit your eyes.

On drums June Core, on bass Randy Bermudes. Core, Bermudes and Anderson played with Charlie as far back as the 2006 ‘Delta Hardware’ album.

Getting to still see Charlie Musselwhite in 2024

Blues legend Charlie Musselwhite transports us back to a time when the Blues was the most influential genre for the Rock acts developing at the end. The Rolling Stones came from Muddy Waters, Led Zeppelin would never had existed if there was no Willie Dixon. Eric Clapton took his cues from Robert Johnson. Charlie started out not long after The Stones, around the time of Clapton and slightly before Zeppelin but he remained true to the Blues while the others used it as a template for Rock.

Go see Charlie Musselwhite. He is the real deal. And while he says he isn’t retiring, the clock maybe be beating against you if you want to leave it until next time.

Charlie Musselwhite Australia dates:

Completed:
Wed Sept 18 Northcote Theatre Melbourne With Fiona Boyes
Fri Sept 20 Manning Bar Sydney With Frank Sultana
Sat Sept 21 The Tivoli Brisbane With Dana Gehrman
Sun Sept 22 Memo Music Hall Melbourne With Fiona Boyes New Show!!

Still to come:
Tue Sept 24 Harmonie German Club Canberra With Fiona Boyes
Thu Sept 26 Astor Theatre Perth With Dave Brewer
Sat Sept 28 The Gov Adelaide With The Night Owls

https://gerrardallmanevents.com.au/charlie-musselwhite-with-kid-andersen-australian-tour-september-2024/

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Tagged as: 60s, blues, Charlie Musselwhite, USA