More Music - The Early Years

Back in 1982 I used to listen to a rock show on my local radio station, Radio City here in Liverpool. The show was called The Great Easton Express and the host was Phil Easton, who now makes pre-match and half time announcements at Liverpool FC's home games.Anyway, 1 night Mr Easton started dropping unsubtle hints that an upcoming gig at the Liverpool Empire by someone called Freddie McGregor plus the Studio One Band was actually a 'secret gig' by The Rolling Stones! The next morning in work I told everyone about this and in my dinner hour shot over to the Empire and purchased 10 tickets for myself and my workmates. As the gig drew nearer, some doubting Thomases, who didn't have tickets, started winding us up that it wasn't the Stones and it was some Reggae artist. As if!!!!!!!! Our man in the music business, Phil Easton, wouldn't mis-lead us.Thursday June 10th arrived and we all turned up to see Mick and the boys play a theatre gig. The fact that there was no Stones merchandise for sale in the foyer didn't throw us. OK there were T shirts in the colours of the Jamaican flag with the picture of a Rasta on instead, but so what? The support band came on and played 45 minutes of Reggae. Well Keith Richards loves his Reggae, he probably personally chose them for the support slot. Then it was time for the headliners, the 30 or so Rastas on the front row got excited, well as excited as a laid back, stoned Rasta ever gets and the other 2300 white middle class, middle aged members of the audience got ready for the Stones.Now you probably don't need me to tell you that The Stones did not play that night. Yes Freddie McGregor is a Reggae legend. No I never have forgiven Phil Easton. I still have my ticket stub. T 19 stalls price 4 pounds and 50 pence.
The moral of this story? 'If something sounds too good to be true, it usually is'