Jethro Tull , Lloyd Grossman and a punk Christmas Concert. - Strange but true.

  • Mrs Farmer and I went to see Jethro Tull at Coventry Cathedral for their Christmas concert the other night and there were some quite bizarre moments. I knew there would be guests. Coventry choir, carols, very good and got us in the Christmas mood. Then Mark Almond no less, talking at length and doing at least three songs including say hello say goodbye. Not my cuppa tea . Then .... And here is the really strange bit.... Lloyd Grossman . This ex through the keyhole , MasterChef presenter is now a punk rocker!! He did a couple of songs , lightweight punk pop in the vein of the Buzzcocks . Jethro Tull playing punk with Lloyd Grossman! Never even crossed my mind that I would never see that, but I did. TBH it was awful but made us laugh. We were joking that we paid to see JT and should get a refund ! Midway there was a short sermon and a prayer. Later JT played My God , Ian Anderson's 50 year old attack on religion with the enormous freeze of Jesus being spotlighted.

    I think it was a fund raiser for the Cathedral and not listed as part of the tour . There was I guess around 700 people there, and it seemed to me a fair few people who were there, were there because they were Church goers. There was no security , you literally walked past the back of stage with no stewards around to go to the toilet. In these days of paranoia it was quite refreshing. IA just can't sing so well these days either. Solstice bells was sung by John O Hara and David Goodier, and I think IA sang around six or seven songs in total. Despite Mark Almond and Lloyd Grossman ( or maybe because) we did have a laugh. Quite a strange night but actually the whole thing had a lovely atmosphere and got us in the festive spirit after this awful year.

  • sounds like a slightly odd show...wonder how JT are linked to Lloyd and marc almond?

    I have been to some charity shows that can have a strange mix of performers, but i can't think of any as diverse as this one😄

    At least it was for a good cause!...

  • Lloyd Grossman . This ex through the keyhole , MasterChef presenter is now a punk rocker!!

    Not 'now', he's returned to it. He was in a punk band way before he was a TV presenter. His band had a (very) minor hit in around 77 and have appeared at Glastonbury a few times. I gather he does this gig with Anderson on a regular basis.


    Get with the programme, as I believe da kidz say, mr farmer!

    Abandon all reason

  • Not 'now', he's returned to it. He was in a punk band way before he was a TV presenter. His band had a (very) minor hit in around 77 and have appeared at Glastonbury a few times. I gather he does this gig with Anderson on a regular basis.


    Get with the programme, as I believe da kidz say, mr farmer!

    Yes, I knew he had a "musical" past. As for Marc Almond, he has done some very good songs, his "Hits and Pieces" which includes the big Soft Cell numbers is a pretty good album, with some surprisingly good tunes, and just a couple of bad ones, out of 16.

    Ian


    Putting the old-fashioned Staffordshire plate in the dishwasher!

  • sounds like a slightly odd show...wonder how JT are linked to Lloyd and marc almond?

    I have been to some charity shows that can have a strange mix of performers, but i can't think of any as diverse as this one😄

    At least it was for a good cause!...


    Ian Anderson is mates with both Loyd Grossman and Marc Almond , he said so. That's the reason they were there. I think he needs others to sing a bit. They join for the Christmas show every year, so I found out since. Would not have missed it .

  • Not 'now', he's returned to it. He was in a punk band way before he was a TV presenter. His band had a (very) minor hit in around 77 and have appeared at Glastonbury a few times. I gather he does this gig with Anderson on a regular basis.


    Get with the programme, as I believe da kidz say, mr farmer!

    Well clearly a lot of catching is required on my part. I'm just not with it, though am getting there . Didn't have clue that LG did music at all. Looked him up over weekend. He did "Ain't Doing Nothing" which to my wonder was a the minor "77 hit. Really quite bizarre watching JT perform punk. Sure Joe Strummer will be turning in his grave. Still another performer chalked up on the "seen live " list!