I'm reposting a couple of my blog entries from our old website. They were my first hand account of our second and third JOHNNY CASH REVISITED shows, the first of which was at the Secombe Theatre on February 28th 2014.
It has been a long wait but we’re finally on the road with our full Johnny Cash Revisited show. There were times when I wasn’t sure we’d get there and even now after our first weekend of shows it still feels a little unreal.
We set off from home on Friday 28th March and headed for The Secombe Theatre in Sutton. I was very happy to perform our first full on show there because I have so many fond memories of the place. I played there back in the late 80’s with Forever Elvis, throughout the 90’s with Mike Reid, The Searchers, Marty Wilde and The Barron Nights. Sometimes solo and sometimes with my band The Silhouettes, or One Hand Loose. (Same band, different name) I played there again 2001 with The Thunder Rolls as Garth Brooks, but I hadn’t been back since. The auditorium itself hadn’t changed, but the foyer area had been extended and it now looks better than ever.
It was a stressful afternoon, but for no other reason than it was our first show and we were all very nervous. Chads Bradbury was doing sound for us so it was one less worry knowing we were in good hands in that respect. Our friend Chris Stocks came with us to help with our merchandise stand and ended up running the projector and slide show with the sound and light guys. Surprisingly, she didn’t bat an eyelid at the extra responsibility and did the job to perfection. Another headache gone.
The band members for these two gigs were Shane O’Borne on lead guitar and vocals, Pete Ariss on bass, Tony Ariss on piano and keys and Mark Jacobs on drums with Jodie and I out front as Johnny and June, but you knew that right?
No amount of rehearsing can prepare a band fully for the first live performance and so we were all naturally scared to death when we went on stage. We needn’t have worried though, because the almost capacity audience, were ready for us right from the start and up for a good night. The highlight for me was when I (as Johnny Cash) stated that, “After many years with Columbia Records, they decided to drop me”, and one guy who had obviously bought into the whole illusion shouted “The bastards!”…..Priceless!
After the show Jodie and I went out to meet some of the audience as they were leaving and were blown away, not only by the positive comments about the show, but by the sheer age range of Johnny Cash’s fan base. You’ve heard the phrase from 8 – 80, but in this case it could be taken literally. I spoke to an 8-year-old boy who had asked his Mum to bring him to the show and he was aware of Johnny Cash’s musical legacy from beginning to end, in detail!
On the way home Jodie, Chris and I stopped in Clacket Lane Service Area on the M25 for something to eat and a cuppa and that’s when I realised that I had glued my hat to my head! What? I hear you say. Yes, I glued my hat to my head. I had bought some new glue to secure the hairline of my wig to my head but I had forgotten to buy the solvent need to remove it. I though I had washed it all off after the show and put on my cap as we left the theatre. Little did I know that this stuff is unbelievably strong and never fully dries. Lesson learned? NO. Wait till I tell you what happened the next night….