The Barbecue 67 celebrations kick off with a sizzler next week as its original headliner returns to Spalding.
For most at the legendary 1967 Spalding festival, Geno Washington and the Ram Jam Band were the main attraction ahead of the likes of Jimi Hendrix Cream and Pink Floyd.
The 82-year-old is returning on Thursday, November 12 with a gig at the South Holland Centre by special demand.
Local resident Doug Kendall was one of those at the original festival and remains a huge Geno fan.
“Soul music had been a massive trend for the local ‘Mods’ up to the time of Spalding Barbeque 67 – and long afterwards for many diehard fans of the genre,” Doug said. “But it was early days for us at that time. More a subculture, before the genre broadened into countless popular chart successes.
“Owing to his local popularity, Geno had originally topped the bill, but gave way to Hendrix’s prominence by the time May 1967 came around.
“Nonetheless, Geno’s set remained the longest that night, with an additional three encores.
“Much as with BBQ67 itself, we liked to think that the lack of wider recognition made Geno our secret.
“A born showman, he lived, indeed sweated the lyrics. No pause to announce the next number, a driving beat that just kept going and I swear was gradually wound up to a crescendo until, by the finale, the audience were chanting ‘Geno, Geno’ incessantly and into the rest of the night.”
Dexy’s Midghtnight Runners wrote the song Geno about the reaction the singer caused from concert goers.
Doug says the lyrics to it resonate with him.
“‘The crowd all hailed you, chanted your name’ are lyrics that faithfully account for such nights,” he said. “I cannot recall seeing any top bands more than once in the sixties, but I saw Geno three or four times.
“He was arguably, the best live entertainment that you could hope to see.
“Hippiedom may well have been the follow-on trend, but if you were into Motown Soul, as we all were then for a brief, heady period in time, Geno was indisputably ‘the man’ who gave us the songs and lyrics we wanted to hear.”
A spokesman for the South Holland Centre, said: “Geno’s reputation as one of Britain’s greatest live performers is as strong as ever.
“Don’t miss this unique opportunity to celebrate a remarkable chapter in Spalding’s musical heritage and experience a true soul legend live on stage.”
Tickets are £20 and available from www.southollandcentre.co.uk
