This poster popped up recently on Twitter (@salvatorRosa) - legendary blues artist Muddy Waters playing at Goldsmiths College in New Cross, November 29 1968. Also featuring Otis Spann (playing with Waters), British blues guitarist Gordon Smith (who has played with Kevin Coyne among others) and Mike Kean's Dusty Blues Ensemble.
However, as somebody in comments has pointed out, the image in the poster appears to be John Lee Hooker rather than Muddy Waters! Awkward...
 |
| John Lee Hooker |
 |
| Muddy Waters (left) as he actually looked in 1968 (pictured at Hammersmith Odeon) |
Update April 2026:
This post has attracted some interesting comments over the years, clearly despite the poster mix up this was a memorable gig for those who were there. It was seemingly arranged by Pete Bentley for the Goldsmiths Blues Society.
I have also seen a poster for a gig in the following year - 28 February 1969 - with John Lee Hooker playing at Goldsmiths supported by the Groundhogs.
For more on 1960s music at Goldsmiths see:
Posts
11 comments:
Hilariously, that’s a picture of John Lee Hooker.
I had a good laugh too.I played guitar in the support band 'Mike Kean's Dusty Blues ~Ensemble'.We were in fact 'The Dusty Blues Band'.The 'frontman' was Pete Keen.
Not only has the promoter designed a large chunk of his poster to give his address as a ticket agent and added John Lee Hooker instead of Muddy Waters he goes for Bronze Silver and Gold medals in the How not to design a Poster competition by completely forgetting to add the date.
Still I remembered the date very swell as the backstage toilets were not working and I went to the FOH toilet and shook hands with the great Muddy (after washing our hands of course)
I played harp on that gig with Pete Keen's band. Great night with a roomful of legends to drink with for a couple of hours afterwards. Muddy got us up to jam with them at the start of their set. I was too nervous to play anything like my best, or even remember the number we jammed on, but it didn't matter: we were there and we played with, and then listened to, the greatest blues band in history! What a night!
Ooer! Spoke to Pete today, who tells me I wasn't at that particular gig at all! This raises some interesting questions. Was there some other Muddy gig at Golsmiths, with Paul Oscher on harp, around the same time but organised at short notice? Also who the hell got me in at the last minute to play harp? As you may understand, this was the 60s and memory of that period are imperfect, to say the least, amongst its survivors, ie me!!!
Oops! I spoke to Pete Keen after posting my last comment and he tells me I wasn't on stage with him that night, nor was there a jam with Muddy! That begs some questions as I know I was at a Muddy Waters concert and still have a blown-out Ab harp which Paul Osher chucked away. I remember a brief jam and being backstage with other guests and chatting with Paul, Luther Johnson and King Muddy. It can't have been the same gig that Pete was at and I didn't imagine mine so it remains a mystery. Of course, it was in the 60s and, like most of its survivors, my memory is less than perfect. Anybody else remember my one?
My name is Paul Thompson. I was at the Goldsmiths gig - in fact I was 'dressing room security' on behalf of the students' union (because, as a skinhead, I looked a lot tougher than I was). The dressing rooms were the SU offices, and we all ended up sitting round a table together. I was sitting next to Muddy Waters, and then Alexis Korner and his family turned up - Alexis's kids all called MW "Uncle Muddy." At one point, Gordon Smith started playing Can't Be Satisfied and Muddy started singing it. Then Muddy turned to me and said, "That poster they put up - that's John Lee Hooker!" I can't remember what I said in reply, but it was probably embarrassingly banal. But wow - sitting next to the great man!
Great story Paul! Incidentally I mentioned you previously at a post about Steve Maxted and skinheads https://transpont.blogspot.com/2024/06/skinheads-at-savoy-rooms-in-catford.html
Paul Thompson was a colleague of mine and we both met Muddy Waters on that memorable night. I sat opposite Muddy in the refectory just before he went on, during which time he said something like "you know that poster....that ain't me!". I felt awful for Terry O' Dea, one of the organisers, who was sitting next to me. Anyway Muddy just smiled, shook us by the hand (with very long fingers as I recall) said "that's OK" and went onto the stage of the Great Hall. What a great man. One of the greatest music evenings I can recall my time at Goldsmiths', and I certainly saw many incredible artists over that period of time as the college was the epicentre of contemporary music in the 60s and 70s.
Thanks for memories, I just updated post with information that John Lee Hooker himself also played at Goldsmiths in 1969
Thanks Transpontine for putting up my post...it was just that I forgot to put my name (I'm sure Paul will be wondering who I am!) . In order to do justice to all of the artists who played at Goldsmiths' could my post read 'The college was the epicentre of musical concerts and events showcasing a wide range of music from different genres including blues, folk, progrock and contemporary in the 1960s and 70s.' Please could this replace the relevant section in my post? Previous sentence ending 'over that period of time'. I have really enjoyed reading these posts as they took me back to that amazing event, the like of which cannot be repeated. I feel privileged to have met the man in person. Wow! Thanks very much. Dave Bracher
Post a Comment