A mesmerized audience.

One live experience that sticks in my mind, and which I want to share with you, is when I saw Ralph McTell many years ago at The Hazlitt Theatre in Maidstone.

A friend of mine, who was introducing me to a variety of blues and folk music, rung up one night and said he had a spare ticket for the gig and did I want to go?  I’d never heard of Ralph McTell before, but I thought ‘why not’, it would be a good evening out and an evening of live music beats a night in on my own any day.

We got to the gig in good time and I realised as we were shown to our seats that we were seated in the front row, dead centre.  The auditorium gradually filled up and my friend and I chatted about McTells career and his music in general.  Then the lights dimmed and the man himself walked on stage and that is when the evening took an unexpected turn.

Up to this point I was used to gigs where people clapped and sung along and there was the customary applause between songs.  But this gig rapidly showed itself to be something different.  As Ralph spoke and introduced his music people laughed at his jokes and appreciated some back story to his songs, but then as soon as he started playing everyone, and I mean everyone, became spellbound.  I’ve known nothing like it, it was almost like group hypnosis.  As he would play his song there would be silence from the audience.  Looking around you could see everyone was in awe and had a look of almost rapture on their faces.  Then when the song finished everyone erupted into wild applause.   I mean, everyone was REALLY enthusiastic for this unassuming man, playing in this unassuming venue. Then, like a switch being flicked, the next song started and everyone immediately hushed.  There was no smattering of applause or murmur as the applause died down and he stared to play.  It was complete silence.  Wild applause.  Then instant silence again.  It was almost spooky to experience, but soon I was caught up in the same cycle.

I remember looking up at him from my front row position as he played in the stage light and being mesmerized as he played his music to me.  I recognised more songs than I thought I would and by the end of the gig I was applauding as wildly as everyone else.  I also remember leaving the theatre at the end and walking to the parked car feeling almost shell shocked.  I was still reeling from the atmosphere in the gig and the night felt hushed and muted in comparison.

I had never encountered anything like that before, or since, and it sticks in my mind as one of the most spellbinding and unique gig experiences of my life.  And to think, I could’ve been sat indoors alone that night instead!