Rock Anniversaries 2010

C’mon everybody! Ain’t no cure for the Summertime blues!

It’s fifty years since the death of Eddie Cochrane, a man who inspired an early generation of rock’n’rollers with his magnificent calls to rock action!

It was on the road to Bath, England, one April morning that his car hit a post. Did for poor Eddie and nearly for sweet Gene Vincent, co-traveller, too. His guitar carried on inspiring though; a young Dave Dee (of Dozy, Mick and Titch fame) was a local policeman and he reputedly learned to play the guitar while it was impounded as evidence at the police station.

Forty years ago, yes forty years incredible though it seems, Jimi Hendrix shuffled off this mortal coil in an apartment in Notting Hill Gate. On a lighter note, the first Glastonbury Festival was held (albeit under a different ‘brand name’). Probably with slightly fewer punters than the 200,000 plus it attracts now.

Thirty years ago we lost Jon Bonham and thus effectively Led Zep, Bron Scott but not, thank God, ASC/DC and Ian Curtis but at least Joy Division morphed into New Order. It was the same year Pink Floyd built 'The Wal'l over six nights at Earls Court.

And then it was twenty-five years ago that rock really went global with Live Aid from Wembley and Philly, and Phil Collins memorably played at both! And he was back at Live 8. Poor Phil, now with a neck problem that means he will probably never play drums again.

Jeezus, it goes fast don’t it? But the music sounds as fresh. And it’s lasting. Rock ‘n’ Roll surely is here to stay. These anniversaries are important if only because they show how rock continues to provide the soundtrack to our lives.

The biggest anniversary though has to be the fact that it is forty years since the Beatles officially broke up. Forty bloody years! Impossible! And yet here we are still moved enough to buy shed-loads of their product for the ‘n’th time, expensive though it undoubtedly is, because it is still so fresh and frankly, unbeatable at any price.

Anyone disagree?