Mike Jenkins - Welsh Poet & Author
  • Mike's Blog
  • New Book!
  • About Mike
  • Contact
  • What's the point?
  • The Climbing Tree
  • The Fugitive Three
  • Publications
  • Red Poets

Bob Marley,Chalkie Davies and Us

5/17/2015

2 Comments

 
Picture
Photo by Chalkie Davies (thanks to Dave Evans)

   He's renowned for his iconic photos of all famous pop and rock stars : Blondie, Elton John, The Specials, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney and.....me and my mate Dave Evans!
  The background to this photo , taken on June 19th 1976 ( I know because I googled it), is that we met up with Chalkie Davies at Bob Marley's concert at Ninian Park, Cardiff, where he was taking photos for the NME.
   Dave knew him quite well, having grown up in Barry. I'd never met him previously.
   This was just before Marley came to prominence with the single 'No Woman, No Cry' and also before Chalkie went on to become one of the world's greatest rock photographers, producing countless memorable pictures for the NME and then many album covers, including those for The Specials, Elvis Costello and Thin Lizzy.
   Coincidentally, on a day of tampin' rain much like that June day at the home of City (who we both supported then), myself and Dave met up at the National Museum to view Chalkie's exhibition there ( it runs till September 6th).
   If you haven't been yet, then it's a must for anyone remotely interested in music, as it's fascinating seeing the photos of David Bowie in his Ziggy Stardust tour with all his transformations, Dylan alongside Graham Parker looking like brothers in arms and The Specials all gazing up at something (you're not sure exactly what).
   When you witness the ones of Debbie Harry in oh-so-sensual pose and Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungeon together in Phil Lynott's bathroom, you realise just how much part of our awareness of rock music Chalkie's images have become.
   All in glorious black and white, despite the fact that he did take up colour when he moved from the NME to The Face magazine.
  Chalkie Davies simply gave up rock photography in the 1980s when he lost interest in the music scene.
   It's a shame really , as Dave and I were discussing how much great stuff was around then, apart from the charts : bands like Carter USM and The Fatima Mansions whose  anarchistic views and highly original styles were reflected in the Welsh scene by the likes of Datblygu.
   It was good to meet Chalkie that day and to see his battered camera case open up to reveal a wondrous machine.
   Despite the torrents of rain, the Marley gig was unforgettable as we left singing the chorus of 'Get Up, Stand Up' , voices to and fro in a soaked but song-shone crowd.



                                  BABYLON  FALLING



Babylon was falling down
that day at Ninian Park
where we sat in the Bob Bank,
place where we'd cheered,
chanted and often groaned.


Swigging back a cider flagon
like hobos to keep out the cold
and damp, the sparse crowd
gathered to see a wiry Jamaican
and his band, to wail along.


Intoxicated, we played football
with the empty bottle, kicking
it into a goal ; I raised
two fingers in a Robin Friday salute
to an empty, sodden field.


Little did we know how the lens
that caught us then - like rebel tones
of that Rastaman singer -
would enter from those drab wings
onto a stage of heroes and villains. 

                 
   
2 Comments
marco link
7/6/2015 01:37:28 am

Great story about that concert. I know that Robert Plant was in the audience. Bob lives!

Reply
Twm link
1/20/2018 05:30:25 pm

The thing I find disappointing about this gig, apart from the poor attendance, is the miserable wet weather. My older brother was born in 76 and my dad would always mention how hot the summer was so I know it wasn't even a typical day for that summer.

Reply



Leave a Reply.



    Archives

    November 2019
    September 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    October 2009
    September 2009
    August 2009
    July 2009
    June 2009

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photos used under Creative Commons from johnharveypegg, Dai Lygad, joncandy, victoriapeckham, David Holt London, aeneastudio, fromthevalleys-, Metro Centric, andymag, David Bergin Photography, villunderlondon, @markheybo, joncandy, Martin Pettitt, Between the Shadows, joncandy, johnkell, olivia.barrie, villunderlondon, Lake Worth, MittenStatePhototog, frankieleon, robynejay, joncandy, mcaretaker, Thomas Leuthard, Knight Foundation, joncandy, Joybot, brownpau, Iburiedpaul, villunderlondon, amit_gaur, abegum, simonw92, beeveephoto, Aislinn Ritchie, Shannon Green Photography, joncandy, Nick J Webb, Vish Menon, AberCJ, gcoldironjr2003, joncandy, World Can't Wait, jonl1973, Watt_Dabney, petejam70, Kerndav, MJ Klaver, joncandy, Daquella manera, spratt504, joncandy, ashleigh290, Glyn Lowe Photoworks., afanatochka, r.nial.bradshaw, themendingnews, rikkis_refuge, Matthew Straubmuller, joncandy, onnola, final gather, funktionhouse, marioanima, joncandy, Dai Lygad, joncandy, Guttorm Flatabø, brittreints, garryknight, villunderlondon, wonker, Martin Pettitt, joncandy, tnarik, AJC1, simonw92, wardyboy400, joncandy, Bombardier, joncandy, Cargo Cult, joncandy, joncandy, SeanOConnor2010, Feral78, comedy_nose, Abode of Chaos, mkairishstudies, joncandy, avail, Jörg Weingrill, Gwydion M. Williams, Leshaines123, KiltBear, eisenbahner, Capt' Gorgeous, Francis Storr, New Chemical History, Matthew Black, jc.winkler, Gwenael Kere, Karen Roe