John Martyn 1948-2009

How do you sum up somebody who has been a massive part of your life without you really realising until they've gone? I remember crying when John Lennon died because he was always my favourite Beatle, and the music was undoubtedly great. But this is something different entirely. I realised today that the reason I never use a pick when I play the guitar was because of John Martyn, although subsequently found out that he actually used to glue one to his thumbnail so as not to waste a finger! Until I heard Glistening Glyndebourne in 1971 on John Peel's show I had not realised the possibilities of the instrument - John changed that, and changed the way I played for good. He was a strange mixture of belligerence - someone who enjoyed a fight, having grown up in the back streets of Glasgow - and warmth, producing the most chilled out music you ever heard. Also a great sense of humour, constantly self deprecating and consequently avoiding ever being remotely slushy. And the tunes! May You Never, Bless the Weather, Solid Air, there were so many. It appears from the tributes on the website, and also Danny Baker's Radio London programme on the day (playing JM, and only JM for 2 hours) that he had an ability to really touch people which many more famous names don't. I have not personally experienced a reaction like this to the death of anyone else; it's strange, a real sense of loss and grief, despite still having the albums. Maybe we underestimate the power of music.
I saw him seven times in concert: at Reading festival in 1973, mid afternoon, don't recall much about that. At Drury Lane in 1975 where the music was fabulous, only matched by the swearing; also Paul Kossoff of Free emerged for the encore, not long before his death. 1982 at Hammersmith Odeon with electric band, very rocky and 80s in feel, with Phil Collins, a good friend of John's, starring on encore drums. 1991 at the Heineken Beer Festival in Brighton, in a tent. We were front of stage but had to move back because the sound was terrible there. Still the electric JM at this stage, thought to be a less inspired period. But 1992 at the Town and Country Club in Kentish Town was one of the best, with Andy Sheppard on sax and a barnstorming version of John Wayne, a song which had to be heard live and loud to be appreciated. 1994 at the Concorde in Brighton was the old John and a guitar version, with all the favourites. Fantastic, despite being sat behind a pillar. He did two sittings that night - the second house passed us on the way out. 2008 in Cambridge was the one I had a feeling he might not make for some reason - very glad he did. The physical change was upsetting, a mountain of a man, in a wheelchair, one leg lost, but the gift remained. The songs from Grace and Danger retain their power despite gentle piss taking from the writer! Wonderful stuff, and the band were great too. He was struggling to keep going I think, finding it hard to maintain the energy, and getting through til bedtime ("Horlicks!!"). What a desperate loss to music - there are too few original and uncompromising artists around these days. As for the music industry they will probably hardly notice.
What was the music like? Early on it was just folk, but before long it became an extraordinary mix of folk, rock, jazz, ambient and whatever else took his fancy - really not possible to pigeonhole, which was what made him unique and unforgettable.
Thank you John.