Think you害羞草研究所檝e seen a lot of concerts? Meet Surrey害羞草研究所檚 Colin Hartridge, a walking, talking encyclopedia of rock n害羞草研究所� roll.
By his count, he害羞草研究所檚 witnessed close to 1,000 concerts in his 68 years, and has many of the ticket stubs as proof of his love for live music.
The kicker is, Hartridge is still an avid concert-goer, with two or three on his calendar every week. He also still frequently drums at jam nights around Metro Vancouver, as a blast from his past with the band Sparkling Apple.
In another music-related passion of his, he害羞草研究所檚 hosted his own from his Guildford-area townhouse for the past four years, giving listeners new themed shows every Monday on mixcloud.com.
This week害羞草研究所檚 episode, his 256th, is dubbed and features 34 songs with the word 害羞草研究所渕oon害羞草研究所� in the title, including tunes by Nat King Cole, Ozzy Osbourne, Captain Beefheart, John Mellencamp and others.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 just something I like to do, for fun,害羞草研究所� Hartridge said. 害羞草研究所淥n Mixcloud, there害羞草研究所檚 a listener count for each show, but I have no idea where they害羞草研究所檙e listening from unless they 害羞草研究所榝avourite害羞草研究所� or repost the show,害羞草研究所� he added. 害羞草研究所淚f they do that, I can see that Captain Maniac Show friends have tuned in from Greece or South Africa, or France or England or wherever.害羞草研究所�
Hartridge, a retired graphic designer who still creates posters for buddies in bands, moved to Surrey with his family when he was six years old, and has lived in the city ever since.
He started playing drums at age 16, a couple years after he saw The Beatles play Empire Stadium in Vancouver. The landmark show, in 1964, was his first as a concert-goer.
害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檇 seen The Beatles on TV, Ed Sullivan害羞草研究所檚 show, and of course I saw Ringo and said, 害羞草研究所榃ell, I can do that!害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 Hartridge recalled with a laugh. 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檇 always be tapping on window sills with my mom害羞草研究所檚 knitting needles and my dad finally said, 害羞草研究所榊ou should take drum lessons.害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克 I took lessons for about six months (at a place in Vancouver), but they were more interested in Latin rhythms, sambas and all that, but I just wanted to play rock 害羞草研究所榥害羞草研究所� roll. So I sort of ended up teaching myself just by listening to records and playing along to those.害羞草研究所�
As a teen in the late 1960s, Hartridge saw concerts by several iconic rock bands that travelled through Vancouver, including Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Led Zeppelin and more.
Hartridge has a sharp memory for details of those performances.
害羞草研究所淭he best concert I ever went to was the Jimi Hendrix Experience, and that was 害羞草研究所�68 at the Pacific Coliseum, and they had about three other bands on before him 害羞草研究所� Eire Apparent, Soft Machine and Vanilla Fudge, so by the time Hendrix came on, it was about midnight,害羞草研究所� he recalled.
害羞草研究所淪o he came on and said to the crowd, 害羞草研究所業害羞草研究所檝e got a cold,害羞草研究所� but he still played like nobody害羞草研究所檚 business. I remember that his grandmother was in the audience, because she lived not too far away from there, in Strathcona, around there. So when he did 害羞草研究所楩oxy Lady,害羞草研究所� he dedicated it to her.害羞草研究所�
Earlier that year, the Coliseum also played host to Cream, with Eric Clapton on guitar, Jack Bruce on bass and Ginger Baker on drums.
害羞草研究所淚 remember them playing only six songs, but of course each song was at least 10 minutes long,害羞草研究所� Hartridge said. 害羞草研究所淭hey害羞草研究所檇 do a framework of the song and then they害羞草研究所檇 jam 害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所楽unshine of Your Love害羞草研究所� with extended solos that went on for years.害羞草研究所�
Back then, he害羞草研究所檇 attend a lot of concerts 害羞草研究所渂ecause they were events you just had to go to,害羞草研究所� he explained.
害羞草研究所淏y today害羞草研究所檚 standards it was cheap 害羞草研究所� I saw Led Zeppelin for $5, so I guess that害羞草研究所檇 be like $50 today, or something. And back then we didn害羞草研究所檛 have any digital distractions, and we didn害羞草研究所檛 spend a lot of time watching TV, so we went to concerts. You know, 害羞草研究所楾hin Lizzy害羞草研究所檚 in town, let害羞草研究所檚 go see 害羞草研究所榚m.害羞草研究所� One time it was T. Rex and the opening band was Blue Oyster Cult, who we really liked back then, so we went and couldn害羞草研究所檛 stand T. Rex, so we left after a couple songs.害羞草研究所�
The band Hartridge has seen most often in concert is Blue Oyster Cult 害羞草研究所� probably 10 times, he said.
害羞草研究所淚 know they害羞草研究所檙e coming here in the summer, to that , but I害羞草研究所檓 pretty sure it害羞草研究所檚 not all the original guys. So I害羞草研究所檒l probably go see that. And a band like Zeppelin, every time they came to town we害羞草研究所檇 go see 害羞草研究所榚m, just because it was Zeppelin. They were here in 害羞草研究所�68 for the first time, and a bunch of times after that. I saw them all, I think.害羞草研究所�
Not surprisingly, the music of many of the bands Hartridge has seen in concert is played on his Captain Maniac show.
Out of the gate, his very first episode was called a two-hour collection of songs recorded by Jet, Rose Tattoo, The Cult, The Sex Pistols, Big Sugar and others.
The weekly series is 害羞草研究所渄evoted to the music *I* want to play 害羞草研究所� not what I害羞草研究所檓 TOLD to play, but what *I* want to play, with the emphasis on loud and proud rock and roll!害羞草研究所� Hartridge wrote in an introduction.
to visit 害羞草研究所淭he Captain Maniac Show害羞草研究所� page on Facebook.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of , launched in 1969, just after Hartridge had graduated from high school.
害羞草研究所淚t started off as the Plastic Rat Blues Band, and we had one guy leave so we wanted to change the name to something else,害羞草研究所� he recalled. 害羞草研究所淲e had a bottle of cider in front of us, and that was it, OK. It stuck.害羞草研究所�
For Sparkling Apple, a final gig is in the works for later this year.
害羞草研究所淲e haven害羞草研究所檛 played for a while because Art has sciatica, and I have problems with my eyes (I had a torn retina),害羞草研究所� Hartridge explained.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 going to happen, possibly at Donegal害羞草研究所檚 (in Surrey) but not until after summer, probably in the fall. I don害羞草研究所檛 see us playing beyond that show.害羞草研究所�
to read Sparkling Apple害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淩oad Stories,害羞草研究所� written by Hartridge.
Last Saturday night (April 13), in another of his concert-going experiences, Hartridge helped celebrate the 70th birthday of Doni Underhill, the former Trooper bass player, at in Guildford. The night included a four-song reunion performance by singer Ra McGuire, guitar player Brian Smith, drummer Tommy Stewart and Underhill on bass 害羞草研究所� the band害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所渃lassic害羞草研究所� edition, minus keyboardist Frank Ludwig. They played the classic cuts 害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e Here for a Good Time,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所�3 Dressed as a 9,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淭he Boys in the Bright White Sports Car害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淩aise a Little Hell.害羞草研究所�
Early Sunday, Hartridge posted on Facebook: 害羞草研究所淲asn害羞草研究所檛 that a party?害羞草研究所�
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