My first, but not my last trip to the USA was memorable for a lot of reasons, I was with my best buddy, Wendy who lived there, we had lots of adventures, including me nearly wrecking her boat because I didn’t know what a boo-ey was… it was a buoy which of course we English pronounce ‘boy’… I met so many lovely people, ate so many oysters, laughed until I nearly split my sides… and..
… I saw Bob Dylan!
As well as The Alarm, he was supported by a young singer songwriter, Tracy Chapman. I had already heard her, and may have got her LP, certainly I did have her album but I’m not sure now whether I bought it before or after I saw her. Although she was American, born in Cleveland Ohio, my American friends didn’t know her. The concert was at the Champs de Brionne vineyard, and we were sitting up on the hillside of the amphitheatre on rugs with a big picnic, including various alcoholic beverages concealed in soft drinks such as coke… how naughty we were!
Tracy came on stage (I don’t remember The Alarm) and although she was a tiny dot on the distant stage, and hardly any bigger through binoculars, she filled the huge space… She was amazing, unforgettable… Bob Dylan followed… another tiny dot… and I have to say I don’t really remember his performance… but at least I was there, at least I saw a legend of twentieth century music… and Tracy Chapman!
Lois Elsden 