“I scream, you scream,
everybody wants ice cream!”
They were the words I got back when the name Chris Barber was mentioned to friends and colleagues. There’s a whole lot more to Barber than that though, and John Harrison’s review of the Big Chris Barber Band at the Bad Godesberg Stadthalle is by far the longest review on this site to date. Even so, it barely scratches at the surface of Barber’s career or his importance to modern music.
A promoter of Early Blues greats like Muddy Waters and Howling Wolf. A founder of London’s Marquee Club – THE place for every aspiring Pop/Rock star of the 60’s and 70’s to play (and where the likes of Jagger and Hendrix cut their teeth after hearing the band’s Barber ‘brought over’ to the UK). Learning ground for legendary musicians like Lonnie Donegan and Ken Colyer.
“He changed my life, and probably yours too” is how Hugh Laurie describes Barber in an interview
Let John Harrison tell the Chris Barber story through his excellent review that follows. Take a break mid-way for an ice cream if you want…
