Punters Before The Pirates Gig At The Ace Cafe, 2003 (photo)

Suddenly, everyone was shakin’ all over … not St.Vitus Dance but Johnny Kidd and the Pirates’ storming rock’n’roll record, a rare UK original in the 1950’s, that briefly interrupted the dominance of American music, and witnessed incongruously at my local school in the East End. Twenty years later, without their vocalist The Pirates were back in town, as before in thigh-high boots, striped pants and with the most dynamic guitarist I’d ever seen or heard. No overdubbing here, Mick Green played such an attacking rhythm lead so fast, the audience were left open mouthed. Another two decades slipped by and I heard they were playing the perfect venue, the infamous bikers haunt, The Ace Café … ‘Mmm, that’ll make pictures’ … and so it did. Teds, rockers and bikers in leathers, studs and leopard-skin were blown away by a blistering set from the trio lead by the man that inspired a new generation playing the Fender Telecaster … Jimmy Page when meeting Wilco Johnson, confided ‘we both, have the same hero’