Burning Spear live in Lyon 1994

Burning Spear live in concert, Lyon, February 3, 1994

This is a very special one. It starts with the invitation by NoF-NoF to accompany him to Lyon to meet Burning Spear. At this time it is quite difficult to see NoF-NoF without Whiskey. He’s driving and drinking. But I feel safe. At that time, I have no driver licence yet. But I don’t mind. In Lyon it’s easy to find the club (I don’t remember the name).

Before the concert

It’s not a club, but a concert hall. It’s a massive big building. And there are a lot of people. I remember a beautiful french journalist. She is nervous, because Burning Spear is not yet in the house.

I’m watching all these people running and talking and being busy. Some conversations are in french others in english. I keep myself in the background quietly. NoF-NoF is in his element, talking here and talking there. Then the band is arriving and everything get twice as wild. I enjoy from the third line. When the soundcheck starts, I have access to all areas. It’s a huge place.

The concert

I mixed three minutes from my live recording with some samples (not in chronological order). The horn section from the soundcheck. Peace the intro from that time. Swell Headed. Marcus Garvey. Pick Up The Pieces. Christopher Columbus and The Sun with someone singing his own line. He doesn’t know, that I’m recording, but his fire is on the recording.

While the show starts I’m dancing my heart out. It’s fascinating, I’m behind a curtain, the people from the audience can’t see me, but Burning Spear can. I feel like I’m dancing for a little attention from the Spear. As I explain later, the spear hit.

To have a closer view to that time and how it sounded, this is something from Sunsplash 1993.

And this one could be from a few days apart from the show in Lyon, because Grenoble is not far, but it also could be from another month.

There is a live album with a lot of these versions.

The same album is also known with this cover.

After the concert

That is the greatest part of this event. NoF-NoF, André and I have a room in the same hotel as the band. So it’s quite natural, that we’re sitting in the lobby. When Nelson Miller comes across, he’s talking about his Jamaican home, where a lot of his chicken died. I don’t know why, but it I remember that. Then the beautiful french journalist from before the concert comes and is taking the whole band plus NoF-Nof, André and me to a place not far. I remember a place with four or five concrete higher houses (about 20 stories high). One a them is the one we’re heading to. In the entrance, there is a lift, but we’re too many. I’m waiting outside, but after a while the elevator opens again and all a them take a step upwards to come back to the entrance. Too many people. When I see all a them coming from down, I know there is just a little second elevator. I’m asking for the correct floor. It’s the thirteenth. So I step up the stairs. I’m quite fast. Because I arrive almost at the same time upstairs as the others with the little elevator. I mean the second ride. There is one or two of the band, wondering how fast I was upstairs. I have to explain, that I was a bicycle rider at that time. I drove in six years about 42.000 km (25.000 miles, one time around the world) with my bicycle. It help to receive the respect from the band.

A few moments later I stand in the queue to the kitchen, where big pots fired all day long for a fantastic food. Ital food. Oh, how I love that. And funny detail, Winston Rodney is just before me in this queue. He serves himself and then asking me and serves me. What a privilege I’m thinking. Outside the kitchen there is a little table for four people (we’re all about 12 or even more, everybody is eating somewhere on the ground or elsewhere) but Winston Rodney takes place at this table as the third and then he asks me to sit beside him. Now I feel blessed. Yes, I am. My feeling of dancing for the Spear was correct. Winston Rodney recognize me as the wild dancer. Telling me, that it is great to see people dancing, while playing music. Oh yes, I know. I love it. While eating, I’m asking, if it’s possible to have his signature. What a question.

We’re leaving that house and then Winston Rodney goes to a van or car, where some posters are in the trunk. Takes one out and paint his signature on it. Then he’s asking one by one of the band to sign it as well. You can enjoy the poster on top with all the signatures.

NoF-NoF later tells me, how jealous he is for this poster, because he never saw Winston doing something like that. Yes, I’m blessed.

Way back home

I sleep on the sofa in the hotel room. While NoF-NoF and André have to share one big bed. It’s funny to see them like that. Hoho. The next day NoF-NoF taking me back to Neuchâtel to his home. From where I take the train back to Luzern. It’s Friday and afternoon. I’m very tired but also very happy. With my signed poster in my hand and my baggage in the other. The last part is from Luzern to my then living place called Root. Yes, I was living in Root, there is the name Roots Connection coming from. My brother Roger and I Claude have the same initials. And from there rTc is coming. Founded in 1988 in Root. So I take the bus from Luzern to Root and leaving at the bus station and when I leave the bus, I’m just outside, I feel like something is missing. What a shock, my poster is still in the bus. I can’t tell how tired I am, but I go to the other side of the street and wait for the bus to come back again, driving to the other direction. When the bus stops, I quickly go inside, take the poster and out again. How lucky I am? I’m blessed.

My first Burning Spear show was in 1986.