The second evening of the 10 day Piazzette Festa in Barga Vecchia started off fine and dandy with medium sized crowds wandering peacefully through the narrow streets enjoying the evening cool after one of the hottest days of the year so far. Many people went down to the Literary festival “Tra le righe di Barga” held in the Volta dei Menchi see Piero Nannini and his theatre piece called “Memorie di Guerre”. Many others walked over to La Vignola for something light to eat but the bulk of people gravitated naturally towards the set piece piazza of the Festa -- Piazza Angelio to hear the London band T-Jays strut their stuff. And strut their stuff they did in style under just 2 songs into their set, the heavy overcast sky which had been threatening to put a damper on the evening started to just that -- it started to rain. How did Joe of the mellifluous voice react ? He simply ignored it, stuck out his chest and kept on being the uncanny babe-magnet of the group that he always does.
Rain ? ha ! we laugh at rain … bring in on !! -- Hovis Presley
Rhythm guitarist Jeremy White also had a good look at the doom laden clouds and then stuck in his chin and battled on behind the very damp looking front man of the group and now uncanny somehow more Elvis looking than “The King” himself . People in the audience exchanged worried looks at the sky, the falling rain, one another and the damp and heavily perspiring Joe -- not for nothing is he known as ” Hovis Presley” in the music biz.
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The backline had a couple of other dripping members -- both sharing the same surnames .. the brothers Geoff Collins-White of Jack’s Pack and recently The Beagles and Trevor the extraordinary axeman of former Sparks fame.
And then , finally, the tension grew too much to withstand; the rain just too heavy for the delicate microphones and electric equipment to withstand and so the T-Jays thanked the crowd and walked off stage.
Within minutes the stage was cleared of their gear and their audience who were minutes before quite happily seated at tables in the piazza abandoned their chairs and all moved under the shelter offered by the large canopy and umbrellas at L’osteria di Riccardo
So that was that. The T-jays concert in Piazza Angelio was washed out.
HA! not so ! These boys were made of sturdier stuff and once they had taken the responsibility of entertaining the crowd, nothing was going to stop them.
The roady quickly set up an amplifier for the Lead guitarist Trevor -- Jeremy played acoustic rhythm guitar and once more they were off and running -- the party was on and the audience loved every dripping minute of it.
Poised, professional, spirited and just downright entertaining —- well done the T-Jays -- thank you.
