Muni Sessions

Ian McLagan at Muni Arts Centre, Pontypridd, July 31st, 2008

A poster outside the Muni Arts Centre in Pontypridd for the past several weeks had been advertising a “Cabaret Night” featuring Ian ‘Mac’ McLagan.  “Cabaret?” I pondered, somewhat bemused.  I couldn’t help thinking the theatre management weren’t quite holding Mr McLagan and his Bump Band in the esteem befitting a member of rock and roll hierarchy.  Cabaret always conjures up images for me of a double act performing the hits of Abba with the aid of a backing track.  Mac on the other hand is not only famous for playing keyboards and organ for Small Faces and the Faces, but has also toured previously with the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and far too many more to list. 

Candle-lit tables filled the auditorium as though the people had come to enjoy a three-course meal to accompany the entertainment.  However, unless you wanted all three courses to be entirely liquid based then you were to be disappointed.  Upon entering the stage, Mac encouraged anyone who wanted to stand, sing-along or dance to let themselves be known.  It was like one of those awkward moments at a wedding when the dance floor is empty and everyone waits for someone else to make the first move.  On this occasion only a handful of the audience ever shook their meat to the beat, although it was an appreciative crowd.

The band, being based in Austin, Texas, was nearing the end of a taxing eighteen-date British tour over 21 days.  The set list consisted of some great, old Faces classics, but Small Faces material was rather under-represented.  Mac told a story of when he met Paul Weller, the Modfather told him one of his favourite Small Faces tracks was ‘Get Yourself Together’ and McLagan couldn’t even remember the song until digging it out of his collection.  He decided to revisit it here.

Much of the evening was spent promoting the Bump Band’s latest album, Never Say Never.  Mac was upset to forget the words of the title track as that song was written for his deceased wife Kim.  This concert was held two days before the second anniversary of Kim’s death in a road accident.

“Never say never,” is also McLagan’s reply to questions of a Faces reunion.  He naturally has a proactive attitude towards putting it together.  However, Rod Stewart can fill somewhere like the Millennium Stadium with or without his old comrades and Ronnie Wood remains as unpredictable as a rattlesnake Mac is sure to find back in Texas.

No punches were pulled in regards to record companies who have denied Small Faces any royalties for all these years.  I remember reading an amusing anecdote in the autobiography of the Kinks’ Dave Davies that when he signed his first record contract in 1964 he had no idea that the term “in perpetuity” meant forever.  It seems that Small Faces encountered similar pitfalls.  Strange then that in Mac’s own autobiography he should refer to Peter Grant, the infamous manager of Led Zeppelin, as a bully since he was a trailblazer in ensuring artists got paid what they deserved.

Tributes were paid to Mac’s great friend and former band mate Ronnie Lane who passed away ten years ago after a long battle with multiple sclerosis.  Even amongst talk of the deceased and wishing bad things on record company executives the Muni was a happy place to be.  Mac is a fascinating storyteller and the musicianship of the Bump Band is not to be questioned.  Guitarist Jud ‘Scrappy’ Newcomb was highly accomplished and bass player Mark Andes could hardly be more experienced having performed with Canned Heat, Heart, Spirit and Stevie Nicks in the past. 

Presuming the Faces aren’t to reform, Mac can certainly still be proud of the mature yet passionate group of men he now performs with.  The Faces attitude was always “fuck the gig,” but these days the music is all that matters.  Mac doesn’t so much as drink before a concert anymore never mind all the other niceties from the past.  There are no encores because he feels they are over-indulgent.  Indulgence was the name of the game not so long ago, be it drink, drugs or women.  No wonder he carried out a few stress-busting exercises that left hotel managers quaking in their shoes.  I wonder if Mac is still banned from every Holiday Inn on the planet?

© 2008 Jonathan Browning

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