50 Years of The Last Waltz

50 years ago this November, The Band - Robbie Robertson, Richard Manuel, Rick Danko, Levon Helm and Garth Hudson - brought together their favourite artists and influences for a unique concert, their last with the classic line-up, at Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. A full Thanksgiving feast was served, and The Band - with guests including Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan and Muddy Waters - somehow played for over 5 hours. The evening was captured forever by Martin Scorsese in the Last Waltz movie, a touchstone for any lover of 1970s music and a key influence on the whole ‘Americana’ genre. It would be remiss not to mark this special anniversary, so please join us at The Sound Lounge on 21st November (close enough to Thanksgiving for our purposes).

Back in 2007, Robin Bennett (The Dreaming Spires/Bennett Wilson Poole) sent a speculative message to Garth Hudson of The Band via the wonders of the internet (via Myspace, in fact). His wife Maud replied, and within a few months Garth headed over to the UK play to perform at Truck Festival in Oxfordshire and the 100 Club in London, backed by Robin’s then band Goldrush and members of Grand Drive, one of the last times a member of The Band performed in the UK. Hard to believe that at that time, the Last Waltz was only 30 years in the rear view mirror.

For this special event, Robin will be bringing together a celebration of some of the standout moments from The Last Waltz, with guest musicians and singers from Clubhouse Records and beyond (although they can’t promise to play for 5 hours). In keeping with the original concert, you can also book a special Thanksgiving feast (this time plant-based, of course), direct from The Sound Lounge on the night.