Blog » Bill’s blog – June 5-6, 2010
Friday 9th July 2010
Bill was up early on Saturday, June 5, taking time to walk in the garden before Caroline and Gilbert arrived at 9am, with them then driving to La Colombre d’Or for a series of interviews. Bill had a heavy day of interviews lined up, including a 30 minute interview with David Style and photos by Mike Hardacre for the website FR2day.com, then an interview with Juston Postlewaite for a French magazine.
Bill then stopped for a break and walked to the Musee de St Paul, where he did an interview and photos for the Nice Matin newspaper. By this time, lunch was looming, so Bill returned to the La Colombre d’Or where he joined Suzanne and the girls for lunch on the terrace.
In the afternoon, the Rhythm Kings performed their sound check and were filmed by ARTE TV, who also filmed Bill’s Stone Alone In Saint Paul exhibition. More interviews followed, with Bill heading to the Espace Andre Verdet where Bill did lots more interviews, before joining the band for a sound check and to run through the songs for the evening. Bill also did an interview for French national TV, and posed for more photos.
At 6pm Bill attended the private VIP reception of the Stone Alone In Saint Paul exhibition for a viewing with the mayor and invited Press, with the mayor giving a speech, followed by Bill. After the preview, Bill headed back to his house where Adam Clayton, the bass player of U2, was waiting and who was coming along with Bill for the evening’s concert. Then, Bill headed back to the venue to relax backstage and also chat to his photographer friend Terry O’Neill and his wife Lorraine.
Finally, Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings headed to the stage at La Courtine in St Paul de Vence at 9:30pm to a sold-out audience of almost 800 people, with a mix of some sitting and some standing. The I Got A Woman (Georgie), Sweet Soul Music (Beverley), Chicken Shack Boogie (Geraint), Too Late (Terry), All Night Long (Bill), Melody (Georgie/Beverley), Just Your Fool (Frank), It’s A Man’s World (Beverley), Hit The Road Jack (Georgie), That’s Better For Me Baby (Terry), Three Cool Cats (Georgie), Johnny B Goode (Geraint), I Just Wanna Make Love To You (Beverley), Just For A Thrill (Georgie), and You Never Can Tell (Bill).
The crowd loved it, demanding encores, with the band returning to perform Chagrin (Geraint), I Put A Spell On You (Beverley), and Honky Tonk Women (Bill). The evening concert was a great success, and got a great review in FR2DAY ARTS headed The Rhythm Kings Do The Business In S Paul:
David Stoyle (FR2DAY ARTS 6.6.10) said: “Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings wowed St Paul on Saturday evening with a fine set of roots music that underlined Bill's message that when the band enjoys what they are doing the audience enjoys it too. Earlier in the day Bill gave us his recipe for a great concert - top quality musicians, a varied show, and the band all having a good time. In the evening on the beautiful ramparts of the old town of St Paul, we got the proof with a really memorable event.
The band is made up of some of the best and most versatile musicians in the world - Bill Wyman on bass, Terry Taylor on guitar, Geraint Watkins on piano, Georgie Fame on Hammond organ, Beverley Skeete vocals, horns from Nick Payne and Frank Mead, and Graham Broad on the drums. It's a mark of the respect the industry has for them that they are called on to work with some of the biggest names in music.
The show started with Georgie Fame singing "I got a woman", and at once the audience was showing just how much they were enjoying it. So many great numbers this evening, with vocals shared around the band. Bill talks about variety and dynamics in gigs, and here were some fine examples with wonderful versions of "I Just Wanna Make Love to You", "This is a Man's World", and "I Put a Spell on You" all sung by Beverley.
Georgie Fame brings the Ray Charles style to the band, and sang on a superb version of "Just for a Thrill". "Hit the Road Jack" had one of the best baritone sax solos I've ever seen. And for the rock and roll fans, there were great band efforts for "Johnny Be Good" and "You Never Can Tell". This one had Bill singing while the horns were having a great time swinging their saxes in time with the music.
Coming back for the encore, Geraint gave a solo version of "Chagrin", and the night was wrapped up with a version of "Honky Tonk Woman" sung by Bill that had everyone singing along - in fact he hardly bothered singing the chorus because the fans were doing it so well!
This was a great conclusion to a fine day for Bill Wyman and for St Paul de Vence.”
With the concert over, Bill then was driven – part of the way by small electric car and then by police car, to a marquee beside La Cafe de la Place. Guests included the artist Nall and the family from La Colombe d’Or. Bill was also given a Brownie camera from Yves Michon, and was also presented with a large cake in the shape of a bass guitar. The mayor then presented Bill with the medal of St Paul, and made Bill an honorary citizen of the village.
Sunday, June 6, and Bill was presented with a cascade of newspaper and press reports on the Stone Alone In Saint Paul exhibition, with a six-page article in FR2DAY ARTS headed Bill Wyman Talks Exclusively To FR2DAY’s David Stoyle.
David Stoyle (FR2DAY ARTS 6.6.10) said: “Bill Wyman was in St Paul de Vence last weekend to launch an exhibition of his photos. We look some time with him to discuss his love affair with the South of France, his photography and the great people that have been his friends. Plus how he sees the world of music these days. Walking out on The Rolling Stones - a band that dominated the world - must have been a tough decision, but he seems convinced it was the right one: he's driving The Rhythm Kings, and getting massive recognition from audiences and fellow stars. He's also found the stability to build a lovely family with wife Suzanne and three daughters, together with his older son Stephen. And as his photo exhibition shows, he has known and become friends with some wonderful people. Sitting on the terrace of the world famous Colombe d'Or he's relaxed and friendly… etc…
Q: What is your proudest moment?
A: (Long pause...) I took a hat-trick at The Oval in a charity cricket match between a celebrity eleven and a former England eleven. It was the first televised hat trick at The Oval, and only the third ever! Derek Underwood came and told me he played 76 times for England, and several hundred times here, and he never took a hat trick! That's my proudest moment.”
Bill got up a little later than usual on Sunday, with most of the Rhythm Kings flying out from Nice airport back to the UK, along with Suzanne and the girls. Bill started working on updating his diary and scans of the tour and exhibition, before taking a break to – naturally – watch the cricket Test Match between England and Bangladesh, which England won.
Bill then stopped for a break and walked to the Musee de St Paul, where he did an interview and photos for the Nice Matin newspaper. By this time, lunch was looming, so Bill returned to the La Colombre d’Or where he joined Suzanne and the girls for lunch on the terrace.
In the afternoon, the Rhythm Kings performed their sound check and were filmed by ARTE TV, who also filmed Bill’s Stone Alone In Saint Paul exhibition. More interviews followed, with Bill heading to the Espace Andre Verdet where Bill did lots more interviews, before joining the band for a sound check and to run through the songs for the evening. Bill also did an interview for French national TV, and posed for more photos.
At 6pm Bill attended the private VIP reception of the Stone Alone In Saint Paul exhibition for a viewing with the mayor and invited Press, with the mayor giving a speech, followed by Bill. After the preview, Bill headed back to his house where Adam Clayton, the bass player of U2, was waiting and who was coming along with Bill for the evening’s concert. Then, Bill headed back to the venue to relax backstage and also chat to his photographer friend Terry O’Neill and his wife Lorraine.
Finally, Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings headed to the stage at La Courtine in St Paul de Vence at 9:30pm to a sold-out audience of almost 800 people, with a mix of some sitting and some standing. The I Got A Woman (Georgie), Sweet Soul Music (Beverley), Chicken Shack Boogie (Geraint), Too Late (Terry), All Night Long (Bill), Melody (Georgie/Beverley), Just Your Fool (Frank), It’s A Man’s World (Beverley), Hit The Road Jack (Georgie), That’s Better For Me Baby (Terry), Three Cool Cats (Georgie), Johnny B Goode (Geraint), I Just Wanna Make Love To You (Beverley), Just For A Thrill (Georgie), and You Never Can Tell (Bill).
The crowd loved it, demanding encores, with the band returning to perform Chagrin (Geraint), I Put A Spell On You (Beverley), and Honky Tonk Women (Bill). The evening concert was a great success, and got a great review in FR2DAY ARTS headed The Rhythm Kings Do The Business In S Paul:
David Stoyle (FR2DAY ARTS 6.6.10) said: “Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings wowed St Paul on Saturday evening with a fine set of roots music that underlined Bill's message that when the band enjoys what they are doing the audience enjoys it too. Earlier in the day Bill gave us his recipe for a great concert - top quality musicians, a varied show, and the band all having a good time. In the evening on the beautiful ramparts of the old town of St Paul, we got the proof with a really memorable event.
The band is made up of some of the best and most versatile musicians in the world - Bill Wyman on bass, Terry Taylor on guitar, Geraint Watkins on piano, Georgie Fame on Hammond organ, Beverley Skeete vocals, horns from Nick Payne and Frank Mead, and Graham Broad on the drums. It's a mark of the respect the industry has for them that they are called on to work with some of the biggest names in music.
The show started with Georgie Fame singing "I got a woman", and at once the audience was showing just how much they were enjoying it. So many great numbers this evening, with vocals shared around the band. Bill talks about variety and dynamics in gigs, and here were some fine examples with wonderful versions of "I Just Wanna Make Love to You", "This is a Man's World", and "I Put a Spell on You" all sung by Beverley.
Georgie Fame brings the Ray Charles style to the band, and sang on a superb version of "Just for a Thrill". "Hit the Road Jack" had one of the best baritone sax solos I've ever seen. And for the rock and roll fans, there were great band efforts for "Johnny Be Good" and "You Never Can Tell". This one had Bill singing while the horns were having a great time swinging their saxes in time with the music.
Coming back for the encore, Geraint gave a solo version of "Chagrin", and the night was wrapped up with a version of "Honky Tonk Woman" sung by Bill that had everyone singing along - in fact he hardly bothered singing the chorus because the fans were doing it so well!
This was a great conclusion to a fine day for Bill Wyman and for St Paul de Vence.”
With the concert over, Bill then was driven – part of the way by small electric car and then by police car, to a marquee beside La Cafe de la Place. Guests included the artist Nall and the family from La Colombe d’Or. Bill was also given a Brownie camera from Yves Michon, and was also presented with a large cake in the shape of a bass guitar. The mayor then presented Bill with the medal of St Paul, and made Bill an honorary citizen of the village.
Sunday, June 6, and Bill was presented with a cascade of newspaper and press reports on the Stone Alone In Saint Paul exhibition, with a six-page article in FR2DAY ARTS headed Bill Wyman Talks Exclusively To FR2DAY’s David Stoyle.
David Stoyle (FR2DAY ARTS 6.6.10) said: “Bill Wyman was in St Paul de Vence last weekend to launch an exhibition of his photos. We look some time with him to discuss his love affair with the South of France, his photography and the great people that have been his friends. Plus how he sees the world of music these days. Walking out on The Rolling Stones - a band that dominated the world - must have been a tough decision, but he seems convinced it was the right one: he's driving The Rhythm Kings, and getting massive recognition from audiences and fellow stars. He's also found the stability to build a lovely family with wife Suzanne and three daughters, together with his older son Stephen. And as his photo exhibition shows, he has known and become friends with some wonderful people. Sitting on the terrace of the world famous Colombe d'Or he's relaxed and friendly… etc…
Q: What is your proudest moment?
A: (Long pause...) I took a hat-trick at The Oval in a charity cricket match between a celebrity eleven and a former England eleven. It was the first televised hat trick at The Oval, and only the third ever! Derek Underwood came and told me he played 76 times for England, and several hundred times here, and he never took a hat trick! That's my proudest moment.”
Bill got up a little later than usual on Sunday, with most of the Rhythm Kings flying out from Nice airport back to the UK, along with Suzanne and the girls. Bill started working on updating his diary and scans of the tour and exhibition, before taking a break to – naturally – watch the cricket Test Match between England and Bangladesh, which England won.
