overlap

I wanted to go back a couple of weeks, because I haven't mentioned seeing Styx, and I think it's important that I do. I first came across pint-sized singer/guitarist Tommy Shaw from the title track of his 1985 album Girls With Guns, and I suspect that when I first came across Dennis De Young's song Babe - the big Styx hit that if you know any of their songs, that'll be the one - I probably didn't even make the connection. The history of Styx and De Young is a long one, and not without complications, and he's long gone from the current touring line-up. I'm lucky enough to be just in front of the stage, so I get to see details like the sandbag weighting down TS' mike stand (so it doesn't over-balance due to just how far the top section of the stand leans over to be low enough for him to reach - see pictures), and the tape measure come out to get James Young's mike at exactly the right height. Given that when I saw them a couple of years ago I was some distance from the stage and suffering with heat-stroke, to be stood almost within touching distance makes for a nice change, and it's great to see how much fun they look like they are having too. It almost goes without saying that I spend much of the set taking pictures, and that sort of thing can get in the way of watching what's going on, but it really was a cracking show they put on. The reason I can't just omit this gig and move on is the appearance of Chuck Panozzo. As the band's original bass player since 1972, Panozzo is unable to take a fully active part of the band's activities these days but nevertheless remains an important figure to it. Diagnosed HIV+ in 1991, Chuck finally outed himself as a gay man in 2001, at the age of 53. I can't imagine what living in that sort of denial/secrecy/whatever for all that time must be like, and I do know a little about being less than fully open about certain things. Whether you like the music or not, it's an indisputable, bona fide, cast iron, 100% fact that in still touring with a band member who only plays half the songs, happily taking him along just because he belongs with the band and enjoying him doing whatever he can, Shaw, Young and the rest of the organisation are undoubtedly doing the right thing. Which is important, and not something that always happens. Pictures in order of appearance (more on flickr): James JY Young, Tommy Shaw, Chuck Panozzo & Ricky Phillips

Labels: Chuck Panozzo, James Young, Styx, TommyShaw