The Eel Pie Club at The Turk’s Head, St. Margarets, Twickenham
20/03/25
By Paul Davies
He may have hobbled himself with an ill-advised legal claim, but it’s proved a boon for Wishbone Ash fans, who now have two variants of the band to follow. And tonight’s show was proof: such were the high expectations of the diehards filling this charming venue, that Turner’s commendable commitment to the deep cuts of Wishbone’s vast back catalogue rewarded the rock’n’roll pilgrims who’d journeyed far and wide to be here.
Gaudily dressed as if headed to an all-night rave rather than a rock gig, Turner cut a colourful figure—but his voice was in fine form for a shaggy-haired 77-year-old. His hilariously over-sharing between-song patter felt like something from another age.
But really, it’s all about the music. With impeccable twin guitar harmonies and tight interplay from Danny Wilson and Misha Nikolic—plus the welcome return of Tim Brown on drums—Turner has gathered a band who genuinely care about the music, and it shows. Billed as Blowin’ Free – The 55th Anniversary of the Formation of the Original Wishbone Ash, the setlist travelled back through the years, with revealing anecdotes prefacing most songs. Not least was Blowin’ Free, inspired by a breezy Dartmoor tryst with his then-girlfriend, her hair blowing freely in the wind. It was played tonight with real care and soul.
Three tracks—Lady Jay, Persephone and FUBB—were lifted from 1974’s There’s the Rub. Before the instrumental FUBB, the venerable bassist/frontman recounted its hazy origin: producer du jour Bill Szymczyk breaking out a bag of supremely strong weed provided by Joe Walsh. “It felt like I was strapped into the front seat as Concorde was taking off,” Turner recalled, with a pitch-perfect Walsh impersonation. F****d Up Beyond Belief indeed—and this outfit’s rendition was a stoner delight.
There was a constant murmur of approval across the two-part set. A hall filled with vintage Wishbone Ash T-shirts—worn by mostly, though not exclusively, hirsute men of a certain age—basked in the glow of classics like The King Will Come, Phoenix, The Pilgrim and Rock’n’Roll Widow as they echoed around this characterful venue. Astute picks like Front Page News and You See Red also drew audible appreciation, while the encore—featuring Doctor and Jail Bait—sealed a joyous trip down memory lane.
Prior to the show, the recent story behind Turner’s appearance here had me recalling J.M.W. Turner’s painting of The Fighting Temeraire, depicting a great ship’s final journey. But I was wrong. Unlike that “had-its-day” narrative, Martin Turner deserves major credit. This animated and grafting Torquonian is still treading the boards, booming Gibson Thunderbird in hand, and raging into the night with more adventures to come. And for his loyal followers, the more the merrier.
As an addendum, the same is true for venues like the Eel Pie Club—operating tonight from The Turk’s Head while its main home at The Cabbage Patch undergoes renovation. These grassroots gigs need support. It was heartening to see a sold-out crowd tonight; otherwise, it’s another case of ashes to ashes and, as we all know, there’s the rub.
Paul Davies
