Both John Edmond and the Namib Desert were much younger propositions the last time they met, something like 20 years (or more) ago. On that occasion John didn’t see much other than the inside of the venue and his sleeping unit as the fog was on the deck throughout – and that was it! And so, this was a very much belated reunion and how much different it was this time around. Truth be told, John and his charming wife Teresa were actually on a bit of a holiday break – and where better to visit than a place where nobody can get in without following quite a rig-ma-roll! To the uninitiated, we’re talking about Oranjemund in the far south western corner of the World’s oldest natural desert. On the other hand, it would be unthinkable for John to be anywhere without making just a little bit of music…and this proved to be the case during the course of this visit. Two gigs of significantly differing purpose were staged during John and Teresa’s brief stay, both equally received with much excitement and enjoyment by the town’s isolated populace.
The first was a full-on rock ‘n roll party with Namdeb’s most enduring classic rock outfit, BEDROCK (also known as “The Band In The Sand”), the pet project of your site administrator. This gig was flashback stuff for John to the Bushcat days all those decades ago but one thing he proved beyond any doubt is that the man can still rock! You can read more about this gig under the DIARY pages at the Bedrock website: www.bedrockband.com
The second gig was held at the local Namib Shellhole and was a very special occasion, as the was also celebrating more than 50 years of existence. Unlike the rock ‘n roll gig, this was John…By Request. Typically of John’s gigs, this was “value for money” as John rolled through his extensive songbook from his commercial hits such as “Pasadena” and “Toy Train” to a showcase of some of his most loved “Troopiesongs”, even dabbling in some big band material which was a fresh and pleasant surprise for all in attendance. A special word of acknowledgement is due to Teresa, too, who was always taking care of “technical matters” in the background.