Kevin Ayers

There is a rumour going around on the interwebs – well, Twitter primarily, that Kevin Ayers, erstwhile member of the Soft Machine and doyen of the Canterbury Scene has died.

It would be very sad news if he has and especially at the relatively young age of 68.

I have a number of albums by the Softs and a Kevin Ayers solo compilation, which I prefer to the group’s work. His music was, for want of a better phrase, quintessentially English, in the same sort of way that Ray Davies of the Kinks was, but rather more folky. John Peel (I think) once said that Ayers had a talent so acute that you could perform eye surgery with it.

It is a shame that the only time I saw him live he was absolute rubbish. It was getting on for ten years ago now I guess – I could search through LJ and check if I really wanted to. Ayers and his band were supporting the 21st Century Schizoid Band at the Queen Elizabeth Hall and I had been looking forward to the gig immensely.

Unfortunately, Ayers was pissed out of his skull (or otherwise chemically undermined). His timing and singing were all completely off and both his guitars out of tune. The most memorable visual of his set was him trying to evade a roadie who tried to wrestle his guitar from him so he could tune it. Several of the audience wandered off to the bar to await the main show. I stayed hoping for a better that never came.

Pity, really. The Schizoids were brilliant, but I still really wish I’d seen a proper performance from a man whose music I much admire.