Dimbola Museum and Galleries has struck the right chord once again with the successful return of its ‘Jimi and Friends’ event, drawing a packed audience for a night celebrating the Isle of Wight’s iconic music heritage.
The second rendition of ‘Jimi and Friends’ welcomed music fans for an evening of live performances inspired by the legendary 1969 and 1970 Isle of Wight Festivals.
Headlining the night were Big Red & The Cava Boys, featuring James Thorpe on lead guitar, Patrick Gooden on bass and vocals, Shaun Barker on drums, Neil McCarthy on keyboards and David Fisher on percussion. The band was joined by special guest Dick Taylor, founding member of The Pretty Things and former bassist with The Rolling Stones.
Also performing were Angelina Grimshaw and Jo Larcombe, with the event delivered as a 2-part seated show inside the museum’s tearoom.
Following the success of the first ‘Jimi and Friends’ event held last November, the latest instalment proved another popular addition to Dimbola’s expanding programme of music-led heritage events.
The first half of the evening focused on songs by The Pretty Things from 1963 to 1969, before the second half shifted to music linked to the 1969 and 1970 Isle of Wight Festivals.
Among the songs performed were ‘Midnight to Six’, ‘Baron Saturday’ and ‘She Says Good Morning’, with Dick Taylor showcasing standout guitar work and vocals on several tracks. The second half featured Jimi Hendrix classics ‘Voodoo Child’ and ‘Hey Joe’, alongside Jo Larcombe’s solo performance of Joan Baez’s ‘There But For Fortune’.
Patrick Gooden also delivered a rendition of Bob Dylan’s ‘Tangled Up In Blue’, before the night concluded with a rousing encore of ‘Like A Rolling Stone’, bringing together the band and much of the audience.
With attendees dressed in period-inspired fashion, the event recreated the spirit of the festival era while raising funds for Dimbola’s upcoming exhibition, ‘Jimi Hendrix at Afton, 1970’, which is due to open on 27th May. The main sponsor of the exhibition is John Giddings and Solo Music Agency.
The evening also served as a pre-launch celebration for the exhibition, highlighting Dimbola’s ongoing role in preserving and promoting the Isle of Wight’s unique place in music history.
