Play Chess The Manfred Mann Way

UK Article 1978

The Danish Opening
Journalist – K4

A typical beginning to any 'on-the-road' game. The Journalist is ferried out, preferably in the company of a press officer to provide that touch of cosseting necessary to his physical and mental well-being, to liaise with the band. This he does in the foyer of the Plaza Hotel in Copenhagen (a plush place) where the band are gathering to be whisked to and from the evening's gig.

Manfred is holding a pair of plimsoll's in one hand, a portable chess set in the other. He is playing chess with tour manager Mick Cater. They have been playing for three days continuously. Manfred won the first six games but has lost the previous dozen, much to his chagrin. He now suspects 'he was softened up'. The Journalist introduces himself to all the band and to a couple of Patti Smith's band by mistake. They are appearing in Copenhagen tonight and will provide an interesting diversion to the middle game later on. Patti herself is whisked past to the lift. She looks like death warmed up.

"Can anyone take my shoes?" ask Manfred who has no bag in which to carry things. The Journalist, who has a bag, quietly offers to take the shoes, feeling that a friendly gesture at this stage might help create a warmth and intimacy between the two players.

"It's OK. This arse-licking crawler will take them," Manfred says loudly. A close encounter of the Manfred kind.

The Swedish Attack
MMEB – QB3

A fairly straightforward move this, requiring forethought and careful juxtaposition of limousine, hydrofoil (to cross the channel between Denmark and Sweden) and second limousine. Manfred scarcely looks up from the chessboard for the whole journey. Even standing in the queue for the hydrofoil he stares intently at the tiny board, not really concerned with winning, more with ignominious defeat.

His team – lead guitarist Dave Flett, vocalist and guitarist Chris Thompson, bassist Pat King and drummer Chris Slade – amuse themselves quietly during the move, occasionally making offensive jibes at Manfred's chess prowess. He is affectionately called 'The Legend'. The Journalist and the press officer make a bit of a hash of the move. Their hydrofoil tickets have not been encoded with the correct numerical equation necessary to beat the Danish 'system' and they will have to miss a turn, finally catching up with the band in the dressing room waiting for the sound check at the sports hall at Lund where the evening's gig is to be held. A sports hall it may be but with the typical Swedish efficiency and duplicity, it makes a good auditorium as well.

In the dressing room, Chris Slade is preparing his daily brown rice feast, meticulously arranging bowls, pressure cookers and Camping Gaz. He accepts the good natured ribbing with a smiling tolerance borne of years of practice. Manfred, Chris Thompson and Pat King are preparing a bet on the likely success of the band's new single, 'Mighty Quinn', in the British charts. Manfred is considering taking on a bet that it will make the Top Twenty (presumably if it does make the charts he'll have enough royalties to pay out).

He reasons it out laboriously, complicating the bet to ridiculous degrees. Chris pins him down, "Make up your mind", he says when the bet has been worked into its final draft. "Just take a simple decision. Will you take us on or not?"

"But if I do that then what am I going to do for the next five minutes?" He has a point; Mick cater and band manager Harry Maloney have commandeered the chess set. "You know if 'Quinn' does fail, there's a part of me that;s going to be really pleased," muses Manfred. "I've been badgered by so many people for so long to put it out as a single, on this album, on the last album. Finally I've given in so now we'll see if all these people who know so much more aboit it all than I do are right or not."

The Swedish Gambit Declined
Manfred – 0-0

This precautionary manoeuvre – a sound check – is nearly jeopardised when Manfred stomps out in the middle. He has been trying to edit a tape to be used during the show by shouting instructions to the sound desk at the back of the hall. Chris Thompson and Dave Flett are meanwhile practising for a forthcoming appearance on 'The Muppet Show' where they will sing 'Ramblin' Man'. The joke goes on a little too long and suddenly Manfred is off, walking down the hall and out to where a car is waiting to atke him away for an interview before the gig.

"That's it," mutters Chris. "We can't dot he sound check if the Legend isn't here." The group amble off and Chris atones by organising the tape edit himself.

Manfred returns 10 minutes before the gig is due to start and there's no grudges held. The rest of the band change into their stage gear. Manfred exchanges one scruffy shirt for another. As the band file out the door towards the darkened stage, Manfred approaches The Journalist and picks up an earlier conversation about editing album tracks for a single release. The Journalist enters the discussion nervously, acutely conscious of 1,500 pairs of hands clapping rhythmically in the darkness outside. The point made, Manfred hurries to the stage.

The Swedish Gambit Accepted
MMEB x Lund

Our chess correspondent writes: Manfred Mann's Chess Band are returning to live gigs after a lengthy hibernation caused by the recording of their new album, 'Watch', which is a cool 8 months behind its predeccesor 'The Roaring Silence' and Manfred's last major success, 'Blinded By The Light'.

A lot has happened in Britain during the intervening period and the band have a good deal of ground to make up here. In America and Europe, however the band have not been forgotten. Their reputation is established, and the audience tonight gurgle happily at the beginning of every song, whether it'sfrom the earlier albums or the new one.

Showing just one change from the line up that toured Britain well over a year ago – Pat King replacing Colin Pattenden who failed a similarity of musical opinions tst – the band are a tough functional unit, professional enough not to be able to play badly, unselfish and tightly co-ordinated, always trying to play to each other' strengths. Chris and Dave share most of the spotlight, being your actual mobile guitarists, but Manfred occasionally wanders out from behind his keyboards, waving a tambourine and joining in some backing vocals, generally to the amusement of Chris. As a band they merge the basic ingredients of rock music with a sophisticated touch that never losing sight of what rock music's all about. You feel a whole lot better watching this band on stage.

After the surging instrumental 'Waiter There's a Yawn in My Soup', they move straight to a loose, swinging version of their other Springsteen number, 'Spirits In The Night', that packs a deceptive punch. Then for some reason 'Davy's On The Road Again', one of the other gems on the new album fails to ignite. 'father of Day' too sounds ponderous and only Flett's guitar solo, switching to harsh from soft midway through, carries the song through.

'Martha's Madman', another new song, sprints away right from the starting gate with an insistent thudding beat and some crisply taken solos. But it's not enough to put the gig on an even keel; 'Blinded By The Light' is so lack lustre and even gets a bit confused half way through. So it's sheer professionalism that pushes them through another instrumental with a drum solo to the encore of 'Mighty Quinn' which brings out the cigarette lighters and V-signs among the happy Swedish audience. A patchy gig nonetheless.

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