March 7 & 9 Patti Smith

Teatre Principal in Palma hosted the two Patti Smith & Band concerts in Palma on the 7th and 8th March. Having been lucky enough to go to the first night of these two concerts I was a bit unsure about what to expect. After all Patti Smith has been performing since the early 1970's, which was before most of the audience on this night were born.

But WOW! Yes she still has the effect that early punk had on you, raw, full of energy, lyrics that ask why - loudly, but now showing years of experience in performing and putting together great music. The band, which included her incredibly talented son Jackson and long time collaborator Lenny Kaye, were just perfect. A band that honoured this Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee with its flawless performance. Yes she performed the great classics, Gloria and Because the Night, which were worth paying an entrance fee for alone, but the rest of the concert was packed with great ballads and great rock, leaving an audience standing and breathless.

On the Sunday after these 2 concerts, there was a planned poetry recital by Patti in the Chopin museum in Valldemossa, again which we were lucky to be invited to. This was to be special night for an audience of around only 100 in the moody and beautiful setting of the Real Cartuja monastery. There had been a rumour that she was bringing a guitar and maybe she would play a couple of numbers here, as well as reading some of her poetry. We were not disappointed, far from it. She read some great works of her own and by others and did it it exceptionally well along with a mix of great songs alone with her guitar. Even though she appeared nervous working in what was a very intimate venue in front of an even more nervous audience the evening turned into something very special. I am not sure if it was a coincidence but March 9 is a special day for Patti, it was the day she first met her husband Fred, who sadly died in 1994. It was also the day her great friend, the photographer, Robert Mapplethorpe died (1989). This seemed to add an edge to the experience, an edge that gave us all an insight into the women rather than the rock star. It showed her to be fallible, as we all are, but do not expect, when we get this close to a person exalted as much as she is.

The mood really showed when Patti came back for an encore and wanted to finish with a song dedicated to Mapplethorpe, as she got lost amongst her emotions after the first few lines. For us, the audience, it created a moment that few people can ever have witnessed. Calling on her friend Lenny Kaye to take the guitar from her she decided to do something never done before, and went on to perform along with Kaye a totally unplugged and very emotional version of Because the Night. With an audience joining in on the choruses and lightning flashing across the mountains in the background this was a night of pure rock history in front of a few very lucky people. THANK YOU PATTI SMITH.

Oh and small note if ever you come across wine from the Binigrau cellar, I recommend that you buy it quickly, a big thank you to them for the exceptional wine on this memorable night in Valldemossa.