It’s been a whirlwind this last week or so with a bizarre mix of live music and elections to write about, so it was nice to finish a hectic few days watching Nile Rodgers, a man who has not only helped shape my love of music but probably yours too, even if you don’t realise it.
You’ve hopefully read the reviews we’ve already written as a team about this year’s Bedford Summer Sessions (more still to come) and while we didn’t get to them all, everyone has reported back how brilliant their individual experiences have been this year.
- Read: Review: This ageing ‘Sk8ter Boi’ still has a crush on Avril
- Read: Review: Sir Tom Jones, it was a privilege
- Read: Review: James live and in the moment as Manchester legends come to Bedford
While I rocked out with Avril on Saturday (29 June) and then chilled out with James the following weekend (6 July), the Sunday after was always going to be a chance for me to relax after a busy week and enjoy some time with the family.
It wasn’t until the last minute though that I found out I was going to be doing that in Bedford Park.
Thankfully with the sun shining, albeit only a bit, there was an excited buzz as we entered the arena, the younger members of our group excited to be experiencing something new, the older ones looking forward to the promise of an all-killer no-filler night of live music.
Fist bumps
Some were dressed in full-on disco gear, others were more festival-chic, but all had big smiles as “proud to be a Bedfordian” DJ Spoony got the crowd warmed up.
A more recent addition to Bedford’s population, DJ Spoony joked that he may hold the world record for taking the shortest walk from “home to decks” as he lives near Bedford Park.
Commenting that he’s “proud to be a Bedfordian” and that he’s always felt welcome in his adopted home town, the Londoner was met with cheers of approval.
Warming up the crowd with a mix of everything from disco to funk, soul to UK garage, waving at the youngster on my shoulders, and even giving her a fist bump when we saw him after his set, Spoony continues to be a direct part of Bedford’s multi-generational music history.
While Spoony DJd and compered the event, the first support DECO came out and really got the blood pumping.
They’re lively, fun, emotive and everything else a pop band should be. If you liked Alphabeat or Das Pop, you’ll love DECO who pulled the crowd in and got them jumping with a set that was over a little too soon for my liking, but it set the tone for the evening perfectly.
Next up, Sophie Ellis-Bextor (who else remembers her mum on Blue Peter?) brought her kitchen disco to town.
With a mix of covers and her own floor fillers, Sophie delivered exactly as promised and seemed just as excited to be sharing a stage with Nile Rodgers and Chic as we were to soon be watching them.
Now before we continue, I have a full confession to make.
Growing up, I hated disco. I blame Boney M, who I still think are awful, but back then they destroyed any chance of any kind of disco music influencing my formative years, maybe that’s why I am a terrible dancer now.
But as I grew up I was introduced more and more to funk and soul, which led me to some of the more obscure disco tracks and then the mainstream which naturally also included Nile Rodgers and Chic.
Nile Rodgers is everywhere
That being said, if I hadn’t got ‘lost in music’ (see what I did there?) then I would have still found Nile elsewhere. My love of Bowie, Madonna, Duran Duran and the B52s made him a part of my own personal music history anyway.
You see, almost everything you hear on the radio has a connection to Nile Rodgers, it might be a link by a few degrees but it’s a link no less. The man has been involved in so much and so many artists owe him a great deal.
Most people these days will recognise Nile thanks to his work with Daft Punk and Pharrell Williams, they may also recognise his name being connected with Beyonce, but here he was in Bedford Park playing the tunes many of us first heard on vinyl.
A medley of disco and pop, interspersed with songs he’s helped write, produce and record gave a fascinating insight into his life, including some creative disagreements he’s had with some artists along the way, which he says are all in the past…
“Where’s Madonna now? She’s not playing Bedford,” he joked before playing his version of ‘Like a Virgin’ that he produced for her in 1984.
Alfie Templeman
With all these accolades under his belt, Rodgers is showing no signs of slowing down and his work is bringing him closer to Bedford too.
Last month our very own Alfie Templeman released ‘Just A Dance’ which he’s collaborated on with Rodgers, so it seemed only natural that he should come out on stage to a roar from his home crowd.
Seeing Nile and Alfie play together, the mutual respect flowing between them really was something else and it was great to see one of Bedford’s sons continuing his journey with such an incredible endorsement from someone admired the world over.
You can see Alfie headline his own shows from the end of October when he embarks on a 13-date UK tour. Tickets are available here.
Finishing the show on a high with a Chic/Sugarhill Gang Good Times/Rapper’s Delight mash-up was the perfect end to what has been a perfect (weather aside) Bedford summer session.
I said before the gigs started that I felt we were about to see and collectively enjoy something special and the team behind the concerts totally delivered.
There has been something for everyone, whatever your age or music tastes, with world-class acts right on our doorstep.
For me, these concerts seem to get better and better each year, it’s going to be interesting to see who’ll be coming back. Maybe with Cerys Mathews in the crowd watching Tom Jones and Alfie Templeman on stage with Nile, we’re getting some hints.
Either way, once again, Bedford is punching above its weight and proving that it’s far from shit.
Transparency: The reviewer received VIP tickets as part of the review process
