billy cobham on drums

by peterbowes on March 5, 2011

Billy Cobham of the flawless attack.

Cobham came out to Sydney for a couple of concerts with The Mahavishnu Orchestra about forty years ago and at the beginning of one of them John Mclaughlin (the band leader) walked up to the front of the stage apron – this was before the warm-up – and after cranking up the amp sprayed the entire room with a twenty second burst of machine-gun fire from from his double-neck guitar.

Later on and over a few pipes and mouthfulls of dark chocolate chased down by hospital brandy we discussed this surprising musical statement and we remembered the late Frank Zappa and his astonishing admonition of another Sydney audience ‘ Don’t come stoned ! ‘

In your dreams frank