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Saiichi Sugiyama gave you all the technical stuff plus his take on the gig....I'll add mine. Firstly, it's 3 hours before showtime, and I'm sitting in my rented accommodation in Thames Ditton, having just moved to the UK four days ago from North Hollywood. I was having dinner last night with my mate, Barry Pigot and his family who are over here for the concerts from Orlando (Barry has graciously GIVEN me one of his tickets for tonight's show! What kind of good friend is that, huh?) and back in '91 just before I moved to the UK from LA for the second time (third time lucky?), Barry and I took drum lessons from Ginger in Malibu-de-bum-bum.

I was the last drummer who played with Graham Bond...we were together for the last year of his life...and I took up drums when I first saw Cream at their first gig at the old Fillmore in San Francisco, where I lived in the Haight-Ashbury and ran a hip poster company called Funky Features. After seeing Cream, I went out the next day and bought a kit and learned how to play, moved to England for the first time and ended up playing with Graham, a lovely man. What's interesting is that Ginger has always had white or silver drums...I bought a green sparkle Slingerland kit at Don Wehr's Music City on Columbus, and I'm told Ginger is playing a green sparkle kit for these gigs. Nice one, Ginger!

I remember Cream's first gig at the Fillmore...Eric stepped tentatively on stage wearing all white with his hair all frizzy, really looking the English pop star and the audience exploded in applause, causing him to stop, catch his breath and look back offstage to Ginger and Jack as if to say, "Can you believe THIS?" They had never had an audience like us because SF had the only stereo rock station in the country and they played the hell out of Fresh Cream two weeks before the gig. The album sold 75,000 copies in two weeks in the Bay Area alone. We were ready-ready-ready for Cream!

And now, 38 years later, I'm ready-ready-ready for them again!

Two nights ago, Saiichi played the Bull's Head in Barnes with Pete Brown, and they played "Theme from an Imaginary Western." Pete introduced the song as a tribute to his late friend, Dick Heckstall-Smith, who played with Graham in the Organization when Ginger and Jack were with him. He said the song was about Graham's band because they were all cowboys....I never knew that, have always loved the song, and it brought tears to my eyes thinking of lovely Graham and all the wonderful memories I have of him. If you are interested, go to my website and check the photos of him (you'll also see my green sparkle kit): http://www.olsenart.com/bio.html

Right...it's time to put on my "Mambo Sons Play Some Rock 'n Roll" T-shirt Tom Guerra sent me---and I promised him I would wear it to the gig...as Barry and I have seats in the choir up and behind the stage, the shirt may get on the DVD! As Tom said, "Well, Paul, if I can't get to the Cream gig, at least my shirt can!" Then a short drive to Surbiton train station, park the car, buy a London Travelcard and meet Barry in front of the Albert Hall!

Mo later! Much Mo!

Three hours later...

Well...fuck me! WHAT A GIG!

For those of you who have never seen the Albert Hall...here it is as I saw it approaching from South Kensington station. I'm including some terrible photos for you---sorry...a couple of really good ones will arrive in a few days.

London's Royal Albert Hall. Photo by Paul Olsen.

Barry and I agreed to meet opposite the beautiful Albert Memorial Queen Victoria had built to honour her husband, who she loved dearly. As I was waiting for him amongst the crowds, the ticket touts were cruising back and forth shouting, "Buy or sell tickets for tonight's show!" They were like parasites and I was hit on at least ten times..."Got a ticket?" All just a bit slick...reeking of classic London street con men.

The Albert Memorial. Photo by Paul Olsen.

Barry arrived with his friends, Richard and Angela, and we made our way to our seats on the top row right next to the most forward box and we waited....the boys sauntered out on stage unannounced to delirious applause, took up their instruments and positions and began to play immediately. I couldn't believe it...I was HERE, and I was seeing CREAM! Amazing. They were a bit relaxed and tentative for the first couple of numbers, but the sound was terrific and they soon began to jell, with Eric playing so incredibly well....so smooth, so soulful, and so fucking GOOD! The man is the master.

Inside the RAH immediately before the concert. Photo by Paul Olsen.

I was a bit surprised at Ginger's style...he played almost all the songs very straightforward off-beat, having lost a lot of his signature, unpredictable, on-beat, off-beat switching back and forth, and his rolling fills across the toms from left to right. Whenever he let loose with the fills, the audience went nuts...but I must say I was a just a bit disappointed with his new playing style, though his new counterpoint fills were laid in with a thumping punch. For instance, in Politician, Ginger MADE that song with his back and forth on-beat, off-beat rocking back in the 60's...and tonight he played it straight, and it wasn't nearly as effective. 'Didn't have the magic that number has always had for me. Also, he rushed some of his fills---only a few---something he never used to do and what most fledgling drummers are guilty of...and they blew a few breaks and endings...but that's always been Cream and Eric would smile when they missed a cue. There was one break where Eric stopped, but Ginger and Jack played right through, and I couldn't decide who got it wrong, because Eric NEVER gets things like that wrong, and it did seem to me that there could have been a stop there...the smile on Eric's face was lovely, though....such good camaraderie on stage.

Am I nitpicking? Of course...the gig was fantastic and they all played brilliantly and were obviously enjoying themselves hugely...especially Eric. So nice to see.

Second Cream reunion concert at the RAH, May 3, 2005. Photo by Paul Olsen.

Barry and I kept looking at each other amazed we were actually THERE, at the Albert Hall and seeing Cream and that they were playing so terrifically. Eric's playing was faultless, and his sound was brilliant. Jack's playing and singing were right on the button...and that's saying something, because he's obviously quite frail, and Ginger was like a fully-loaded steam engine pounding down the tracks, keeping the whole thing thundering along with incredible force. His drum sound was thumpy and powerful and he was IN CHARGE. Get of the fucking way, I'm comin' through! KABLAAM!

Every number had something wonderful about it....Badge was especially nice because we have never seen them play it live, and Eric really played with the breaks and drew them out, teasing the audience, with Ginger smiling as he did so.

Second Cream reunion concert at the RAH, May 3, 2005. Photo by Paul Olsen.

But of course, Toad, for me, was the highlight, and Ginger really cut loose and showed what he was made of...and it was frightening in his complete mastery of rhythm and his amazing ability to play with it, take it apart, and put it back together in ingenious ways...always keeping the thing moving inexorably forward and throwing in surprises left, right, and center. A simply superb performance, and the audience went nuts after it was over. Eric came back out on stage with a huge grin on his face, obviously so pleased for Ginger and in awe of his incredible ability. Eric has played with great drummers down through the years, of course, but you could tell no one he has ever played with came even close to Ginger, and the magic he is able to create on stage. You could see the admiration and sheer joy written all over Eric's face.

And when they all got together with their arms around each other and bowed to the audience, everyone cheered to see them so happy to be doing this, to be back together again and having buried whatever hatchets may have been lying around and having overcome all that bullshit to come together and do something really important. It was such a moment...I wish you could have been there.

Second Cream reunion concert at the RAH, May 3, 2005. Photo by Paul Olsen.

I'm still floating, and will remember this gig til that last breath, just as I remember the very first one at the Fillmore, that blew me away. Thank you, lads...and thank YOU, Barry...what an absolute treat.

As we wandered outside afterwards I heard a shout, "Paul!" It was Gary and Franky Brooker...so nice to run into them, and they had no clue I was in England. We all repaired to a pub nearby and had a pint, then it was time to go our separate ways and head home.

Here's to you, Eric, Jack, and Ginger...for creating something so special all those years ago, and for giving it back to us again. I hope this gives Ginger and Jack a good pension, which they richly deserve. Nice one, Eric...you did good. Real fucking good, mate. It doesn't get better.