Paradiso Tuesday night was a walk down memory lane for my mum, and a wicked night of great music for me. We went to see a concert at quite rightly legendary Paradiso in Amsterdam - the place where she went to see many a concert during her student days in the late 70s. What I would do to have seen the Sex Pistols, Jonathan Richman, Blondie, the Talking Heads, Ian Dury, Elvis Costello, the Police or the Specials!! And we get bloody Kool & the Gang, oh, and Bryan Adams, how could I forget?

It was one awesome place; a former church with the huge stained glass windows still intact and a stage that was right up next to the audience. No seats-they're for old people right? A gorgeously scruffy bar in the corner and plenty of character. I loved how when we walked we were able to hand over our jackets to be hung up and then pick them up at the end. .

The guy we went to see was a man named Tony Joe White, a semi ancient Louisiana "swamp rocker" who wrote the hit A Rainy Night in Georgia, which has been sung, among others, by Randy Crawford and Ray Charles. Although I had never heard of him or his music before, it was great fun in a place that I instanty loved. I'm so annoyed though - Lily Allen and the Kooks are playing next month and I won't be here (!)  ¶ 2:15 am