This celebration concert was made to help remember our friend, comic, musician and actor. Known as much for his wit, musicianship, and philosophy as the people he worked with, Neil was one of the great songwriters, comedians and bon viveurs. He wrote songs about the human condition, songs for children, comedy songs, songs about life, uplifting songs, hilarious songs, songs from the heart.

What an event it turned out to be.

Planning started in early February with Doug Hunter and Yvonne Innes quickly finding an enthusiastic promoter in Adrian Gibson – also a great fan of Neil’s.  We wanted the show to be as near Neil’s 80^th birthday on 9 December, 2024 as possible. Adrian booked the Indigo Room at the 02 for 28 November which was close enough.

Neil died suddenly without any kind of warning on 29 December, 2019 on a cold dark French hillside.  There was no time to say I love you, no time to say goodbye. no closure.  We found it impossible to believe we would never be able to talk to him again.  It is unbearably hard to deal with a sudden and completely unexpected death.  And I think because of that all the people we contacted really wanted to be a part of the concert. They wanted to celebrate the life and work of this brilliant funny gentle man but also to get some kind of closure.

We needed a Musical Director and the obvious choice was John Altman if he was free, as he had worked with Neil since ‘Do Not Adjust Your Set’ days and on through Innes Book of Records and the Rutles CD.  He said yes and we felt so privileged to have him with us because now Doug and I knew that we were in safe hands musically.  Then it was time to find out which of the performers Neil worked with would be available for the concert.  I made a very long list and then began to contact as many as I had email addresses or telephone numbers for and it was such a pleasure for me being in touch with these long remembered friends. 

First the poets Roger McGough and Brian Patten who we had seen or communicated with often over the years since Grimms.  Then the members of the most recent band which gave Neil such joy – the Idiot Bastard Band – Phill Jupitus and Ade Edmondson both of whom were keen.  I knew we had to have Andy Roberts on guitar and vocals and I knew that he had to sing Folksong – one of my favourite Neil songs.  I contacted another fabulous singer and bass player David Catlin Birch, who we met when Neil first saw the Bootleg Beatles perform and who then joined the Bonzos for a tour. Then a no brainer – John Halsey The Rutles favourite drummer.  There were so many songs to learn that we asked another great drummer Charlie Morgan to share the music..  The musicians needed not only to have played with Neil so they knew his music, but they needed to be able to pick things up quickly as there was to be just one day’s rehearsal.  We wondered if we could get pianist Morgan Fisher from Japan. Neil would be bowled over if he accepted and maybe we could ask the guitarist who had worked with the Rutles after Ollie Halsall died – Dougie Boyle. They were both happy to be included.

Photos Nicholas Bennett

Then I contacted the American cohort. First Ken Thornton – who would be vital in holding everything together as he knew just about every song Neil played.  Yo La Tengo, comprised of Ira Kaplan guitar and vocals, Georgia Hubley  drums and vocals, and James McNew bass whom Neil had got to know and love over the years, and comedian Emo Philips with whom we had walked up a mountain in California, all of whom were very special to Neil.

There was keyboard supremo Mickey Simmonds and up from Suffolk – two musicians from a local band the B Goodes whom Neil had met more recently  – Phil Jackson and Jay Goodrich. Checking back to see if I had forgotten anyone I remembered the fun we had had with Tom McGuinness and Hughie Flint when there was an idea that Neil might join McGuinness Flint way back. We all lived in and around Blackheath in South London so I asked them if there was a possibility and yes there was.

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Thinking about the Bonzo’s last performance at KoKos in Camden Town I remembered Neil playing with Elliott Randall and the duet Elliott had played with Ken. We had to hear that again so I asked Elliott who said an immediate yes.  Then it was the turn of the Bonzos and there had to be at least a couple of Bonzos in the bill. I tentatively phoned Rodney to see if he could play. He has long since stopped playing his saxophone because of health issues but he said he would play his alto sax in the concert as a special gift to Neil. Larry was fine and you can’t really have a show without ‘Look at me I’m wonderful. ‘Shoo-be-doo-de-wah’ can you?

Photos Nicholas Bennett

At one point Doug and I realised we had no women in the show and on virtually the same day, John Altman, Doug Hunter and I independently asked Isabella Coulstock, Maddy Prior and Charlie Dore and they were all keen, so now we had a more balanced show.  Guitarist Pete Aves had heard of the concert and got in touch to see if there was a space for him. He visited us while we lived in France and wanted to sing Kenny and Lisa – one of Neil’s lovely romantic songs. Doug knew Tommy Emmanuel well and asked him if he would join us as he also knew Neil’s music and then we looked for a pianist who could do one of Neil’s parodies – this one lampooning Elton John (in the nicest possible way). Joe Stilgoe’s name came up and John asked him. How great that he said yes.

A few years ago Neil and I had had a gorgeous ten days in Slovenia with the group Terrafolk after he had seen them in a local venue, later taking them with him to the concert hall at Snape Maltings in Suffolk.  They no longer performed as Terrafolk but all are brilliant musicians able to play anything at the drop of a hat. Would they be able to make the gig. Yes they would and they were happy to come under the old name.  

Photos Nicholas Bennett

Before his death Neil had joined some well-known musicians to make some CDs for charity.  They called themselves The Spammed for the recordings, so we contacted two of them Kevin Eldon and Micko Westmoreland to ask if the whole band would do a spot and again ‘yes’.  Over the last year Micko had been persistently asking for a celebration of Neil’s work so now we almost had it.

Photo Nicholas Bennett

We needed one or two of the Pythons if there was any chance of catching them between busy working lives. Mike and Terry both great friends immediately said yes. I phoned John Cleese who lives in America and he said yes he would do it if he was in the UK. 

Photos Nicholas Bennett

We knew at this point that, as chaotic as it might seem, if we could corral each of the performers into a time slot we would have an amazing show.  Doug started making lists which changed almost as the wind direction changed. During the next few months, some of the performers were not well so had to drop out but not enough to make us rethink the show. Adrian Gibson had a guy called Joe Pidgeon working for him and Joe  basically made everything easy helping us to work out what sort of backline we needed, how many amps, music stands etc etc.  And as week followed week in our Monday morning meetings we suggested songs to performers, who then often chose their own favourites from Neil’s vast catalogue so Doug’s lists were in continual flux.  Phill Jupitus had to drop out as did Tommy Emmanuel and at one stage we were really worried that Ken might not be there at all as his mother was very ill.

Photos Nicholas Bennett

Finally we arrived at the day of the rehearsal. None of us had seen the rehearsal room but it turned out to be a huge white barn of a place which would have been perfect for a fashion shoot. The band looked good on the white floor even before they started. There was a small ramp from the door to the main floor but almost impossible to see and down went our precious guitar player Elliott Randall. He bravely played through the first half and was a bit miffed when he had to give up and go home.  Later we learned he had gone to hospital where they found he had broken his arm, so Elliott sadly had to pull out of the concert.  He was upset to say the least. Brian Patten too had to pull out.

We wanted to film the show, Des Burkinshaw doing the main shooting of the concert linking up to the 02’s four static cameras and Alan D. Boyd backstage quietly and unobtrusively filming whoever he caught in camera. He filmed a lot of footage at the rehearsal where everyone was buttoned up with scarves, finger less gloves and hats as it was bitterly cold. John Altman looked like a wise old character from Star Wars wearing a long black coat and a leather hat with a furry lining and ear muffs which he found impossible to take off even for a minute. Only the house band and the Rutles rehearsed that day – they had so much to remember. There was just time for a sprinkling of solo artists before we stopped for the night around six, shuffling into our cars and back to the hotels and houses to sleep.  

The next day Doug was watching the clock and we were not too confident we could finish rehearsing all the other acts – poets, comedians and solo singers in the three hours left to us at the 02.  Overnight Joe and his team moved the backline from the rehearsal room over to the 02 and set up the stage. And from two to five o’clock they rehearsed and sound checked one after the other. The green room was almost warm, there was the usual buffet and what a treat it was to see people who had not met for about twenty years meeting up again. The Green Room was abuzz with memories and stories.

About a couple of weeks before the rehearsal our son Luke asked if he could be part of the show singing one of Neil’s poignant songs – ‘Love is getting deeper’.  Neil sung it as a comedy song in a French accent with a black moustache but Luke said it was the most beautiful love song and he would do it straight. Rocio, his partner, said Luke practised constantly day and night. He could have had the band backing him but he wanted to do it on his own – maybe just a saxophone or muted trumpet and immediately our MD John Altman offered to do it. Luke could not have had a better accompaniment. At rehearsals everything went quiet as people thought they were hearing and seeing Neil once more, and the next day it had the same effect on the audience.

Photos Nicholas Bennett

Martin Lewis a long time advocate for getting Neil’s music played to a wider audience came from America where he lives, to do some of the introductions and it was lovely to see Sanjeev Bhaskar sharing the job with him. The one thing the 02 did not have was a photocopier so we had to work from two very marked and faint copies of the programme, which meant that Martin and Sanjeev had a hard job working out who they were to introduce. But they managed it between them.

Photos Nicholas Bennett

One other person arrived deserving a paragraph to himself. This was Neil’s good friend the producer Steve James who had flown in from his studio in Australia where Neil had recorded his new CD  ‘Nearly Really’. Steve has worked with Neil for many years even coming to France, where we then lived, to do the pre-recording work on his CD.  Steve had produced both Innes Book of Records, and Neil’s Rutles CDs and if Steve was on it, Neil was happy. 

The doors of the 02 opened letting in hundreds of patient fans who had to wait till the last bits of the rehearsal were over before they took their seats. The culmination of the show was Shangri La with everyone on stage singing it and all the fans standing up and waving their arms to the fabulous music. And then after a round of Urban Spaceman the show and eight months of phone calls and emails and song lists was over.  

There is no end to the gratitude I felt towards those amazing performers. Neil had at last had the brilliant sendoff he deserved, a far cry from that bleak and cold hillside. Looking round at the excited faces of the audience and the subsequent acknowledgement of the performers, I felt some kind of inner peace I have not felt since Neil died five years ago. Martin Lewis loved the show but quipped that it was just a little ‘rough and ragged’ which by its nature it had to be, perfectly reflecting Neils often used saying “I have never done a slick show in my life and I don’t intend to start now”.

THE SHOW – Blow by Blow
Before the start of the show images from The Innes Book Of Records were shown on the multiple screens to get people ready for the extravaganza to come and then quarter of an hour before curtains up, the screens went black lighting up again to show Neil playing ‘How Sweet to be an Idiot’ at the Hollywood Bowl on tour with the Monty Python team. Charlie Dore with Julian Littman and backing singers Kim Goody and Sonia Jones sang ‘Back in 64’ to get us all in the mood, followed by a video showing Stephen Fry talking about the lifesaving effect the Bonzos had on him as a schoolboy.

Then into ‘Equestrian Statue,’ the first song Neil ever wrote – played by the house band with David’s vocals. Larry did his signature piece – ‘Look at me I’m Wonderful’ and then it was time for Rodney to be put through his paces with ‘Keynsham’. The House band played Goosestepping Mama’ sung by David Catlin Birch which was followed by ‘Folksong’ with Andy Roberts and Charlie Dore.

Tom McGuinness sang ‘Old Age Becomes Me’, and then one of his own songs ‘When I’m Dead and Gone’.  Hughie Flint was going to accompany Tom on his bodhrán but at the last minute he caught a virus and had to pull out.

After Tom, Suffolk’s own Phil Jackson accompanied himself on the piano with the enigmatic ‘Quiet Talks and Summer Walks.’  Roger McGough read two poems – one about the last time he and Neil worked together entertaining an audience of artists in a Botanic Garden in Crete – which happened to be the last time Roger ever saw him. 

Then the irrepressible Ade Edmondson ran onto the stage and gave a proper Bonzo performance to the song ‘You’ve Done My Brain In.’ Following this by a pretty little ditty he and Neil used to play to the Idiot Bastard Band audience. Aimee Mann could not be in the UK for the show, so she sent a video of her singing a straight version of ‘Cheese and Onions’, which surprisingly worked.

Maddy Prior was a star on ‘Lie Down and be Counted’ belting out the lyrics with the exemplary backing of fellow Steelye Span member Julian Littman, before a tender and hilarious performance by Emo Philips. Then another Suffolk lad Jay Goodridge sang a song he learned when Neil did a couple of gigs with an Ipswich based band – The B Goodes. After that the house band played one of my all time favourites ‘Hey Mister’. This was originally Elliott’s to do anticipating the amazing guitar duel between him and Ken Thornton, but Elliott had broken his arm so Dougie Boyle took it on and it was perfect. Then Pete Aves sang ‘Kenny and Lisa’ followed by the two Pythons Michael Palin and Terry Gilliam making the most of the footage of Brave Sir Robin and the Camelot song.

Photos Nicholas Bennett

The audience needed a breather from so much stardust in the air and during the interval, still shots of Neil’s private and performing life were shown including a photograph of Neil with his 10 year old grand – daughter Isabella pulling a funny face. She wasn’t embarrassed at all – just happy to be part of it.

Joe Stilgoe started the second half with a fabulous version of Neil’s Elton John inspired ‘Godfrey Daniel’ using the grand piano brought in specially for that song but used throughout the show.  Yo La Tengo followed Joe. Three very beautiful people and brilliant musicians – singing ‘Ready Mades’ and ‘I Want To Be With You’.  Neil loved every minute he spent with these guys.  They came to visit when we lived in Suffolk and I have happy photos of them in the garden. Rick Wakeman spoke on video about his friendship with Neil and not being able to be here tonight as he was already booked to perform elsewhere. 

Photos Nicholas Bennett

After the video onto the stage came a group of musicians called Terrafolk.  They were Neil’s other passion – music coming from every pore. When we were in Slovenia they never stopped playing music.  It was as if their instruments were a bodily part of them. They played ‘Stealing Time’ with Phil Jackson on vocals and ‘One Of Those People’ with Andy Roberts singing.  Then came ‘The Spammed’ a super group put together to raise money for good causes and consisting of some of the best musicians around giving ‘Humanoid Boogie’ and ‘Piggy in the Middle’ a professional airing.

Photo Nicholas Bennett

Then in ran Isabella Coulstock.  She never played with Neil but John Altman thought the show could do with an injection of youth and she was brilliant having supported The Who the year before. She gave a happy rendition of ‘I Must Be in Love’ and ‘Blue Suede Schubert’. Then the bands were working up to the Rutles set, Andy singing ‘Friends at the End’ beautifully – a song Neil had written after the deaths of one or two close friends. To the audience’s astonishment Andy was followed by Neil’s son Luke singing Neil’s French song ‘Love is Getting Deeper’ beautifully, with accompaniment from John Altman. The last set was for the Rutles with a new Rutles medley of eight songs starting with “With a Girl Like You’ and ending with ‘Get Up and Go’ and then straight into Shangri La as all the performers piled onto the stage singing and playing, with the audience singing standing and waving.

Photos Nicholas Bennett

Then Urban Spaceman and the show was over. Doug Hunter and I were almost weak with joy that it had all gone so well – we hadn’t overrun and that was all due to Doug who worked tirelessly to get the show together. It had happened initially because all of us wanted closure and to give something precious to Neil’s memory but it was Doug’s enthusiasm and energy that spurred us all on to make it happen.

And a special mention of John Dowie. There are a few people Neil held very dear and would have wanted to be at the 02 on the 28 November, 2024. One of these is John Dowie author, poet and wit. A whiz at Scrabble and able to see how to turn a mediocre script into a hilarious one. Supremely talented and almost as difficult to pigeonhole as Neil, and Neil loved him very much. We would loved to have him there. He was there in spirit.

I expect many of you reading this will have seen the concert at the 02 – so a huge thankyou from me and Doug.  We both feel relieved and tremendously happy that we have been able to celebrate the life of this humble but brilliant man in this way with you his fans and friends. 2024. 

A film of the concert will follow. It will take a little while to pull a film of the concert together but that is what we are aiming to do. Meanwhile we have set up this website which will hold, we hope, everything Neil did, has done or wanted to do before he died. Let us know what you think plus any suggestions or additions.

Photos by Nicholas Bennett @musophoto.com – Thanks also to our photographer Nick Bennett. We had booked the inimitable Danny Clifford to photograph the event, but he was another who had to pull out at the last minute due to illness. Nick Bennett stepped in with very short notice and did a splendid job of recording the rehersal and concert.

Nick’s contact details are T: +447785381883. @musophoto.com