Back in those days when Strawbs' performances were few and far between, an organisational slip-up resulted in neither Brian Willoughby nor Rod Demick being available for a Strawbs gig. Undaunted, Dave Cousins recruited the obvious choice on bass, Chas Cronk, but - what to do for a guitarist .... Help arrived in the shape of Paul Wiffen (who writes these days for Sound On Sound magazine). I met Paul in the pub the day after the Chiswick extravanganza and he confessed that his recruitment was all a bit whirlwind, as indeed were the rehearsals. Having listened through on album to the Strawbs songs required for the set, he arrived at Dave Cousins' house in Chiswick to find the note on the door - gone to the pub! A video of the gig shows that there was no harm done by a light touch on the rehearsal front ....
