Day 11: Beyond Hammersmith

"Eight track machine playing Half Moon Bay ... " -- Drivin' Sister (1973)

The band, Ian Hunter at least, has been noncommittal about any MTH activity after the London dates.

There has been a steady drone from U.S. fans begging for their cities to be considered, including an outrageous suggestion on Hunter's fan site that five nights at New York's Madison Square Garden be scheduled.

Buddy -- get a clue.

Personally, I'd like for Hammersmith to be the end of it. An exception for me might be a two- or three-night engagement at a mid-sized New York venue, such as the Nokia Theatre in Times Square, capacity 2,100. But that's it. After that, any luster would be gone.

There are barriers toward continuing beyond London.

For one, they need a drummer. It's established now that Buffin isn't up to it. Martin Chambers, maybe, but he does have another band that probably gets first dibs on his time.

For another, I don't want to see Hunter's solo career shut down for this.

I wondered how the buildup for MTH would affect Hunter's July release, Man Overboard, and in the end the results were mixed. Man Overboard got more press attention than any Hunter album in decades, and almost all the reviews mentioned the MTH reunion and the fact that Ian turned 70 this year. Those were the hooks. So that was good. But on the downside, there was no IH tour to promote Man Overboard, just a couple of New York shows, one in the rain and the other at a tiny venue. I'm not in the loop, but New West, IH's new record company, can't be pleased.

My assessment: On balance, the MTH reunion hurt Man Overboard by diverting the attention of fans and Ian himself.

And I certainly don't want to see MTH, unable to draw on a headline tour, coming 'round as a support band, playing 45-minute sets before fans who don't know who they are. That would be too sad to bear.

Anyway, I hope once Hammersmith is done we get back to Rant band concerts for as long as IH chooses to perform.

This is not to minimize the MTH shows. They will be golden moments and a week of wonderful memories. But to aim for any degree of permanence, I think, would be a move for the worse.

Best-case scenario is the shows go down a storm and attract enough attention for MTH to get the berth in the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame they've deserved all along. And as fans we get the experience of a lifetime. Then we move on.