Comments

Rachel Thomas@ 8:02am 01-02-2014
This page seems like a great legacy to a much loved musician whose music still resonates across the decades.
I am trying to reconnect with the past myself and would appreciate anyone who could provide a contact for Tony Cahill. I know that this is not what the site is intended for but I don't think Ollie would disapprove as he seems to bring many people together for different reasons.
Replied on: 9:08am 01-02-2014

Hi Rachel. Not sure who Tony Cahill is. What is his connection with Ollie? You might want to try posting this on the Ollie Halsall and Patto FaceBook group at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/olliehalsallandpattofan/ Happy New Year!

Deborah Ellis@ 6:41am 09-17-2013
Thank you for this website, it's a gift. I love to see my Late Husband Keith and old friends. I miss everyone, but the their music lives on. Love the videos !! thank you thank you DX XOX
Replied on: 11:05am 10-18-2013

Cheers, Deborah. All the best.

Julian Barnes@ 4:54pm 06-14-2013
Like many other people who have visited this web site, I used to play in a band in the early seventies. Every thursday we would check out the Melody Maker to find out who was on in London and go and watch gigs, all piling into my mum's car, which I would borrow. Once we had the opportunity to see Patto and Ollie, that was it. Every time they came to London we would go. As many people have written, there have really only been two completely original guitarists from that period - Ollie and Jimi Hendrix. It is great to see that many now very famous guitarists acknowledge his influence on them. King of the hammer-on. We used to get as close to the stage as possible to figure out how he was doing it as it did not seem possible that anyone could play that fast and fluidly. BUt he did. I live in Mallorca now so I have been to Deia to pay my respects. Such a beautiful location for a legend to be lain to rest. Thanks for putting this site together it is absolutely awesome. All the best Julian - and hi to Glyn and Davido :-) It was fun wasn't it?
Replied on: 8:41pm 06-14-2013

Thanks for your message, Julian. I was in Mallorca a couple of weeks ago and made the usual pilgrimage to Deia. Did you know that Kevin Ayers is to be interred in the church yard on 16 August?

Chris Stone@ 4:32pm 06-14-2013
I met a young man "in his twenties" busking in La Place de Constitution Fuengirola he was playing Beatles covers. When he finished and we gave him a couple of euros we got chatting about the 60's and 70's he asked me who my favorite band was, I said You will not have heard of them it is a group called Patto, He said Ah Ollie and Mike. Word may be starting to get around.
RIP Kevin.
Regards to all,
Chris
Replied on: 8:43pm 06-14-2013

Thanks for that, Chris. One day he'll get the universal recognition he deserves.

Kieran Hilbert@ 3:00pm 05-10-2013
Yes he was the best guitar player after hendrix.
Claes Björnberg@ 9:01am 04-12-2013
I am a big fan of Ollie Halsall / Claes
Steve Hague@ 7:58am 02-22-2013
I saw Patto many times at the Black Swan in Sheffield in the early 70s. I rated Ollie as the best electric guitar player I'd ever heard, and still do. I could never understand why he wasn't more famous.
marcelo@ 2:45am 02-21-2013
I found the notice about Kevin Ayers death in France at 68 years. RIP Kevin.
Martin Binks@ 2:50pm 02-02-2013
Wish he was still here!!!.Saw him in Timebox at Butlins,decided then i want to do that!!!!.
Steve@ 7:08pm 01-20-2013
Second time I've tried to do this,1st time interrupted by her indoors!1stheard Patto on Radio 1 on sounds of the 70's with Mike Harding (theDJnot folk singer!) anyone remember him,he was a big guitar fan? Living in South London it was a bit of a waste land for live venues but some guy started putting gigs on at the Castle in Tooting ,just a pub with a fairly large back room but in the next year or so we saw all sorts of bands , Mott the Hoople,Free, Groundhogs,Rory Gallagher ,all the hard working people of the time.When Patto came we went to see them and we absolutely loved them . Prior to the gig,it must have been summer,the band were having an impromptu game of cricket in the car park,one of my greatest regrets in life was that I didn't offer to field,I was too shy and gormless ,what a story to tell the kids if I had!As a bit of a guitarist myself it was distressing to watch Ollie ,I felt like giving up, he was so good and the band were such good fun,I never thought I would enjoy the vibraphone but it was a magic night. Subsequently saw them at Greyhound Fulham Palace Road more than once and also took a fit girl I was trying to impress to the Torrington to see them. I certainly remember the Twist competition the dwarves and 'Strangers in the night' in 5/4 time! Bought all the albums at the time though now only possess the 'sense of the absurd' CD. Did see Boxer at Bedford College with Ollie looking slightly weird in a trendy velvet jacket,always associated him in more 'comfortable'attire! I have to admit I loved it as I'm a bit of an old rocker at heart although Tony Newman looked a bit perturbed when the drum riser lurched upwards, I think they may have skimped on the technology!
Anyway nice to be able to share some great memories,going to put on 'Warm red glow' and have a beer.Cheers!
Replied on: 8:04pm 01-20-2013

Thanks for that, Steve. Yes, cricket was a popular pastime for The Pattos! If you're on FaceBook, please join the Ollie & Patto Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/19667353968/?fref=ts

lewinus mone@ 5:03pm 01-17-2013
saw ollie lots with kevin. saw boxer in bromley keith ellis on bass. with cale at ronnie scotts. ollie was the best ever on a good night. i could go on and on andon......................
Replied on: 6:22pm 01-17-2013

No, please do go on :o)

Phil McCarthy@ 1:23am 09-07-2012
Great to see this page like this. My only problem with this format, is I find it difficult to read the text with the pictures behind. That aside, Mike Patto was my brother, I was lucky enough to know him all of my/his life. I have always been a huge fan of Ollie,and was lucky enough to spend time with him.
Replied on: 1:29am 09-07-2012

Good point, Phil. Should be a bit better in a minute.

Quique Villafañe@ 7:29pm 09-06-2012
I don't know why it took me so long to write this,we are in 2012 and
these things happened in 1992, a few days before Ollie's death. I'm
Quique Villafañe, I was the drummer in Kevin Ayer's band on the Still Life With
Guitar tour and had the privilege of playing with the great Ollie,
although it wasn't the first time I played with him (before that, we did a
Spanish tv video and some concerts in Spain with Kevin Ayer's
band).
Ollie played awesome during the tour, I couldn't believe my ears.The band
sounded great most of the time (there was Claudia Puyó on
keyboards and vocals and Marcelo Fuentes on bass). Ron Wood, the
road manager, recorded all the concerts. Unfortunatly, the tapes were
stolen in Paris, while we were having dinner at a restaurant.
Ollie was such a humble person, he NEVER used to talk about
himself or the people he had played with. Actually, I learned all about his
career after his death. We got along very well. He used to come every
time we played in Madrid with Claudia's group (Los Románticos de
Artane).
Kevin's tour finished in London (Bernard Shaw theatre). I
remember Ollie (and us) singing some daring lyrics to a famous
opera leitmotiv, during dinner at a London restaurant. A couple
of days before coming back to Madrid, Ollie took Claudia and I to an
Indian restaurant and after that he called a taxi and took us to see
London Bridge and Tower Bridge. It was late at night and there was
nobody around. It was a foggy night and the scene was very oneiric.
Ollie told us about the big 1666 London fire. I think it was his way to say
good bye to us, although he wasn't aware of it.
We were so shocked when he died, we couldn't believe what was
happening, we had had great moments playing together during the
30 day tour.
Now I can say I feel better sharing these memories with Ollie's
fans. I'm one of them.

Quique Villafañe,Madrid 2012
Replied on: 12:27am 09-07-2012

Many thanks, Quique. It's great to hear from you. I will reply in detail to your email later.

Pier Paolo Farina@ 11:14am 08-31-2012
I enjoied Halsall and his pards in two different concerts with Tempest, in Italy, during 1973. For the first of them, in Fano, I managed to involve lots of my friends musicians, not informed about Patto and Tempest things like me! What a pleasure looking at their faces! It was a general "Unbelievable! Extraterrestrial! What and How the fuckin' is he playing?! The second time, in Ancona, Ollie went up the stage with his white Gibson, dressed in... pink! Pink trousers and pink jacket, and under the jacket nothing! Breast, paunch and fur. Approached the microphone, crackled an incredible blasphemy in italian and at once a mortal guitar scale, long, fast, clean and groovish! In the meantime Hiseman and Clarke were themselves on the stage and "Dance To My Tune" started. Everyone blown away!
Replied on: 12:33pm 08-31-2012

Grazie per il tuo messaggio, Pier. C'è una recensione del concerto di Paul Fano Casisi qui: www.olliehalsall.co.uk/fano.htm

Chris Stone@ 9:18am 08-27-2012
Love the olly covers. The only reason I rate Hendrix above Ollie is that Ollie played some Hendrix covers. I live in hope that someone can find a Hendrix Ollie cover.
Replied on: 9:49am 08-27-2012

Unfortunately unlikely given the chronology. I do wonder, however, whether Jimi ever saw Timebox. It would have been quite possible. Someone would surely have mentioned them to him.

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