But on this crisp winter’s evening in Camden Town, no one was to know that – and even if they did, they would be glad to learn that Wilko’s party wasn’t quite over yet… Wilko came onstage to a deafening roar and a standing ovation (not that there was anywhere to sit down). The Koko gig – the second of two – was thus promoted as the very last show of a short ‘Farewell’ tour, the final chance for fans to see Wilko perform live on stage.Īs it turned out, against the odds, the guitarist mercifully remained fit and healthy enough to gig sporadically throughout the rest of 2013, bringing pleasure to fans everywhere from his home town of Southend, Essex to the Fuji Rock festival in Japan. The electricity around the show had acquired extra voltage due to a sad and poignant fact: just a few weeks before, the former Dr Feelgood guitarist and songwriter had announced he’d been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and had only months left to live. But tonight the honour was reserved for a man with a special place in the hearts of lovers of raw, honest, exhilarating rock’n’roll music: Wilko Johnson. The venue – known as the Music Machine in the punk days and the Camden Palace in the ‘80s and ‘90s – has down the years seen many legends play its stage, from Ellen Terry the Victorian actress, to The Goons who recorded some of their BBC shows there, to The Clash, Madonna, Prince and many more. On the evening of March 10th, 2013, Koko in London’s Camden Town opened its doors to 1,500 music fans who knew they were about to witness an extraordinary event.
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