Back in '74 with only the Melody Maker and NME for news, the talk at the time was of Springsteen and the Asbury Park music scene. The Stone Pony and these gigs taking place there with Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band and the second most famous to be born there in Asbury Park, the now infamous Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes.

I'm from Battersea, the original Battersea, in South London. Where we lived, “Southside Johnny” just had to be a hitman on-the-run from the Southside of Asbury Park! What a name!

And then we discovered their albums, a much raunchier earlier Springsteen-ish sound; a bit like original 4-track recordings with that live-edge feel about them – of course, what we were hearing was the Asbury Park sound!!!

'75 the two concerts of Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band. Incredible performances. We'd never experienced anything like it before, 4-hours of non-stop dancing-in-the-aisles. And the 2nd night at the Hammersmith Odeon London was the best ever. Jeez, do I regret giving away that iconic cinema sized poster of Bruce and Clarence that I managed to get my hands on from the Odeon display window-case that night!

Then the 6th April 1977 at the Rainbow Theatre London we discovered that Big Band Sound of Rock & Roll — Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes — LIVE! Boy, I reckon there were 16 of them on stage that night. And the sexy Ronnie Spector, the icing-on-the-cake! And what a spectacular sound it was then and still is now 34-years later!

You have to catch them live to know what I mean. Once bitten, there's no turning back. It just has to be LIVE for that Big Band Sound of Rock & Roll!

I'm not so much a groupie as a music junkie.

Jukes shows? Trouble is I've lived more-or-less ever since '89 out-of-a-suitcase when I got on the corporate bandwagon and “never looked back” as they say. ‘82 it was love at first sight and my wife being very Thai that meant “you're a married man and married men don't go gallivanting!" Never mind. It's what we do for love that counts!

I got to see the Jukes in October last year at the Paradiso Amsterdam and at the Rosenhof Osnabrück. The first time now since '77!

Can't wait for June 21st Stadium of Light Sunderland; June 22nd Etihad Stadium Manchester; June 24th Isle of Wight Festival; June 28th HMV Ritz Manchester; June 29th O2 Shepherds Bush Empire London.

I'd love to be there at The Stone Pony Summer Stage July 3rd this year but there we go. We'll have to wait-see which year this will be. I've got the time and the money for the air ticket. It's persuading my wife it's something I've got to do that's the challenge!

Head-high now and thank-you for razing my blood pressure to new heights reminiscing the old days when party-time was something you were born with; a mind-set that started out from dawn-to dusk and carried-on morning-noon-and-night!

Thank you!

[Note from Miss October: While preparing George's Fan of the Month story, we asked George for a picture of himself in his favorite Jukes attire. He should be pretty easy to spot at a show, right? In George's defense, he did tell us how the Jukes played into his concert wardrobe in the past: "Though a little worse for wear with the original Asbury Jukes logo super-glued to the back of the 1975 Rolling Stones bright yellow long-sleeved red-tongued t-shirt, I was resplendent in bright-blue silk "Marc Bolan" jacket, stars-and stripes full length flared jeans and 6-inch high platform shoes. In these days of the mid-‘70s onwards I'd bus to Knebworth Park on occasion dressed in my glory. Pink Floyd in '75. Rolling Stones & Lynyrd Skynyrd in '76. Led Zeppelin & The New Barbarians in '79. Hair sprayed silver with sparkle-glittered cheeks. I must have looked a right sight!" Sounds awesome! And George has quite an impressive concert history from his pre-corporate days. George, if you get to the Pony Show, you'll have to tell us all about it.]