One of the greatest evenings of my life was sitting not too far from the front of the stage, around the middle of the row, in the Free Trades Hall in Manchester in 1964.

First on the bill was Julie Felix, followed by Buffy Ste. Marie, and Jack Elliott & Derroll Adams. All this faded away when the Rev. Gary Davis stepped on to the stage with his old Gibson J200, in a pale suit. He stepped straight to the mic, felt for it, said "Hi Mike", hung up his stick, swung the guitar round - and launched into the most electrifying music I'd ever heard. All with just a thumbpick and one fingerpick, on his index finger.

Anyone else there that night? Who could have stopped me from rushing back across the Pennines (I was a student in Leeds) to my guitar and practising until my fingers bled? No one!