Yes, there are survivors from the sea music festival. A small group of us took down the lights and sound system from the stage at Lighthouse Point after the final concert. There were the usual moments of high drama with various wasted people balancing themselves on shaky step ladders taking down the heavy speakers from the rafters. Once again no one was badly crushed. In fact there really was no reason at all for me to shout "Fair catch!" as Nor was endeavoring to twist 380 degrees around at the top of the ladder to unhook the last speaker. Then it was "all coil down" for the various cables and extention cords.

We had a great feed at Go Fish before most of our crew left town. Judy and I are still here in Mystic, having enjoyed 8 hours of s-l-e-e-p at her motel room.

The final concert is truly a wonderful experience, every performer who is still conscious leading a song, and for the sound crew all kinds of quick set-ups to deal with whatever creative "extras" that performers come up with. We began with the Frech Canadian group Le Vent du Nord, who we had already set up for from their previous concert, and once again they "blew" everyone away with their fiddles, accordian, key board, hurdy gurdy, step dancing, and vocals.

The final involved everyone on the stage with Don Sinetti leading "Rolling Down to Old Maui" which I'm sure carried to wherever old Stan resides. And then Geoff Kaufman led "Leave Her, Johnny, Leave Her."

My high moment was running the main sound board while Bob went rowing with his wife and Nor went up to lie in the sun. There I was fine tuning the board while Dick Holdstock and Allan Macleod were doing their set. Yes, I was having real fun until the last 10 minutes when I glancing down at the program and realized that Le Vent du Nord was scheduled next and neither Bob or Nor was in sight, and I am truly clueless when it comes to connecting direct boxes, adjusting monitors
and arranging any of the things one has to deal with for 5 people and half a gazillion instruemnts. Fortunately I found someone who thought he knew where Nor was collecting sun and I was rescued before I created too much of a tangle.

Judy has lots of digital images to process when we get home. And I'll endeaver to post more details. We do have some extra CD's of SALTY DICK'S UNCENSORED SAILOR SONGS as promised for our real friends. We still plan to attend this evenings Survivors Shanty Sing at the Griswold Inn in Essex and we'll report on that as well.

We had the best weather I've ever experienced at Mystic. Looking forward to next year already.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble