[johnfowles]

I recall seing Acker live just the once at the fifth (and final) UK Beaulieu Jazz Festival , (BTW that's pronounced Bew-ley not Bow Lieu) in 1960 see
http://www.theguardian.com/news/2012...-beaulieu-riot
whose heading states
From the Observer archive, 31 July 1960: Riot at the Beaulieu jazz festival
The bucolic peace of Hampshire is shattered when fighting mars a set from Acker Bilk's band
and in the article it claims
"The piano collapsed when fans climbed on to the platform. Mr Acker Bilk's band were playing at the time."
Mty recollection is different and very clear 54 years later!!
the stage was in fact overrun by sundry rioters early on just as the Bilk band were trying to get on to it I have a strong image of the bass player using the spike support of his double bass as a battering ram to get to his position through the crowd a potentially lethal weapon!!


It was thankfully the only time I have been in a riot and it was actually quite scaring because there was a continuous barrage of bottles etc being thrown and a pair of manned lighting towers were pulled down near us

Stranger On The Shore released the following year