An incredible lineup of musicians — including Eric Clapton, Van Morrison, Yusuf/Cat Stevens, Rick Wakeman, Tom Jones, Bonnie Tyler and Nick Mason — came together at London’s 02 Arena on Tuesday night for the Music for the Marsden charity show, which raised money to fight cancer.
Procol Harum’s Gary Brooker was the musical director of the show and he worked alongside keyboardist Paul “Wix” Wickens, guitarists Andy Fairweather Low and Robbie McIntosh, bassist Dave Bronze and drummers Graham Broad and Ian Paice.
Highlights included Van Morrison and Eric Clapton jamming on “Three Chords and the Truth” and “Does Love Conquer All,” Paul Carrack reuniting with his former Mike and the Mechanics bandmate Mike Rutherford for “Over My Shoulder” and “I Can’t Dance,” Bonnie Tyler bringing things back to the Eighties with “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” Yusuf/Cat Stevens breaking out “Wild World” and Tom Jones getting everyone in the place dancing with “Delilah.”
Near the end of the night, Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason came out to play the group’s 1979 classic “Comfortably Numb” with Brooker, Procol Harum guitarist Geoff Whitehorn and many other artists from the show. He’s spent the past year playing pre-Dark Side of the Moon songs on the road with his new band Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets, making this one of the few times in recent memory he’s broken out a tune from the band’s stadium rock days.
The show also marked the first time that Rutherford has played with Carrack in several years. Carrack parted ways with Mike and the Mechanics in 2004 and Rutherford carried on with new vocalists Tim Howar and Andrew Roachford. Hours after this show ended, Rutherford met up with his Genesis bandmates Phil Collins and Tony Banks to announce their first tour since 2007 on the BBC.
