WHILE the rest of us spent last Sunday looking at The Corrs in Millstreet, at Dylan Moran in Kilkenny or at our own navels in Bantry, a bumper crew of Irish folk was in Kingston, Surrey looking at the art of their lives. The Rolling Stones's Ron Woods was having a birthday party and if there's one thing 50 years has taught him, it's how to throw a party.
Ron and his wife Jo Woods chose a "so tacky it's cool" Western theme to the night complete with bucking bronco, teepees and squaws and even a Wild West casino for those determined to part with their money. The cake, which came at midnight, along with fireworks and Ron's actual birthday, was a three foot replica of the Woods's new house. The birthday feast was entirely organic, except, claimed Jo, the chives. We wondered.
Of course with all the big players in the rock world and a full stage and rig set up in the marquee, the music was bound to be good, but the "super group" that really wowed the crowd was the impromptu jamming session of De Dannan, Stockton's Wing and the Hothouse Flowers (who are recording in London at the moment). All that bodhran and fiddle playing prompted a massive Irish dancing session that was ever so slightly incongruous amid the saloon doors and stetsons.
Of course, old friends and fellow Stones legends, Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall were there as well as plenty more of Ron's friends from the rock world; Jools Holland, Mick Hucknall from Simply Red; renowned jazz saxophonist Bobby Keyes, and the band members of Oasis, Texas and The Beautiful South. The "fash mag" world was represented by top models Iris Palmer, Kate Moss and Jasmine Guinness who is going out with Jesse Woods, Ron's son.
Among the 400 guests were people from as far afield as South America and Japan, but of course the Irish contingent was one of the strongest. Celtic Heartbeat's Dave Kavanagh; Abrakebabra's Graham Beere and his wife Margaret, and gal pals, Virginia Fortune and Catriona Ward all made the trip across the water and so did Brenda Rawn, without Neil Jordan who was in the US; Marianne Faithfull; Def Leppard's Joe Elliot and his girlfriend Bobbi, and Claddagh Records's founder, Garech Browne.