Fans of Joan Baez will be pleased to hear that she is embarking on a European tour in September which will include four dates at London’s Royal Festival Hall and three at Dublin’s Vicar Street (full tour schedule below).
It was 55 years ago last week – July 11, 1959 – that Joan Baez first appeared on a major stage as a guest of Bob Gibson at the Newport Folk Festival (see image below, photo by Lawrence Shustak) shortly followed by the release of her first album for Vanguard, Joan Baez (1960). Her following three albums went gold and she became a leading figure on the American roots revival scene.
Joan also became heavily involved in the civil rights movement and has remained a strong campaigner for human rights since. The image of Dylan and Baez performing at the civil rights March on Washington, August 28, 1963 has remained one of the most popular of them as a duo (see image below). Other big notable moments of protest include her visit to North Vietnam during the war where she was filmed praying with the residents of Hanoi during the heaviest bombing of the war.
Musically, despite having written many songs, she is still best known for her wonderful interpretations of songs by others such as Pete Seeger and Bob Dylan to name just a couple. In more recent years these have also included Ryan Adams, Josh Ritter, Steve Earle and Natalie Merchant. One of her own songs that has remained very popular with fans is Diamonds and Rust, a song which recounts a phone call from an old lover…according to Baez the song referred to her relationship with Dylan. Here she is performing it live in 1975.
Joan Baez, Diamonds and Rust – Live, 1975
EUROPEAN TOUR
September
13 – De Oosterpoort, Groningen, HOLLAND
14 – Royal Circus, Brussels, BELGIUM
17 – Royal Festival Hall, London, UNITED KINGDOM
18 – Royal Festival Hall, London, UNITED KINGDOM
20 – Royal Festival Hall, London, UNITED KINGDOM
21 – Royal Festival Hall, London, UNITED KINGDOM
24 – Vicar Street, Dublin, IRELAND
25 – Vicar Street, Dublin, IRELAND
27 – Vicar Street, Dublin, IRELAND
30 – L’Olympia, Paris, FRANCE
October
01 – L’Olympia, Paris, FRANCE
03 – L’Olympia, Paris, FRANCE
04 – L’Olympia, Paris, FRANCE
06 – L’Olympia, Paris, FRANCE
07 – L’Olympia, Paris, FRANCE
11 – Aegon Arena NTC, Bratislava, SLOVAKIA
16 – Lucerna Grand Hall, Prague, CZECH REPUBLIC
19 – Studenski Centar, Zagreb, CROATIA
More details here: http://www.joanbaez.com/tourschedule.html