Vince Power dies aged 76
Tributes have been paid to the ‘visionary’ promotor behind the Mean Fiddler empire after his loss of life aged 76.
The Irish-born father-of-eight Vince Power had a succession of jobs, together with packing ice cream bars into packing containers, earlier than he rose to develop into a central determine within the music business.
He turned the Reading Festival from a struggling jazz occasion – which he took it on in 1989 – right into a spotlight of the music scene, with headline acts starting from Nirvana and the Stone Roses to Eminem and Dizzee Rascal.
The Leeds Festival joined Power’s portfolio in 1999 and he was additionally the person behind the Madstock pageant in Finsbury Park and later took on the operating of Glastonbury.
The Mean Fiddler venue opened its doorways in 1982 in a former playing den in Harlesden, north-west London, that had as soon as been frequented by gangsters the Kray twins and the Richardsons.
It was there that the likes of the Pogues, Johnny Cash and Roy Orbison carried out.
Power’s daughter Nell paid tribute to her father yesterday on Instagram. She posted a sequence of images of them collectively and wrote: ‘My eternally optimistic humorous pushed beneficiant heat dad.’
A bunch of stars had their very own heat phrases for the promoter. Paul Weller, former frontman of the Jam, wrote on X: ‘I’m sorry to listen to of the passing of Vince Power, who was a superb pal to us, and will probably be drastically missed. Bless you mate and thanks.’
Cerys Matthews, a founding member of Welsh band Catatonia, wrote: ‘I’m going to overlook you so very a lot, my pal in music, in considering, in dreaming. love you very a lot. RiP.’
Tributes have been paid to the ‘visionary’ promotor behind the Mean Fiddler empire after his loss of life aged 76. The Irish-born father-of-eight Vince Power had a succession of jobs, together with packing ice cream bars into packing containers, earlier than he rose to develop into a central determine within the music business. Above: Power in 1990 and proper with Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan in 2006
The Mean Fiddler venue opened its doorways in 1982 in a former playing den in Harlesden, north-west London, that had as soon as been frequented by gangsters the Kray twins and the Richardsons
Singer Imelda May mentioned: ‘I adored him and will probably be without end grateful to him for giving me an opportunity after I wanted it most when beginning out.’
Folk singer-songwriter Tanita Tikaram mentioned: ‘So unhappy to listen to Vince Power has handed away.
‘Like many artists I owe a lot to Vince, he gave me my first gig on the Mean Fiddler acoustic Room attended by about 3 folks however he made certain 1 of them was an essential agent ! My condolences to Vince’s household and family members.’
Billy Bragg added: ‘Vince Power turned the Mean Fiddler into the very best place for stay music in mid-80s London.
‘The Saturday invoice of his 1989 Reading Festival consisted of bands you would possibly see any evening of the week on the Fiddler, bands he had actively nurtured. He liked music. RIP.’
Power was born in Kilmacthomas, Country Waterford, Ireland, in 1947. He was the fourth of 11 youngsters of fogeys Jack Power and Brigid.
His unnamed twin sister was amongst 4 of his siblings who died at beginning. The household lived with no sizzling water and no rest room.
Power gained a scholarship to check synthetic insemination at Galway Architectural College however, reluctant to spend three years finding out, he as an alternative moved to Hemel Hempstead to stay together with his aunt.
A bunch of stars had their very own heat phrases for the promoter. Cerys Matthews, a founding member of Welsh band Catatonia, wrote: ‘I’m going to overlook you so very a lot, my pal in music, in considering, in dreaming. love you very a lot. RiP’
Paul Weller, former frontman of the Jam, wrote on X: ‘I’m sorry to listen to of the passing of Vince Power, who was a superb pal to us, and will probably be drastically missed. Bless you mate and thanks’
Singer Imelda May mentioned: ‘I adored him and will probably be without end grateful to him for giving me an opportunity after I wanted it most when beginning out’
Billy Bragg added: ‘Vince Power turned the Mean Fiddler into the very best place for stay music in mid-80s London. ‘The Saturday invoice of his 1989 Reading Festival consisted of bands you would possibly see any evening of the week on the Fiddler, bands he had actively nurtured. He liked music. RIP’
Folk singer-songwriter Tanita Tikaram mentioned: ‘So unhappy to listen to Vince Power has handed away. ‘Like many artists I owe a lot to Vince, he gave me my first gig on the Mean Fiddler acoustic Room attended by about 3 folks however he made certain 1 of them was an essential agent ! My condolences to Vince’s household and family members’
Power opened his Mean Fiddler venue in 1982 and turned it right into a music empire. Above: Power at Reading in 1998
Power’s daughter Nell paid tribute to her father yesterday on Instagram. She posted a sequence of images of them collectively and wrote: ‘My eternally optimistic humorous pushed beneficiant heat dad’
The Pogues carry out on the Mean Fiddler in Harlesden in 1984
The Pogues get pleasure from a drink on the Mean Fiddler in November 1984
American singer Carl Mann performs on the Mean Fiddler in 1984
He turned the Reading Festival from a struggling jazz occasion – which he took it on in 1989 – right into a spotlight of the music scene. Above: The pageant in 2002
Dark rain clouds collect over the primary stage at Leeds Festival in August final yr
Mud-covered revellers get pleasure from an ice cream on the Reading Festival in 1995
An aerial view of the crowds at Reading Festival in 2003
Crowds get pleasure from themselves at Reading Festival in 1991, shortly after Power had taken over the operating of the occasion
Scores of tents are seen at Reading Festival in 1990. Power had taken it on when it was a struggling jazz occasion
John Lydon of the Sex Pistols performs at Finsbury Park in 1996. The gig was organised by Power
US star Prince performs on the Hop Farm Festival in Kent in 2011. The occasion ran till 2012
Rapper Eminem performs on the Reading Festival in 2001
His aunt discovered him a job at Woolworths, which he loathed. He continuously returned house throughout his six months in England, however issues improved when he moved to Kilburn with an Irish pal.
He began promoting beds at Whiteleys purchasing middle in Bayswater earlier than engaged on the biscuit line at McVitie’s after which the baked beans line at Heinz.
Power went on to affix Wall’s however was sacked after falling asleep whereas packing ice cream bars into packing containers.
He later labored on constructing websites, which sparked an concept to revive and promote undesirable furnishings that was typically left in properties.
Power rented his first store at 19 and shortly had a series of furnishings retailers throughout north London.
He opened the Mean Fiddler venue with the cash he had saved from the furnishings enterprise.
It hosted Irish folks music and nation and western. Other acts who carried out there included Eric Clapton and Annie Lennox.
He later mentioned: ‘I simply thought, would not or not it’s nice to have my very own place, with a home band and a chilly beer?
The Mean Fiddler venue later grew to become the Mean Fiddler Group, which took possession of a sequence of London venues, together with the Jazz Cafe, the Garage and the Astoria.
In 1993, he was left £2.5million in debt when he placed on an costly gig at Ireland’s Tranmore racecourse.
Although the occasion hosted stars together with Bob Dylan and Van Morrison, it didn’t pay the payments.
Later that yr he launched Phoenix Festival. In 1996 it hosted David Bowie, Neil Young, Bjork and the reformed Sex Pistols.
Mean Fiddler was floated on the inventory market within the early 2000s and took a stake in Glastonbury Festival in 2002.
Power offered his share of the corporate in 2004 after which arrange one other enterprise, the Vince Power Music Group.
This enterprise based the Hop Farm pageant in Kent, which ran between 2008 and 2012.
Power secured the attendance of Prince, the Eagles and Dylan however nonetheless misplaced cash. ‘I put it on and misplaced a fortune. But anyway, it was an excellent evening,’ he later mentioned.
In 2014, Power was quickly banned from selling stay music by the High Court after it emerged he had been operating Hop Farm with no performing rights licence.
He tried to return to pageant operating in 2019 with Feis Liverpool, however this failed.
Power together with his daughter Nell. She posted the picture on Instagram yesterday
Power with British-American actress Mischa Barton at Berkeley Square Ball in 2006
Vince Power with a few of his youngsters at Berkeley Square Ball in 2005
Vince Power and household throughout 1993 Phoenix Festival in London
Power later purchased a sequence of London venues, together with Dingwalls.
The promoter additionally placed on a sequence of fundraising gigs to help each the Guildford Four and Maguire Seven – two teams who have been wrongly convicted of terrorist offences.
This led to strategies he was a supporter of the IRA, however Power insisted he was in opposition to violence.
He had three youngsters together with his first spouse Theresa. The couple divorced in 1978. He then had a seven-year relationship with companion Patsy Ryce.
They had two youngsters collectively. In 1986, Power started a relationship with Alison Charles, whom he had three youngsters.
He later dated Gemma Philips between 2004 and 2008
Power was appointed honorary CBE in 2006. The promoter was additionally, maybe uncharacteristically, a agency vegetarian, dedicated to yoga and by no means tried medicine.
