European map
City snapshot
Sly graces stage in Nice for 20 minutes
Unpredictable funk star Sly Stone did the predictable at a Nice gig by walking off stage after just 10mins leaving the band Family Stone stranded like a nicoise salad without the pasta. He reappeared after 90mins wearing shades and a baseball cap - stayed another 10mins then strode off again.
Sly and the Family Stone hit the big time with their memorable live performances and a powerful sound, a fusion of funk, gospel, psychedelia and acid jazz. Sly Stone though quickly earned a reputation for erratic behaviour. A drug addict, he fled the scene in the mid 80s and resurfaced at the Grammy Awards last year sporting a blonde mohican haircut.
Recent concerts have been a mile away from his explosive shows at Woodstock. In stark contrast the Family Stone backing band has got younger as Sly has got older - he's now 64. Fans at the Nice Jazz festival, where Sly ducked out have got used to his ways. The tour has hit Italy, Switzerland and France and is heading for Spain and the UK. We can hardly wait.
This article was written for TravelSavvy Europe by Nigel Stoneson. If you know of an interesting European travel related news story, please get in contact.
