82-Year-Old Rock Legend Brings Live Music to Ukraine's Front Lines

Dave Robinson is a legendary figure in the music world, and at 82 years old, he is still working hard to bring live music to people who need it most. As one of the founders of Stiff Records, Dave helped launch the careers of famous artists like Elvis Costello, The Pogues, Madness, Motörhead, and The Damned. He started out as a photographer in the 1960s, taking pictures of bands in Liverpool, including The Beatles before they became famous. Dave remembers that Paul McCartney was friendly, but John Lennon was not. He photographed many bands, and at the time, he thought they all sounded similar, including The Beatles.

Touring has always been important to Dave. He believes that playing live shows is what makes a band great. He points to The Beatles as an example. When he first saw them, they were just starting out, but after years of touring in places like Hamburg, Germany, they became one of the best bands in the world. Dave says that touring helps bands practice, improve their shows, and connect with audiences. He has always encouraged the bands he worked with to keep touring, even though it is a tough life. Bands have to travel for hours, set up their equipment, do sound checks, play their set, and then pack up and move to the next city.

Dave has had many adventures in his career. In 1968, he managed a band called Eire Apparent on a U. S. tour with Jimi Hendrix and Soft Machine. When the main tour manager got sick, Dave took over for three months. He says that you learn more from problems than from success. Back then, everything was paid in cash, so Dave had to carry a briefcase full of money and even a gun for protection. He remembers that most of Hendrix's audience were young white college students, many of whom were avoiding the Vietnam War draft. Traveling with music equipment was also difficult, as bags often got damaged or lost at airports. Dave learned to tip porters to make sure the band's gear was handled carefully.

Recently, Dave traveled to Ukraine with the band Hardwicke Circus. Despite being in his eighties and getting very sick with pneumonia, he wanted to help bring music to people living in a war zone. He believes that Ukraine needs music more than anywhere else right now. The shows were packed with young people, especially girls, because many men are fighting in the war. Dave and the band also visited schools and hospitals, running music workshops and performing in underground venues for safety. Even though he saw bombed buildings and heard explosions, Dave is determined to keep going. He says that music is not about suffering, but about bringing joy to people who need it most. He plans to return to Ukraine and organize more tours, because he believes that music can make a difference in people's lives.