A very pleasant evening in the company of legendary writer and performer Benny Gallagher at St Georges in Beckenham this evening. He performed a number of his best known songs, including his hits with McGuinness Flint (When I’m Dead And Gone and Malt And Barley Blues), plus the evergreen Gallagher & Lyle standards, Heart On My Sleeve, I Wanna Stay With You, and Breakaway, which originally made the upper echelons of the charts in the 1970s. The second half of the show was principally given over to his support for Changing Tunes, the registered charity that uses music teaching, rehearsing, recording, performance, improvisation and composition to aid the rehabilitation of prisoners and ex-prisoners. Its common purpose of making music creates an environment for prisoners to improve self-esteem, build healthy relationships, and engage in an activity where hard work and perseverance brings rewards. These factors are major steps towards rehabilitation.
