Funny, I was wondering only last week how Phil Miller was doing: his website hasn't been updated for ages and it's been a long time since the last In Cahoots CD. Well now I know, and I'm devastated.
Phil was a one-off: no one sounded quite like him. As my nom-de-plume probably makes obvious, he was one of my favourite guitarists, right from Delivery and Matching Mole, through the Hatfields and National Health, Short Wave and ultimately the fine (and vastly underrated) In Cahoots. I relish the memory of seeing the last named at a almost comically low-key gig at the Cluny in Newcastle about 15 years ago. They were wonderful, and a thoroughly nice group of blokes to boot. How tragic that three of them (Pip Pyle, Elton Dean and now Phil) left us so prematurely - at the same time reminding us of the inevitable passing of our own time too.
So only one thing for it: play those marvellous records.
RIP Phil, and cheers.
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