George Clinton brought the mob to Hampton Va for a show that lifted my spirits on 9/11. "Gimme some feedback. We gonna get psychedelic" George instructed, 2/3 thru the show-then broke into I Call my Baby Pussy! Hardcore Funkers were in disbelief and joyous at the same time.

After Kendra Foster did a great Bounce to This over a Rumpofsteelskin melody, the stage crew started breaking down the set. Unfazed, Mike Hampton began stroking the intro to Maggot Brain. A few band members joined in, and gave the crowd that remained a rare treat.

I got to talk to Mike after, and I thanked him for going the extra mile. I have read so much about his bad attitude, nonchalant playing, ect. He was none of that last night. Before the show, he hung out talking to funkateers. The outdoor setting allowed many kids to attend, and Mike pulled out his fone to take a picture of the next generation.

Great show. Its so hard to rock like that to a large outdoor crowd.

Thanks for sharing this, pilot.

There HAS been some harsh critiques of Mike on this board (I was one of the bashers).

Nice to hear that it's maybe NOT as bad as all that.

I'm envious of your good time that night....it's always a thrill (for a funk-dork like me) to get to "hang out" and yak with our musical heroes, if only for a few mins....so that was really cool to hear about.

Mike has given a lot to the P-Funk legacy & that wasn't easy for him either (stepping in after Eddie died).

JamFanHot said:

There HAS been some harsh critiques of Mike on this board (I was one of the bashers).

...and I was another. I actually like Mike a whole lot, but I would love to have the opportunity one day to tell him about his attitude. Glad it wasn't on display for you in VA.

PDogz said:

JamFanHot said:

There HAS been some harsh critiques of Mike on this board (I was one of the bashers).

...and I was another. I actually like Mike a whole lot, but I would love to have the opportunity one day to tell him about his attitude. Glad it wasn't on display for you in VA.

PDogz, JamFanHot, you're welcome. I actually spoke to Mike for a good while. He had valid reasons for his behavior.

I'm working on a PFunk documentary-it's influence on Rock and Roll, my life (I decided to fly after seeing the back cover of Mothership Connection), live shows, and Culture (especially African American) . I don't have time to post alot, but I will let orgers know how it is progressing.

Makes me wonder why I reside in Az. That's a great story. Hampton is very underrated. I bump Funkadelic's early 70s material quite a bit, mainly the compilation Music For My Mother. I dont know if youre a vinyl buff, but the complete collection is available on 180 gram platters. Tasty.