Tom Dunne: A life-affirming performance of Both Sides Now from Joni Mitchell

I was wary of watching Joni's performance at Newport Folk Festival, but it turned out to be magnificent

Joni Mitchell at the 2022 Newport Folk Festival.

Thu, 28 Jul, 2022 - 21:55

Tom Dunne is a music-lover extraordinaire who, as well as presenting radio and TV shows, can also be seen in the wild as the lead singer with Something Happens.

I heard that Joni Mitchel had appeared and performed at the Newport Folk Festival just as I was about to do an item on the radio. I mentioned it but it was hard to absorb. Hadn’t she been very unwell? Hadn’t we once feared we’d lost her?

The photos I saw immediately after did little to assuage me. She was seated, seemed frail. But then the reaction started: the joy, the love, the outpouring of emotion. “You have to watch this,” people said. I prepared a room. I closed the door.