Musical heroes (antidote to the Eagles)

Dave W · February 17, 2013, 05:18:43 PM

Okay, in the Eagles documentary thread I've read how unpleasant they are, especially Don Henley.

Here's another view of musical heroes: http://blogs.tennessean.com/tunein/2013/02/15/peter-cooper-on-music-your-musical-heroes-are-closer-than-you-think/

westen44 · February 17, 2013, 05:47:06 PM

Quote from: Dave W on February 17, 2013, 05:18:43 PM
Okay, in the Eagles documentary thread I've read how unpleasant they are, especially Don Henley.

Here's another view of musical heroes: http://blogs.tennessean.com/tunein/2013/02/15/peter-cooper-on-music-your-musical-heroes-are-closer-than-you-think/

Great article. As for the Eagles documentary--strictly my opinion--but I felt Glenn Frey came across as worse than Don Henley. Neither one is likely to win Sunday School Teacher of the Year award.

gweimer · February 17, 2013, 05:48:48 PM

Musicians and artistic types are funny people. Some are the most deplorable people, no matter how much you love their music. Some surprise you at how accessible they are. In my life....

Leslie West, in his fat junkie years was a prick. I ran into him at a NAMM show, and just said "Hi" as I passed by him. He said "F... You" and kept on walking. He also blew up my Acoustic 360 the night I rented it to him. Years later, and after he cleaned up and lost weight, he was pretty nice.
Zal Cleminson was an idol of mine when I was young. I had the chance to meet him at an outdoor show and told how much I loved his work. He looked at me like gum on his shoe.
At the same show, I came upon Bon Scott, standing at the river bank (Davenport, IA), and proceeded to have a friendly chat for about 30 minutes over a beer.
Rory Gallagher was a favorite interview of mine, and was worried about my girlfriend when a fire broke out at the Park West, so had her brought to the dressing room for safety.
Rob Grange let me play his brand new Alembic only 5 minutes after I heard Ted talk about shooting two would-be robbers in Detroit.
Kevin Dubrow was an ass during an attempted interview. Rudy Sarzo not only remembered the club I saw him at with Shatterstar, but also who the other band on the bill was.
Tommy Shaw was another approachable and pleasant person.
Rob Halford is pretty much what you see. Of all my interviews, he was my favorite. He is the most articulate person I ever interviewed. He never said "Ummmm" or "Ahhhh..." on any answer. He knew exactly what he wanted to say. Following the interview, he took a 13 year old boy around to meet everyone. NO...not like THAT. This was a musician giving a fan a night to remember. I will say that there weren't many women backstage at that show.

westen44 · February 17, 2013, 06:05:53 PM

Through the years, my parents met quite a few famous artists, including talking to them in personal conversations. Most were country, but there were some rock. It's pretty discouraging when your parents are cooler than you are. But most of the people they talked to were quite nice. My claim to fame? Once seeing Brooke Shields in a New Orleans department store? I'm not sure if that counts.

uwe · February 18, 2013, 06:18:12 AM

I haven't met a lot. Malmsteen as a young man. In a DiMarzio booth, surrounded by guitar nerd acolytes. Contrary to reputation/expectation, he wasn't an arse. Cocky and confident, but he dutifully and earnestly answered all my questions about his then fresh departure from Alcatrazz.

I also met Tony Carey, the keyboard player from Rainbow's Rising album plus then an emerging songwriter in his own right. He was genial, but horny (well, I met him in the Frankfurt red light district, fair is fair). Had his Brit manager with him who didn't even know he had played in Rainbow. I was DJing in a peep show back then and put on the iconic synth intro of Tarot Woman, followed by one of his more current hits with his then Planet P Project. That had him puzzled at first and he finally came up to my booth and said: "You know me?" He looked very much like half the Native American he is - physique, cheekbones and all - and of course the ladies of the night would soon dub him "der Indianer". I still have his signature on the Rainbow Rising album.

Only a few years ago, I met John Wetton (friendly and charming, disarming), Steve Howe (a nerd, but not of the bad kind), Carl Palmer (talkative to the point of hypheractive - kind of like his drumming! - kept pestering me about my law firm career as his daughter is in one!) und Geoff Downes (workmanlike, enjoys his beer after the gig and had some sardonic comments about Yes to make), in other words Asia. That was nice and very relaxed, probably because I like Asia, but am not overawed by them. Meeting someone from DP, I would probably freeze or say the most mundane things to later on kick myself for!

Pekka · February 18, 2013, 06:28:33 AM

I've met Todd Rundgren in Helsinki who was relieved that after all those "Bat Out Of Hell" albums someone gave him his latest album ("Arena") to autograph. I also met his whole band (Kasim Sulton and Prairie Prince amongst others) and they were all perfectly nice but then again we didn't talk much.

I'd like to meet Lenny White or Billy Cobham and pick their brain about Doug Rauch.

uwe · February 18, 2013, 07:05:44 AM

Speaking of Lenny White, I just listened yesterday to RTF's new live outing "The Mothership Returns" (with Pointy and Gambale). Say what you will about fusion, but this is well played and well-felt music for all senses. I love it when Clarke plays lead guitar on a double bass. His bass playing epitomizes "manliness" for me.

And spare me the clicheé "It's technically difficult, so it is emotionless." It's not.

maxschrek · February 18, 2013, 07:58:12 AM

I met Jeff Berlin at a NAMM show in Nashville, TN and Kasim Sulton at a Todd show and they were both very friendly and chatty. The guys in Jason and the Scorchers are really nice too....especially Warner Hodges.

wellREDman · February 18, 2013, 08:15:46 AM

as an ex roadie I have met a good cross section of "rockstars" and generally theyre like policemen, a handful of saints and a handful of c**ts and the rest don't make an impression so you dont remember the encounter.
surprised about Zal leaving a bad impression though, I've toured with him twice and you couldn't meet a nicer bloke, mind you that reasonably recently, things were probably were very different in 70's. thats where the policeman analogy falls down, you dont have to take into account the chemical loadings

OldManC · February 18, 2013, 09:38:03 AM

Around 1992 KISS were rehearsing at a little studio near my home. A friend and I happened to drive by right as Paul Stanley was driving away. Our inner 12-year-olds kicked into high gear and we followed him for 6 or 7 miles before he pulled into a parking lot and walked up to a huge magazine stand and waited for us. We went over and stammered our way through a short conversation, he signed a couple slips of paper we found and we all went on our way. I'm sure he wasn't happy about being followed to within a few miles of his home by a couple grown knuckleheads but he was gracious and probably a little amused. He comes across a little prickly in some interviews (no pun intended) but seems to have a place for fans in his life.

After Motley Crue had played the local circuit for a few months my buddy and I (the same guy in the story above) finally went to see them and were floored. The next show was at the Roxy in Hollywood and after spending the whole set screaming our heads off and throwing the horns at Mick Mars from our table right in front of him, we bolted past the bouncer and up the stairs toward the dressing rooms right after their set ended. The guy caught us right as we reached Motley's room and Mick saw us. He yelled out for the bouncer to leave us be and ordered us in. The other guys were there but Mick seemed like the only guy in the room. Unbeknownst to us at the time, he'd been on the circuit so long he was an old pro and came across as a total star to our eyes. He seemed really amused by our reaction during the show and again with him in that dressing room, telling us to say hi the next time we saw the band. A month later we waved to him at the Whisky and he brought us backstage after the show, which he then did at almost every show we attended until they were signed (and that sort of stuff was out of his hands). Except for that first time, Mick always had his own dressing room and literally never let anyone in (not even their manager) except we two dorky mega-fans. Back then most clubs in Hollywood would have two bands on the bill with two separate shows per night. By hanging backstage we'd only pay for one and get to see both sets. We hung with Mick on New Year's Eve in 1981 and spent the night trying to convince him he would play the forum by the next NYE (and we weren't too far off). He was, by far, the nicest, coolest "rock star" I ever met, especially through my 16 year old eyes.

Iome · February 18, 2013, 09:41:27 AM

Quote from: gweimer on February 17, 2013, 05:48:48 PM

At the same show, I came upon Bon Scott, standing at the river bank (Davenport, IA), and proceeded to have a friendly chat for about 30 minutes over a beer.

Damn, i envy you that one....

nofi · February 18, 2013, 10:09:06 AM

uwe's comment about stanley clarkes' manliness made ma think of this.

Pilgrim · February 18, 2013, 10:11:10 AM

I've chatted with Dick Dale after some shows here in Fort Collins. Also had a nice chance to talk with Sam Bolle - of course, everyone was clustered around Dick, not Sam. Dick is pretty approachable, but on his last tour he started charging for autographs. I guess he's trying to boost the retirement account because he's 75.

Sam came across very nice, ready to chat about bass stuff, strings, what it's like to play with Dick, etc. I had a good impression.

uwe · February 18, 2013, 10:50:11 AM

Quote from: nofi on February 18, 2013, 10:09:06 AM
uwe's comment about stanley clarkes' manliness made ma think of this.

He plays manly like Hendrix played manly. (That doesn't mean you can't have feeling! Joey De Maio, otoh, just looks caricature manly and plays like a sissy with his guitar gauge strings.). I'm not much of a fusion bassist fan and I don't even dig slapping, but Clarke intrigues me the way he approaches double bass, his Alembics or the tenor little ones. It seems (!) effortless and organic.

The bass sound in that SDG vid - ages since I heard this version, one always here's the Chicago one - is cool.

gweimer · February 18, 2013, 10:57:11 AM

Quote from: uwe on February 18, 2013, 06:18:12 AM
Meeting someone from DP, I would probably freeze or say the most mundane things to later on kick myself for!

LOL! I opened for Gillan once, and then also interviewed him again for another magazine article. He was a pretty amiable, down to earth guy. I know I've mentioned about a guy I know that gave his Blackmoreness a lift in Chicago, and has gotten free tickets for shows ever since. The night I saw DP, it was sitting on the sound board on the Perfect Strangers tour. It was a night to remember.
Roger Glover was a good interview, too. I gave him some ribbing about him claiming there was no DP reunion on the horizon only a few months before they showed up on a tour.

Ronnie Dio was good, but really REALLY insecure. I mentioned the name, Black Sabbath, and got 10 minutes of impromptu ranting.

Dee Snider was fun.