Autograph

 Over the years I’ve been a music fan, and as such attended various concerts.  At a very small minority of those shows, I had the pleasure of meeting the musicians themselves and getting them to autograph various items.  However, I’m not in the habit of seeking out autographs, so the instances of doing so are so few and far between that I have little trouble in describing each of them in a brief, Friday blog entry.

RONNIE WOOD.  From 1979-1982 I attended Marymount, a Catholic school in Neuilly, just outside Paris, in that European country commonly referred to as “France”.  The school had an annual fair in the spring.  At the one in 1984 we acquired Judas Priest, Defenders of the Faith on cassette, and the Y&T albums Mean Streak and Black Tiger on vinyl.  At another one I had occasion to briefly meet Ronnie Wood, the second guitarist of the Rolling Stones.  One of his children was attending school.   By this time I was in high school at the American School of Paris, so his kid was not a classmate of mine.  I happened to be wearing a denim jacket which also – by coincidence – had the Rolling Stones lip & tongue patch on it.  Mr. Wood was nice enough to sign the patch itself.  Sadly, by now the signature has faded to the point I can no longer see it.  But he was cool.   As a side note, to date I have not seen the Rolling Stones in concert, nor have I seen Ronnie Wood in concert in any way, shape or form. 

FAITH NO MORE.   In November 1989 we attended the Faith No More concert at the old 930 Club, in Washington, DC, when it was still back on 930 F Street.  This was the band’s The Real Thing tour, when it had Mike Patton on vocals and Jim Martin on guitar.   I managed to persuade Jim Martin to sign my The Real Thing CD insert, and drummer Mike Bordin did so as well.  I wasn’t able to meet or talk to the other band members.  I still have that CD.

WISHBONE ASH.   This English band was at its peak in the 1970s, headlining larger venues like Merriweather Post Pavilion.  By the time I managed to see them, guitarist Andy Powell was the sole remaining original member, and they were playing small clubs instead of armpit heaters.  Of course, had they been playing an armpit heater, I would not be able to talk to Andy Powell in person and get him to sign my Wishbone Ash CD inserts.  Oddly, even years after the vinyl renaissance, those early albums are still not reissued.    

TESLA.   In 2007 the band released a CD of covers, Real to Reel, ostensibly a two disc set.  The second disc you picked up from the band itself on its tour.  I saw the tour at the Ram’s Head Live in Baltimore, Maryland.  Oddly enough, lead guitarist Frank Hannon was actually running the concession stand.  In addition to handing over my copy of the second disc, he also autographed the case.  Thanks, man!

BLUE CHEER.   Actually, I didn't come away from the BC encounter with any autographs, per se.  This is a band which had its initial peak of fame in the late 1960's, coming from San Francisco like the Grateful Dead, and even loosely associated with Owsley, the premiere source of LSD back then - even down to naming themselves after one of his strains.   Fast forward to modern times, and bassist/singer Dickie Peterson got the band back together with guitarist "Duck" MacDonald.  While this lineup did play classic material - exclusively of the Leigh Stephens era, it seems - Dickie put out new material that was heavier and more modern - and just as enjoyable. The band played a show at Krug's Place in Frederick, Maryland, in December 2005, and my college comrade Ken invited me along.  I managed to get my picture taken with Dickie, which is the primary picture for my Facebook profile.  

MEET & GREETS.   As noted, my own experience meeting rock stars has been rather limited.  My brother Matt, on the other hand, has been to several meet & greets and thus had a chance to hang out with, and talk at length with, various rock stars.  These include Doro (from Warlock), Ace Frehley (of KISS), and Biff Byford of Saxon.  He spoke with Pete Trewavas of Marillion.  He was also at the Faith No More show mentioned above.  

One last name drop: back when we were living in Paris, our parents met up with Martin Sheen.   This wound up with my sister, Sarah, visiting the Sheens in California and hanging out with Emilio Estevez.  I don't think Charlie was around the household back then.