I had the pleasure of working with Peter on his “Us” album, after his major artistic break thru record “So”, His album “So” not only catapulted him for it’s commercial success but it’s respectable achievement here and across the pond. He collaborated with Kate Bush, Laurie Anderson and Youssou N’Dour on his hit ‘In your eyes” which went on to push the album to the top of the Billboard singles, album and Radio charts. It even won him multiple Grammy’s and MTV Music Video awards. Transport forward a few years later and Peter releases a new album and embarks on a World Tour called “Secret World”. It too had all the trappings of success. The tour with Youssou N’Dour opening the show and even walking on as a guest during ‘In your Eyes” was a sold out tour. Peter is a very humble man, I took my wife with me for this show and had passes for a backstage meet and greet. We found the green room which was decked out with Couches, Pool Table, Ping Pong, Bar, Food bites and even a Video screen showing Peter Gabriel videos.. No one was certain that Peter would even make an appearance, but that did not deter everyone backstage from chatting it up and eating and drinking for what seemed like an hour. With time pressing and no Peter Gabriel, people started to slowly leave. The back stage crowd thinned, it thinned even more when Youssou took the stage. I think everyone figured Peter would be a no show. There I was with a few of us in the room and with my wife sitting on the couch talking about making our way to our seats when literally out of nowhere Peter pops in and introduces himself. We had a wonderful discussion about the tour and how he enjoyed the art museums in San Francisco. I told him I had seen him with Genesis on the” Lamb Lies Down on Broadway” Tour years hence in Berkeley, so he got to reminiscing about that time in his life. He talked about melding music and theater to come up with an evocative nuance on stage. The band at the time worked to make the show larger than life, for all to experience. It was a fascinating conversation. He was smart, funny and down to earth…very approachable. It made the whole back stage experience one that I will not soon forget.
Thin Lizzie and Phil Lynott
I was invited to a Thin Lizzie show at The Warfield theater. It was early in my career and a friend asked me to go with her. I was a huge fan and could not refuse. She said she had backstage passes and wanted to get there early. The Warfield backstage is under the stage. We hung out for a while and realized the band was doing a sound check. Charlotte had obviously been here before and knew the way, she grabbed my hand and said follow me as she led me to a private stage door and up this tiny metal spiral staircase onto stage right. It popped us right up onto the stage. After a blistering sound check Phil Lynott came right over to us, kissed Charlotte who then introduced me. She had met him before, and he knew she was coming. Clearly he was interested in hanging with her. I made my way back to the backstage area where I chatted with Neal Schon of Journey who was hanging… Neal later joined Thin Lizzie for a few songs during their amazing set. It was a brief and simple meet, but little did we know that a few years later, Phil would pass from complications from pneumonia at age 36...
Shirley Manson and Garbage
I got to know Shirley while working with Radio Active Records on her Angelfish album. We had some success with the track “Suffocate me”. The Album was produced by Tina Weymouth of the Talking Heads. The band came into San Francisco during a tour for their self titled debut Album. I took Shirley round to a few record stores for an impromptu greet and meet and luncheon with some managers. The following year Shirley ditched Angelfish and would front the band Garbage; which was a Butch Vig incarnation. The first Garbage album was done mostly in the studio with Butch playing all the instruments. The Band Garbage recorded a hit with “Stupid Girl” and were a darling at early commercial alternative radio. They decided to hit the road and brought along bassist Danny Shulman from some early Run DMC sessions. The band scheduled mostly Radio Winter Festivals and a handful of club dates. In San Francisco Shirley contacted me and made sure I was going to be at Slims for an intimate club date. She said “Bring all those people I met last time, so they can see my new band” To say the least the band nailed it! Shirley hung around and signed autographs for anyone who wanted one (she was a trooper) Both Butch and Shirley told me later that night Backstage, that they were not sure how the music was going to translate since they were using samples and Midi controllers. After much discussion we convinced them that they sounded amazing and not to worry. Shirley’s stage presence alone was intoxicating. The next day they performed for Live 105’s almost Christmas, and KOME ’s Almost Acoustic Christmas to much larger crowds but unfortunately only a 5 or 6 song set!
Tom Waits
It could be the luxury of living in the San Francisco Bay Area. If you live here , you know what I mean and you also know better than to take it for granted. This is the city where you can come and be anonymous without trying too hard. You can blend pretty easily.
I had taken my son Clayton to a San Francisco Giants home game at the then, New Ball Park at 4th & Townsend called Pac Bell Park. We had made our way to the promenade deck where we had lower reserved tickets. Before the game had started. I glanced over at a concession line and saw Tom Waits standing in line with on of his son’s Casey. Our boys were similar in age, so I took my son by the hand and walked over and introduced ourselves to them. Tom was healthy, happy and pleased to talk baseball, sunshine, hotdogs, and the new ball park. It was casual, as we waited in line, and I later asked him what material he was working on? In that sly, graveled Tom Waits voice, he said, “I always have a cat in the bag”. It turned out to be a great day all around!
BB King
One of the reasons I was attracted to work at MCA Records was BB King. BB King spent his entire career at MCA Records. The man is an icon in the blues arena. My father was a huge BB King fan and growing up I dissected my fathers BB King record collection. When I joined MCA it was a pleasure to be able to work for the company but also have the opportunity to work with BB King and eventually take my father to a BB King performance and introduce them.
BB King was the most humble and gracious person you could ever meet and the story goes like this. BB King announced a tour and it would be coming to the Bay Area. He would be performing at The Concord Pavilion. I contacted management and was able to set up a private greet and meet. His manager told me that BB liked to do greet and meets prior to his performances and not afterwards. Everything was set. We arrived at the Venue in time to catch the opening act Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble. After their blistering set I grabbed my father and headed into the catacoms of the Concord Pavilions dressing rooms. Upon entry we were met by Stevie Ray Vaughn and his band in the back stage area. (I’ll save that for another story.) finding the signs pointing to BB Kings dressing room we made are way through the hallways to a larger than life man sitting on a stool at the doorway of his dressing room smiling and motioning to us saying “Come on in and meet BB King. The man was beautiful and friendly and nice, he had a couch, chairs, flowers on his coffee table and a credenza with a bottle of Cutty Sark with 3 glasses. He said “ Would you like to have a drink with BB King?” Of course we jumped at the chance, drinks and conversation ensued. After a while BB King stood up and said I have a present for your father. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a Gold Lapel Pin of his infamous guitar named “Lucille” and gave it to my father. Gracious and kind, BB King had a full heart and showed it on that night. We left heading out to our seats with a feeling of an amazing connection to one incredible human being. We watched as he dazzled the crowd and performed his consummate show, leaving an indelible image in our minds.