Cheers everyone!
It time for tonight's installment of "England - The Time of my Life"
When we last left our hero - that's me....it was Sunday Morning and he was
on a High Speed British train headed back to London........
It happens everywhere in the world......we all forget to change the clocks
in the spring and the fall.....and so it was at Andy's house on Sunday
morning......we got our extra hour when we arrived at the Redding train
station to head back to London......British Summer Time had ended....Andy
had an extra hour to kill before his band practice.. ...I had an an extra
hour to be the typical tourist.......Imagine this.... I was up and about on
a Sunday morning at 10:00!
On the ride back, we discussed, of course Gary Numan's new album and..
...made plans to meet that night for Gary's show at London's Shepard's Bush
Empire. Andy warned me that their were two different stops on the
Underground for Shepard's Bush and that the one on the Hammersmith Line was
the closest. We said our good-bye's at Paddington Station (as in Paddington
Bear...why there is a toy bear named after a London Railway Station, I don't
know). I headed off to see Hyde Park and Buckingham Palace. Hyde Park was
beautiful..... reminded me of Boston Common, but a lot cleaner,....and no
bums (homeless people...not rear-ends!) in sight. I rested a bit and
enjoyed the fresh air. It's such a shame that Dallas really has no great
city parks and public areas. My feet were hurting at this point and I was
getting cramps in my thights, but I persued on. This trip made me realize
just how out of shape I'm in.
Then it was over to Buckingham Palace to visit the Royal Family.
Unfortunatey,Prince Charles and Prince William were on safari in Africa and
the Queen wasn't having any visitors. There was no Changing of the Guard
Ceremony that day, but I did watch as the guards change shifts. There were
two guards guarding the palace and when their shift was over, a Captain, or
Major or whatever led the two fresh guards to their posts to replace the
tiring on-duty guards. But first he gave them a thourough inspection.
"Whats this...a bit of dust on your coat.......and you want to serve
the Queen"
With all the pomp and cirumstance and the syncronized arm swinging, they
march over and replaced the on-duties. As the off duty guards approached
the barracks door they hestitared a moment aukwardly.
This must have been the conversation:
"You have the key" "No, I thought you had it" "No you had it"
"Bloody hell, we're locked out again" A knock on the door. "Hey,
mates, let us in!" "Mates?" "Are you there?" "This isn't funny"
Finally the door opens and the hats come off and their gone.
I found a Japanese tourist in the crowd...with an expensive camera... and
we took pictures of each other in front of the palace.
A quick trip to the gift shop for some overpriced postcards and then it was
time for the Pub. "The Bag of Nails" was just around the corner and was the obvious
choice I enjoyed a John Smith Bitter. This came to be my beverage of
choice for the week. John Smith's is very popular and deservably so.
Then it was back to the hotel to change and get ready for THE SHOW. On the
way, of couse I had to get some Fish and Chips take-away. I munched on the
deliicious greasy cod and chips as I walked to the hotel. I pretty much
lived on Fish and Chips the whole week.
Dressed in all black and and my black jersey with the twin red stirpes (Gary
Numan's Telekon album...for anyone who remembers)....I was off to the
show...and of course, two CD's in my pocket for the autographs I dreamed of
getting.
I arrived at the Hammersmith Station on the Underground and proceeded to
change to the Hamersmith Line. As I approached the entrance, it was blocked
with a chainlink fence. Panic? Me? Oh no nothing like that. I was
running late and had no idea exactly where the venue was. As I scurried to
find the info desk, I noticed a tall guy and a girl approching me, all in
black with "Gary Numan" shirts on. "Going to the Numan show?", I said.
"But of course!" "Want to share a cab? , seems the Hamersmith line is
closed" "Sure, let's go." Two instant new friends. They intoduced
themselves as Phil and Caroline. Phil flagged down a black cab and we were
off...sharing their bottle of Vodka and Orange juice in the back of the cab.
We hit it off right away. For those of you who know them, think of the the
British version of Bob and Cilla MacKenzie!
We arrived in the front of Shepard's Bush Empire......a 4 pound cab ride
(about $5.80). I was to meet Shane who had 2 tickets at the door waiting.
I waited....and I waited......there were a few ticket scalpers about. I
popped into the Pub next door and quickly found Andy...and his
drummer...who's name escapes me....but no Shane. As I pushed my way through
the hundred Gary Numan look-alikes in the Pub I started to panic.....come to
find out...the show was sold out! So as it seems I do with most concerts,
I employed the services of a local ticket scalper. He curently had no
tickets for the floor but urged me to wait a bit and he'd be back with
someting. A few minutes later, he appears, but he doesn't have a
ticket........
He's got a Guess Pass (Backstage Pass)!.....which he offers to me for 40
quid (pounds)...about $64.00!!!!!
Well, I've waited 18 years, flown 7000 miles and I didn't care what it cost
to get backstage to meet Gary. I looked at Andy and we both scutinized the
pass....he nodded and I paid the man 40 pounds.......
We went into the venue just after the doors opened and headed to the floor.
Everyone was talking to everyone. "Where you from? "How many times have
you seen Gary?" Do you have the new album?" Within a few minutes, I met a
guy from Dallas, TX!. a couple from New York City, several Germans and of
course many Brits. Numan fans are one big family- Numanoids. Now with the
Internet everyone knows each other before even meeting in person.
No one know who who the opening band would be. It seems that so many times
Gary gets a crappy opening band and this was no excetion. Horrid vocals,
loud mushy guitars. After a while, I found out it was Earl Brutus, a band
who recorded a cover of Gary Numan's "M.E" for the "Random" Gary Numan
tribute album. Their raunchy version of "M.E." is pretty decent but their
original material and their live show....well can I say "Sucked"....most of
the crowd shared my opinion.
Then it was the wait for Gary.....almost immediatly after Earl Brutus had
left left the stage the shouts of..."NUMAN....NUMAN....NUMAN" began. I had
left the planet. I was still not believing that I was really there and that
Gary Numan was about to take the stage.
And then the lights dimmed......a tape began to play some backround rythums
and the band walked on stage.....and then....Gary! You could have heard my
screams on the Continent. Tears nearly came to my eyes....Then the band
began to play "Down In the Park", an early Gary Numan song and one of my
favs.....Most everyone sang along...... I was truly blown away.
Most of the show were songs from the new album which I had just heard for
the first time the night before, but blew me away......The new album is
extemely dark and gothic.....
The show was incredable and I may be a little bias but I have many "Live"
Gary Numan albums and I will tell you the performance was the tightest I've
ever heard......and veteran Numanoids agreed.
One of the most memorable moments from this show was when Gary sang a line
from his song, "Metal", which goes......."singing I am an American"...and a
dozen people around me are jumping up and down pointing at me!"
Well by the end of the show, I was horse from all the singing, and my feet
hurt but I was on cloud nine.
My new friends and I all exchanged e-mail address and make plans to meet for
next shows.....and now it was time to go back stage.
My friend, Shane did eventually show up, late, and not finding me he sold
the ticket off to a scalper. It's funny how things work out.
I tried to take Andy and Shane back with me but they said until it cleared
out, they could only let pass holders back.
So there I was Backstage.....I've been backstage at concerts before, but I
was never more nervous or excited than this...."What would I say to Gary?"
"Was he as friendly and down to earth as everyone said?"
I enjoyed an Ale or two and was too nervous to talked to anyone, until this
women photographer stood beside me. I asked her if she could get a pic of
Gary and I when he got there. She said sure. A minute later, I looked up
and there he was......Gary Numan. He was talking and joking and the women
photographer....no idea what her name was....approached Gary. I stuck to
her like glue! She asked him and is new wife Gemma...a beautiful and petite
woman with purple and red hair and several nose rings!.....if she could get
a few pics of them in the back room, where the lighting was was
better......so the four of us proceded to a private back room.
He abliged so kindly and without hesitation.......she shot a few pics of
Gary and then Gary and Gemma....they smiled, laughed and made funny
faces!.....she asked them a couple of brief questions, then I asked him if I
could get a pic with him......he said.."Sure..of course"....I handed my
camera to the women and Gary and I posed....... Gary cracking a smile and me,
a smile from ear to ear.
She handed me my camera back and left the room......and there was I...
..having a private audience with Gary and Gemma!!!!!
I told him I came all the way from Dallas....I loved the show.....
duh!...etc. etc...I told him I wished he had done something from his album
"Telekon"....He said they had almost done "Please Push No More", but didn't
want to overwhelm the show with ballads and did "Absolution" from the new
album instead.
Then he asked me who gave me the pass........Um....I uh...(I was a little
embarassed to tell him that I paid for it and afraid he'd be mad).......I
told him a guy gave it to me....he asked "Who?"...I hestiated.....he asked "Did
you pay for it?"....I said, "Yea"..... "How much? he said........"Fourty
Quid", I said......"Fourty Quid!"... ...."Are you mad?", I asked....."No" he
said, "but it just shouldn't of happened" A few more words words were
exchanged and I asked if I could come back some other time....he said sure
and asked Gemma if she would remember my name..(Gary has a bad memory).....I
handed her my card, we all shook hands and walked back out into the
party........ Gary walked ahead of me.....as we walked back in, the very
drunk lead singer of Earl Brutus approached me and said, "Hi I'm (hic) Earl
(hic) Brutus......."that's nice" I thought sarcstically in the back of my
mind....I shook his hand and walked away.....when I caught up to Gary he was
signing autograghs......I pulled out my Cd's and my pen and waited
patiently.....then I said,"While your signing, could you get these as
well......he signed the cover of my "Dark Light" CD and the inside cover
of my new Exile CD.....both to me personally!
I left there with my head in the clouds...my feet ten feet off the
groud.....my dream come true.........
In Chapter 3......highlights of the next three nights seeing Gary perform
in Bristol, Guildford, and Cambridge......
Cheers!