Have you ever met any 'pop stars' and what were they like

Dave Bartram, down Grace Road. He was friendly enough, but seemed a bit disappointed when I dashed off to get Alan Knott's autograph but didn't ask him for his...
 
I knew I`d remember more.......walked out of the Clash at Granby Halls after about 15 minutes...just pissed off at the way the punky thing was going.Missed the Specials,were they even called that?...and most of Suicide.
Went over the road to carry on boozing.Dammers and the rest were all in there...good lads.
Patti Palladin...great girl.Beautiful,fun to be around. Stanley was one of the iconic tunes from that era.
Met Mclaren enough times.Caaant of the highesr order.Although to be fair,before all day opening,having a bunch of louts hanging about drinking in your shop might have pissed him off.Notwithstanding that we`d just spent about a weeks salary on a couple of items of his clobber.
Don Letts again...DJ ing at the Roxy.After the first month or so Don was the only reason to go to that shyte hole....
 
And I thought I'd done well having a piss next to Vincent Crane 🎸
I had a piss next to Willie Thorne at M1 services on way to a Leicester away game up north
It was a bit strange, one second looking at my todger, then glimpsed to my right and saw WT standing at next urinal.
As I was getting back on the coach, he sped past in a huge Mercedes sedan
 
W
Two biggies for me and a B lister.

Had breakfast with Boy George at hotel in Leicester after Culture Club gig the night before. My girlfriend was sleeping in and all his crew were still in bed. I was next to him in-line for a table, told him I was a fan and he said "join me". Just a small hotel, but was early days of their success and 'Do you really want to hurt me' just made #1 the week before. He was completely horse after the gig, but a very friendly and charming guy.

Second was Ian Gillan. Post DEEP PURPLE he had his own band 'Gillan' and a carfl of mates drove to see them play 'Northampton Cricket Club' for an intimate heavy metal gig.
We decided to go for a curry and few beers before driving back to Leicester, and the Indian restaurant we went in had Ian Gillan and his band mates relaxing with a meal after the show. Went up and said Hello, told him I was huge fan, and bought th table a bottle of wine.
He asked me to write my address and he'd get his PA to send me a photo, and he kept his word and I got sme signed photos in the mail two weeks later.

Pat Travers at The Rockpile Club in Toronto, 4-5 years ago. Had a quick chat - he know Leicester and said he loved touring UK as rock fans were so knowledgeable and appreciative
Two biggies for me and a B lister.

Had breakfast with Boy George at hotel in Leicester after Culture Club gig the night before. My girlfriend was sleeping in and all his crew were still in bed. I was next to him in-line for a table, told him I was a fan and he said "join me". Just a small hotel, but was early days of their success and 'Do you really want to hurt me' just made #1 the week before. He was completely horse after the gig, but a very friendly and charming guy.

Second was Ian Gillan. Post DEEP PURPLE he had his own band 'Gillan' and a carfl of mates drove to see them play 'Northampton Cricket Club' for an intimate heavy metal gig.
We decided to go for a curry and few beers before driving back to Leicester, and the Indian restaurant we went in had Ian Gillan and his band mates relaxing with a meal after the show. Went up and said Hello, told him I was huge fan, and bought th table a bottle of wine.
He asked me to write my address and he'd get his PA to send me a photo, and he kept his word and I got sme signed photos in the mail two weeks later.

Pat Travers at The Rockpile Club in Toronto, 4-5 years ago. Had a quick chat - he know Leicester and said he loved touring UK as rock fans were so knowledgeable and appreciative.
Wombat, no B-Listers there in my book!
 
Got to meet the members of Greenslade when they invited four of us backstage after a gig in Newcastle in 1974-ish. For the record, Dave Greenslade, Dave Lawson, Tony Reeves and Andrew McCulloch - all fine musicians and, to this teenager, decent blokes.
 
Al jardine/joe Walsh,Chaka Khan,off her head,Wembley’74,had emi acsess
Celine dion
did a 4 track ,disco, power ballad,etc at bobby brown’s,gas street brum?.met Kate bush there for 30 seconds,not good,dave gilmours fault
 
Ignoring those that I worked with (I was in the music business for years), it would have to be Kate Bush.

Turned up at my 30th birthday party and gave me a big kiss.
 
A contentious one for you.

Some mates were working the Glitterband tour in around 1977-78, I spent most of the day with them at a north London college gig.

The band were a mix of totally professional work wise and great fun in all other respects. Gary himself was a total gent throughout and first to the bar (with his wallet out) after the gig.

My mates said that this was one of the best tours they had done, professionally run and enjoyable atmosphere to work in. Great 'rock and roll' environment and they had nothing but praise and respect for Gary himself.

Strange how things turn out...
 
So there I am, in the Blue Boar, formerly Watford Gap, at about 3 o'clock in the morning, looking for enough Jack Daniels to fill a punch bowl, or Ozzy wouldn't go on stage that night. So, fuck me, Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton pops their heads 'round the door, and mentions there's a little off licence on the edge of Weeden. So - we go. And - it's closed. So there's me, and Keith Moon, and Geezer Butler, breaking into that little offy called 'Weeden Wineways', eh. Well, instead of a guard dog, they've got this bloody great big Lama. I managed to take out the Lama with a can of Mr Sheen, but the shopowner and his son... that's a different story altogether. we had to smother them with Geezer's stinking shoes. Nasty business, really. But, sure enough, we got the Jack Daniels, and Ozzy went on stage that night at the DeMont and did a great show.
 
Charlie Harper bought me a pint (Poly or Uni, I can't remember which). Which was nice of him.
And Don Letts was a visiting lecturer on my eldest's Uni course - he can also confirm he's an all round good egg.
I've bumped into Paddy McAloon a couple of times in Durham/Newcastle over the last couple of years. As much a gentleman as you would expect.
Me and a few of us were travelling up to see city in Carlisle and we got on the train and looked fo4 a table. The only one had a weedy looking bloke sitting and looking out of the window. Ok let’s sit there and annoy him and he will move. When we sat down he turned around and it was Limahl from kajagoogoo and he had been crying. So we were all sympathetic (not), and just took the piss out of him. Little did we realise that he had just been sacked by the rest of the band. When he got off the train later he squeaked “ you are all mean” and we just fell around laughing
 
Average White Band, who were very 'pleased' to buy some "recreational supplements" off us at The Roundhouse in Dagenham circa summer 1973.
Chatted briefly to Jimmy James (he'd got a bit of a sweat on) but none of the Vagabonds at Coalville Grand.
Spoke to Desmond Dekker at The Swan in Yardley. Daren't mention that I didn't really believe he was an "lsraelite".
Spat at Bob Geldof while doing the Pogo in front of the stage at Barbarella's but missed!
 
Me and a few of us were travelling up to see city in Carlisle and we got on the train and looked fo4 a table. The only one had a weedy looking bloke sitting and looking out of the window. Ok let’s sit there and annoy him and he will move. When we sat down he turned around and it was Limahl from kajagoogoo and he had been crying. So we were all sympathetic (not), and just took the piss out of him. Little did we realise that he had just been sacked by the rest of the band. When he got off the train later he squeaked “ you are all mean” and we just fell around laughing
I was with you .
We got free taxis back from Crewe to Leicester cos the trains weren’t running cos of the weather.
Happy nee year mate
 
A contentious one for you.

Some mates were working the Glitterband tour in around 1977-78, I spent most of the day with them at a north London college gig.

The band were a mix of totally professional work wise and great fun in all other respects. Gary himself was a total gent throughout and first to the bar (with his wallet out) after the gig.

My mates said that this was one of the best tours they had done, professionally run and enjoyable atmosphere to work in. Great 'rock and roll' environment and they had nothing but praise and respect for Gary himself.

Strange how things turn out...
Dorset - despite seeing many great Tamla Motown artists I saw at Bailey's nightclub in Leicester, in mid-70's Gary Glitter & the Glitter Band was truly the best night.
Hit after hit and a larger than life persona.... "The Leader" really knew how to work the crowd and the audience went home happy.
Sad that part of British glam rock has to be erased, after he disgraced himself.
We must distance his hideous acts as a paedophile with his great music
 
Can remember b53 and other,’who’ were on the marquis magic mini bus, faces,when plod turned up at the garages,behind the dag roundhouse ,when people were getting loaded,plod were on another call,great days...
 
We were walking up London Road and opposite Highfields Street and a bunch of black dudes asked me where the Steak House was.
After pointing it out I realised it was Dizzy Gillespie and thought I'm going to see you and you are having a steak? But he did say 'hey man...' to me.
 
Fergal Sharkey. DeMontfort late 70s . We were having last beer and no one left in the place . Fergal was playing keepie uppie on stage. We had an impromptu kick about .
 
I'm lucky, i live in a place where there are lots of gigs and lots of my friends are musicians.
so in no particular order:

steve hackett
mike nesmith
hugh cornwell
michael gira
david gedge
saxon
captain sensible and dave vanian
skeletal family
the march violets
robert hampson from Loop
the late bill rieflin
robyn hitchcock
grant lee phillips (my uncle painted a picture of him)
most of the members of the rain parade, true west, and the dream syndicate
dan stuart from green on red
edward ka-spel
malcolm mooney
peter murphy and david j
john doe from X
penelope houston from the Avengers
kid congo
graham parker
stan ridgway
husker du
mark burgess from The chameleons

and many more i've forgotten.


the only one who was a tosser was the bass player in saxon but i think he'd had a bit of charlie ...
 
Jon Lord..... ( Deep Purple)...Born and raised within 1/2 mile of me in the Humberstone area, lovely bloke.
Al Stewart.....Leic Polytech in the 70's .. A bit spaced out when i met him. He'd just performed Nostradamus and was waxing on about soothsayers and the like.
Trevor Horne ......played in a Band at The Top Rank and lived his early years in Leicester. I knew the family quite well and worked with his dad.
 
Jon Lord..... ( Deep Purple)...Born and raised within 1/2 mile of me in the Humberstone area, lovely bloke.
Al Stewart.....Leic Polytech in the 70's .. A bit spaced out when i met him. He'd just performed Nostradamus and was waxing on about soothsayers and the like.
Trevor Horne ......played in a Band at The Top Rank and lived his early years in Leicester. I knew the family quite well and worked with his dad.
There's a great podcast called Rockonteurs hosted by Gary Kemp and Guy Pratt, and they had Trevor Horn on the other week. Didn't realise he spent most of the 70s in Leicester playing at Baileys most nights, and he cut his production teeth producing This Is The Season For Leicester. Who knew!
 
There's a great podcast called Rockonteurs hosted by Gary Kemp and Guy Pratt, and they had Trevor Horn on the other week. Didn't realise he spent most of the 70s in Leicester playing at Baileys most nights, and he cut his production teeth producing This Is The Season For Leicester. Who knew!
I never knew Hans Zimmer was in The Buggles till a few years ago, and he produced The Damned's 'history of the word pt 1' single.
 
Most of them are just ordinary people who happen to be successful at what they do. Reg Presley of the Troggs was particularly down to earth (if you leave aside his UFO stuff). The only ones who weren't were Shakin Stevens and Steve Harley, who is definitely a bit up himself (I have done business with him, and his guitarist is a mate).
Interesting that you mentioned Kirsty MacColl's drummer as her guitarist/ co-writer/producer was a friend of mine.
 
Most of them are just ordinary people who happen to be successful at what they do. Reg Presley of the Troggs was particularly down to earth (if you leave aside his UFO stuff). The only ones who weren't were Shakin Stevens and Steve Harley, who is definitely a bit up himself (I have done business with him, and his guitarist is a mate).
Interesting that you mentioned Kirsty MacColl's drummer as her guitarist/ co-writer/producer was a friend of mine.
Boz Boorer?
 
Another one I remember from back in the 60s, was the group Blue Mink. We met them pre-gig in Yates' in Blackpool. the were playing the Grand. We were playing a local college. Madeline Bell was friendly and charming. Roger Cook was a rude arsehole.
 
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