Every band starts somewhere. Whether they are a contestant on a hit show like Britain’s Got Talent or if they did it touring in a beat-up van and had to play in a dingy club where five people are in the audience or an open-mic night where they get heckled off the stage. Sometimes… Continue reading 78: A Guitar Virtuoso, a Pop Boyband, and Unforgiving Fans
Category: Eric Clapton
70: Thanksgiving, Finale’s, and Robbery
Eric Clapton, the guitar god himself, inducting The Band into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame said ‘I travelled to Woodstock to meet the Band to ask to join, but I didn’t have the guts to ask them’ and many people in the industry felt this way about The Band. They were the musicians,… Continue reading 70: Thanksgiving, Finale’s, and Robbery
51: Car Crashes, Rumours, and Subliminal Clues
Have you heard that Justin Bieber is a lizard? Or that rap icon Jay-Z is a time-travelling wizard? No? What about the island that Notorious BIG and 2Pac are living on? Or even that legendary Stevie Wonder can see? No, those neither? According to the internet, this is all true. Some people claim to have… Continue reading 51: Car Crashes, Rumours, and Subliminal Clues
43: Beatles, Bangladesh, and Benefit Concerts
There’s an adage ‘It’s not what you know, it’s who you know’ which is not just used in music but is used in just about everything. Whether it’s a job promotion or moving house knowing a friend with a connection is always helpful more than a hindrance. So, when a member of the world’s most famous band… Continue reading 43: Beatles, Bangladesh, and Benefit Concerts
29: Wood, Black and Blue, and Finding A Replacement
In 1975 the Rolling Stones were the biggest band in the world. Millions of albums sold, selling out world tours and names constantly in the tabloids you couldn’t go anywhere without hearing of the band’s exploits. So, when at the end of 1974 Mick Taylor decided to quit the band the biggest job in music… Continue reading 29: Wood, Black and Blue, and Finding A Replacement
27: Package Tours, Standing Out, and Fire
Pink Floyd’s The Wall tour, Arthur Brown’s fire helmet and Motley Crue’s Rollercoaster drum kit. Bands have been trying to get the edge over others in live performances throughout the whole music industry. As live performances are the best way for bands and artists to earn money, they want to put on a show to… Continue reading 27: Package Tours, Standing Out, and Fire
26: Eric, George, and Pattie
When love triangles are mentioned you think of an episode of EastEnders or Jerry Springer. You don’t necessarily think of music. Sure, there have been some over the years, Fleetwood Mac produced their most famous album over various affairs between members and Keith Richards stole Anita Pallenberg from Brian Jones but most of these ended… Continue reading 26: Eric, George, and Pattie
25: Blues, Drugs Dependency, and Free
It’s often in music that the light shines bright and quick. The life in the fast lane approach of the rock n’ roll lifestyle takes a lot of casualties. This is one of these stories. Paul Kossoff was one of the best blues guitarists of his era but ended up with a reliance on drugs… Continue reading 25: Blues, Drugs Dependency, and Free
24: Interviews, Criticizing, and Apologies.
Quincy Jones is one of the best, if not the best producers in the world. He has been nominated for 75 Grammy awards and won 28 of those. He is a legend in the music industry. So, on his birthday I thought I would recount a story about an interview with the Legend where he… Continue reading 24: Interviews, Criticizing, and Apologies.
17: Talent, Madness, and Munich
When you think of Fleetwood Mac, you think of turbulent relationships, sweet little lies and rumours. But this is only half the story. Before the meteoric rise in the mid-1970s, they were a blues-rock band. A hugely successful blues-rock band. Led by guitarist Peter Green, they dominated the end of the 1960s, outselling both the… Continue reading 17: Talent, Madness, and Munich