Which musician would you most like to meet?

Posted by: woodface on 01 November 2001

Ok a bit of fun - who would you like to meet alive or dead? My vote goes to Duke Ellington, because not only is he truely deserving of the description 'genius' but he wouldn't be a disapointment. I think someone like Miles Davis would just tell you to.....?

Posted on: 01 November 2001 by David Quigley

For a long time I wanted to meet Peter Gabriel. Then I did, albeit briefly, via a mutual friends wedding! Strange feeling. Not only a great musician but also a decent person. Restored my faith a bit.

Posted on: 01 November 2001 by Cheese

As every die-hard Stones fan would love to meet. But I fear that more than ever, the meeting would have to take place at the right moment and in the right place, when Keef's temper doesn't have the same character as his riffs.

And finding a topic that is likely to interest him may yet be another story. A risky affair confused

Cheese - may all beings be happy

Posted on: 01 November 2001 by Mike Sae

Dead: Frank Sinatra, but he'd probably be a disappointment.

Alive: Tina from Sclub7, as she seems like a lot of fun.

Posted on: 02 November 2001 by Stephen Bennett

Mostly, I've avoided meeting musicians I've admired because a) I don't want to be dissapointed if they turn out to be gits (which has happened in the past) and b) Not sure I can avoid sounding sycophantic. Meeting Tim Bowness (No-man) and Steven Wilson (Noman/Porcupine Tree) has restored my faith in that a bit. I recently met Richard Barbieri (My hero!) at a PT gig, and that was fine - we talked Prophet 5's to break the ice, and my girlfriend, who knows him not, was a real help.

I too wouldn't mind meeting Peter Gabriel, but having seen him on interviews, I'm not sure I'd have the patience!

Regards

Stephen

Posted on: 02 November 2001 by Hammerhead

..while he was still in the Police. I'd take him aside and tell him that he should retire after his third solo album and not produce the sh*te that he has done since!

Steve

Posted on: 02 November 2001 by Goose

I have met Jumping John from the Ozric Tentacles, and he was, well, not entirely present, well stoned! He asked me where the stage was! (man). I have also sat next to all the OZrics at a festival.

I have also met Buddy Guy, and he signed my leather jacket at the time!!

I would like to meet all the bods from Porcupine tree, depsite Steve Wilson being a bit moody on stage.. At a gig in Vosleer Beligum he was telling the crowd to be more silent..well whcih I don't blame him, as the crowd were not 'listening'

I would like to meet Neil Morse of Spocks Beard as he is a funny guy! ( please Jim can you fix it for me???)

Jaded Goose ( after a night on the tiles)

Posted on: 02 November 2001 by Tony L

quote:
Ok a bit of fun - who would you like to meet alive or dead?

Charles Mingus in 1963, just at the time he was recording his seminal trio of albums for Impulse Records (Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus, The Black saint and the sinner lady, & Mingus plays piano). I would love to find out what was behind such an intensely creative period. To me Mingus rewrote the rule book completely, during this period, I site him as one of the most important musicians of the 20th century. I get the impression (from the liner notes of Black saint) that he was teetering on the line between sanity and insanity at the time, an area that in this case found pure musical genius. I would obviously secure a set of mint first pressings whilst I was there…

Karlheinz Stockhausen in 1966, during his work on Hymnen. Hearing Stockhausen deliver a short speach prior to this works performance a few weeks ago in London really made me want to know far more about its construction. Looking at this work as someone with a pretty good understanding of electronic music creation, the groundbreaking techniques and sheer effort that Stockhausen used in its creation are absolutely beyond belief. A true masterpiece. I would obviously secure a mint first pressing whilst I was there… plus any of his other records as they are all worth a bloody fortune (so I don't have them).

Can in 1971, around the time of Tago Mago. Again to find out what drove it all, where did this music really come from, it was without precedent. From the interviews I have read they come across very intelligently and with quite a dark sense of humour. I would obviously secure a mint first pressing whilst I was there… (mine has a slight click on side one!).

The CBGB's club in 1975. The birthplace of the New York punk scene, and by 1975 all the future big names were there, Television, Patti Smith, Ramones, Talking Heads, Suicide, Blondie etc, plus the cooler elements of the "old school" Lou Reed, MC5, Andy Warhol. A very cool place to hang out. I would obviously secure a mint first pressing of Piss factory by Patti Smith - it is her best song, and I don't own a copy. I caught the very back end of the equivalent UK scene at Eric's in Liverpool and the Factory Club in Manchester in the late 70s early 80s, and from then on I have managed to get a pretty good look at what has been going on in music. I would love to know what the hell is in the water in Iceland at the moment though... what ever it is, it works.

Tony.

Posted on: 02 November 2001 by Stephen Bennett

quote:
equivalent UK scene at Eric's in Liverpool and the Factory Club in Manchester in the late 70s early 80s,

Tony, we probably went to all the same gigs. I was in Liverpool for that period. Do you remember The Room? Or 051 as they were then. Deaf School? Oh and all the usual suspects - Joy Division & so on. I even saw Hillage & National Health at Erics.

quote:
I would like to meet all the bods from Porcupine tree, depsite Steve Wilson being a bit moody on stage.. At a gig in Vosleer Beligum he was telling the crowd to be more silent..well whcih I don't blame him, as the crowd were not 'listening'

Dispite an unhealthy love of Swedish death metal, Steven is very personable off stage. He also produced my album of the year so far, Anja Garbereks 'Smiling and waving' and remixed 2 of our Henry Fool tracks, so he's OK by me! He did say 'I guess it's your kind of stuff' though to me and Tim. I know what you mean about iceland - indeed all the Scandinavian places. Bjork, Anja, Stina, Granada from Sweden - maybe it's the cold?

Tori Amos told a crowd at a solo gig in Norwich to 'Either shut up or get your money back'. A few left. The rest of us had the most amazing experience. Why do people pay £10 to chat? The other week I heard Elbow through a girl who talked at ther boyfriend for 50 minutes. Super Furries have a good wheeze. They have a quad sound system at the bar so you can't chat there either!

Silence is Golden!

Stephen

Posted on: 02 November 2001 by Tony L

quote:
Do you remember The Room? Deaf School? Oh and all the usual suspects - Joy Division & so on.

I know the two core members of The Room very well! Dave (vocal) and Becky (bass) are now in a band with Greg (guitar) from Barbel who is another one of my good mates. The band is called Dead Cowboys and info can be found here www.deadcowboys.com It got 'em a four star review in Uncut - one more star and it would be as good as it gets!

I also remember Deaf School well, and met Sam Davies quite often years later when he managed Gone to earth. His brother Geoff runs the Probe Plus label, and everyone who has been in a band in Liverpool knows Geoff. I was involved with a couple of records that were released via Probe Plus, but not actually on it.

Much to my disgust I never actually got to see Joy Division, I always wanted to but never managed. I did not realise that the opportunity was running out. I went to the first New Order gig though.

Tony.

Posted on: 02 November 2001 by steved

BONNIE RAITT - She has an exquisite voice, full of emotion. Her voice, and slide guitar, have guested on so many albums for other musicians.
Her performances on the Jools Holland show (with her own band, and also with Robbie Williams, and Trisha Yearwood) were absolutely spellbinding.

Posted on: 02 November 2001 by von zipper

Tony,
Have you read Mingus's auto-biography?
Well worth picking up as it reflects your impressions of his personality perfectly. He writes like he plays,in a no holds barred chaotic style, cumilating with his days spent in an institution. Disturbing stuff -maybe not a totally accurate portrayal of his life but well worth a read for further insight into a man walking the razor's edge....

Posted on: 02 November 2001 by Tony L

quote:
Have you read Mingus's auto-biography?

I didn't even realise there was one, I will find and order it ASAP.

Cheers,

Tony.

Posted on: 02 November 2001 by Alco

Stevie Ray Vaughan ! Definitely!

From my music heroes still alive i met some folks already.
Dave Gonazales from The Paladins.

I sure would like to meet Jewel though.

That's about it,right now...

Greetings,
Alco

Posted on: 02 November 2001 by Pete

If musical talent could be copied from one person to me, I think I'd get Tony Levin, so probably him. And since he has such a huge pile of anecdotes about the hundreds of folk he's played with, you'd get several birds for the one stone, in effect. And in the (entirely likely) event I couldn't think of anything interesting to say as regards mucis, we could safely kill time on other mutually important subjects such as coffee and bikes.

Pete.

Posted on: 02 November 2001 by woodface

I never thought I would read 'Freddie Mercury' and 'genious' in the same sentence. Priceless, well done Ultra Violet!

Posted on: 02 November 2001 by Tony L

quote:
Try here

Cheers. I've just ordered it, plus a copy of Mingus: A critical biography by Brian Priestley as well. It will be good to stay on a jazz groove for a while, I'm currently half way through Ashley Kahn's Kind of blue.

Tony.

Posted on: 02 November 2001 by John C

There's a movie/DVD which is excellent as well.

Highly recommended for Mingus fans the new West Coast Sessions on Uptown.Make sure you buy the Uptown not the bootleg definitive records version.

Johnn

Posted on: 02 November 2001 by Andrew L. Weekes

Just because I think if you could get him started there'd be plenty of material for discussion!

Hendrix - just to have seen him play in the flesh would have been enough, not sure the conversation would be scintillating though.

Andy.

Posted on: 02 November 2001 by Todd A

So hard to choose one, but I have a few I wouldn't mind meeting:

Franz Joseph Haydn during his second trip to London.

Ludwig van Beethoven right before he changed the name of his third symphony.

Bela Bartok in the mid-1920's.

Thelonius Monk in the mid-1950's.

I bet there would be some lively discussions.

Posted on: 02 November 2001 by matthewr

Vuk's Son,

Who's your Mum?

Matthew

Posted on: 02 November 2001 by Matt Gear

top voice, top songs, top bloke.........

Posted on: 02 November 2001 by Mick P

I liked him......good voice, loads of money and loads of sex...seemed a nice chap.

Regards

Mick