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Ever met a famous musician…. but not realised at the time?


Kex
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I complimented one of the Four Brothers on his hat once (I think I may have bought him a drink as well?). I didn't realise who he was till later, when he and the rest of the band walked on stage all wearing hats like that :)

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[quote name='bassbiscuits' timestamp='1463143546' post='3048977']
Around the same time i also worked in a jewellery shop, and a cool looking, older guy came in one day. He looked faintly familiar.

We got chatting, I served him etc and when he handed over his bank card to pay, the name on it is "Mr A Stardust".

Cool.
[/quote]
What a cool name.

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[quote name='MacDaddy' timestamp='1463491787' post='3051761']
I know one of Wilco Johnson's offspring. Back in the day they made a comment along the lines of 'my Dads' bass player Norman'. It was years later I realized it was the legend that is Norman Watt-Roy, being referred to.
[/quote] Great video of the man himself _ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCIWmldNbyA

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[quote name='bluesparky' timestamp='1462831011' post='3046167']
I also had a VERY long to-and-fro battle with someone in crew catering at a gig once, about pun-based food shops and kebab houses we'd encountered.
I won with Jason's Doner Van and Kebabestan (it's in Vienna).
It turns out it was James Dean Bradfield
[/quote]

My mate Phil is JDBs brother in law.

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Not sure if this counts because it wasn't me, but I was in a queue outside the Forum in Kentish Town a long time ago, waiting to see Tower of Power, and the guy in front of me is going on to his mate about how amazing Rocco Prestia is, and how he is the greatest bass player that ever lived etc.
Rocco walks out of the stage door, right past our section of the queue (I think I grinned like a lunatic at him), crossed the road to the shop and came back with a pack of fags, walking right by us again and going back into the stage door. The guy in front was still going on to his mate about Rocco, oblivious to the fact that he'd just been within 2 feet of him.

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Not sure if this counts because it wan't me, strictly speaking, but:
Lots of famous musicians have met me without realising a the time. :mellow:

Seriously though, I've met dozens or more probably hundreds without realising - this is part of being a music student or musician with a lot of dep work. I'd be commanded out to a certain rehearsal or gig, and would not even or hardly know who I was rehearsing or playing with.

I do remember being commanded to The Hague (North Sea Jazz Festival, I suspect) because Miles Davis' keys player hadn't arrived. In the rehearsal room, no-one had much contact with each other (I had contact with only one of them - have no idea who it was), and when Miles Davis finally arrived, he walked straight past me without even glancing at me. The keys player arrived immediately after, and I was thanked and sent off without rehearsing with them (which was just as well - I really had nothing to offer other than the chords and my keyboard equipment - - mostly the keyboard equipment).

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I'm one of Miles Davis' closest friends! :D

Edited by BassTractor
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[quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1463672029' post='3053282']

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I'm one of Miles Davis' closest friends! :D
[/quote]

:D Maybe not so much these days !

I'm pretty sure you should be allowed "Miles Davis band" on your CV though, although by that token I should have "Hot Chocolate" on mine ;-)

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[quote name='el-gnomo' timestamp='1463676435' post='3053320']
:D Maybe not so much these days !

I'm pretty sure you should be allowed "Miles Davis band" on your CV though, although by that token I should have "Hot Chocolate" on mine ;-)
[/quote]


:D That's a great idea. Let's go for it!
I agree as well, as I did play some stuff for the guy I was talking with. Who cares if he merely was their bass player? Not me!
Maybe we could even swap CV entries. Full honesty required and no sneaky double entries right before a possible gig. When I have Hot Chocolate, you have Miles Davis, etc.

We need an app!
;)

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In the '80s I was shooting stills on a pop video for Madness early in the morning in the middle of Camden High St.
They Were all dressed as tramps and there were lots of bystanders watching.
A little bloke sidled up to me and asked if would be taking his picture. Being tired and grumpy,it was a very early start "I said no probably not". Well f*** you he replied and walked off. It was Lee sax player and main man with the band. Luckily i apologised in the cafe later and he laughed and saw the funny side. Turned into a great two day shoot, great fun and lovely guys to a man.

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Not exactly 'met', but I took this photo on Denmark Street last June.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/vcZkKA][/url][url=https://flic.kr/p/vcZkKA]Denmark Street by -cybertect-[/url]

A couple of weeks later I was showing some pics to Tom at Wunjo bass and he said "You know the guy in the orange T-shirt is Michael Kiwanuka?" :)

Edited by cybertect
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At Mansons opening night at their new shop in Exeter in the early 2000's the singer in my band got chatting to two nice guys trying out acoustic guitars. They asked him if he was in a band, what kind of stuff they played and the bands name. Stu told them his band was called Breeze and asked them if they were in a band.Oh yeah, they said. What's the bands name? The Stereophonics they said. Cue Stu asking for autographs.....

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How about someone who later turned out to be a great musician ?

This has just occurred to me - when I was at uni I was in a band with a chap called Matthew Rochford, I shared a house with him later on...but that's another story. Anyhow, his brother came down to visit a couple of times, maybe about 1990 Great lad, lots of fun to hang out with....was quite a good drummer my buddy said.

His brother was Seb Rochford...later to be BBC Jazz Award winner and member of experimental jazz band Polar Bear.

He is a [i]very[/i] good drummer.

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