RY COODER |
Out of all
the artist I have worked with at Glastonbury Festival with out a doubt
Rye Cooder has to be the most courteous and dedicated . In 1990 he
played the Pyramid Stage with David Lindley a legend in his own right
.
1990 at Glastonbury was the year
Now
officially The
Glastonbury Festival for Contemporary Performing Arts -
The Green Fields are extended to 60 acres. Circus, comedy, theatre
and cabaret areas. Travellers and security clash causing £50,000
worth of damage -The Cure, Paul Oakenfold, Happy Mondays, Lush,
Sinead 0'Connor, James, Ry Cooder, Aswad, De La Soul - 70,000 bought
£38 tickets.
£100,000 raised for CND and local charities.
£100,000 raised for CND and local charities.
It was an event
full year with sun and rain . Happy Mondays forged back stage passes
(tell you about that an other time). Trouble with the travellers and
security . (I will leave that for an other day as well).
But the joy of
having worked with Ry Cooder was in an other league to anything else
that went on .
The stage
manager came over to me saying . “Norm I have got a special job for
you today”
He went on to tell me that until early evening I would
be at Rye Cooders beck and call. Wow I was the envy of the rest
of the crew . “Nice laid back day for you then” was the general
comment .
But working a festival like Glastonbury. You expect nothing
and expect every think . But on this occasion they were spot on.
Suddenly he was
there it was not 10.30am yet. I was introduced he shook my hand .
His comment to me was . “So Norm your going to have a wander round with me today” in a very laid back American accent . At once I was at ease with him . He had a brief word with the stage manager . Then it was off to his dressing room . In his porta cabin dressing room was a stack of a dozen Guitars . One by one he I opened the cases . He quickly showed me how he wanted to me to handle them, not in a patronising way . As I handed the guitars to him he stripped them of their strings and handed them back , putting them back into their cases and so on .
His comment to me was . “So Norm your going to have a wander round with me today” in a very laid back American accent . At once I was at ease with him . He had a brief word with the stage manager . Then it was off to his dressing room . In his porta cabin dressing room was a stack of a dozen Guitars . One by one he I opened the cases . He quickly showed me how he wanted to me to handle them, not in a patronising way . As I handed the guitars to him he stripped them of their strings and handed them back , putting them back into their cases and so on .
All the time he
was asking me about things . He had loads of good things to say about
Liverpool , How he had met the Beatles, many times and their
contribution to music was huge . He told me how he wished that there
where more festivals like Glastonbury in the USA . After stripping
the strings we made six trips back and forth to the stage with the
guitars. It was muddy he did not look energetic but he just plodded
on . Seemingly enjoying him self . Funny I remember thinking the
young bands don't lift a thing . I was still a bit confused on what
he was doing . But it all came clear when all the guitars were on
stage .
He had some
fight cases at the back of the stage that the lads had got up on
stage . We made a little workshop at the back of the stage . I
started the process all over again . This time it took longer as he
was stringing and tuning all the guitars . He handed them back this
time I placed them in guitars stands forming an impressive semi
circle .
He explained he
liked to string and tune his guitars in the environment he was going
to play more so if it was outdoors , temperature constantly changing
. He was constantly telling me to hand him back the guitars once they
had been in their stands as temperatures changed . What a
perfectionist . Finally he was happy he told me to get a Security man
to guard the guitars .
DAVID LINDLEY |
We made are way
back to the dressing room . He had now became my work mate it was a
surreal feeling but so good . In the dressing room a buffet had been
delivered and a long haired guy was picking at it . It was David
Lindley they cracked jokes so laid back
There was still
2 hours before they were due on stage . Ry Cooder started to pick at
buffet . He said “help your self Norm” .
I did being with
him lunch had gone out of the window (a small price to pay) .
Chit chat over .
“Right Norm
the big one”
He pointed at a
tiny Marshall valve amp .
“I have had
this from the beginning it is very special to me”
“Every think
on stage will go through this first ”
“Its still
muddy out side I will trust you with this Norm”.
“Take a step
have a think take another step”
“I don't care
how long it takes you just get it there safe” . He smiled .
I picked it up,
for its size it was heavy . It was gorgeous looking thing he had it
customized over the years by the look of it , Anyway it was in my
care , no pressure . He let me go on my own . It took me ages I
hugged it getting there safe had a minor slip on the ramp, (pumping
heart)
With still over
hour to go before set time . Ry was back on stage . He started on the
semi circle of guitars again fine tuning . As I passed them to him
and then returned them . His two man crew turned up who started to
work on the huge effects rack . But it was all going to come from
that tiny golden Marshal valve amp . 15 minutes before he was due on,
my role was coming to a end . He shook my hand and thanked me.
I had just
purchased the Sony recording walk-man . Plucking up courage I asked
him if he minded if I recorded the set . Showing him the walk-man ,
He said “set
it up put it under my chair” . Wow so cool .
The set was
great huge crowd all his guitars around him .David Lindley was good
he he played slide guitar and tabla . To top it all half way through
the set he signalled to me . At first I shit my self . But he was
trying tell me the tape needed turning over under his chair ,so cool
. I scurried across the stage flipped it over . “How cool was that”
,one of the crew said ,I was chuffed . Will never forget my day with
Ry so good what a man .
But baton down
the hatches the HAPPY MONDAY'S WHERE ON THE WAY (coming soon )
More info on Ry Cooder click link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ry_Cooder
More info on David Lindley click link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Lindley_(musician)