| 25th August 2006 06:02 AM |
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| Ten Thousand Motels |
I used to love him, but it's all over now...
(Filed: 25/08/2006)
Telegraph
Adam Edwards has spent a lifetime trying to meet Mick Jagger. Now, he's decided the singer is out of time
This week, Mick Jagger stood me up. I suppose I should have expected it. He's been avoiding me for 40 years.
'What seems so unfair about my inability to shake Mick's hand is that everybody else I know has met him'
This time, however, there had been lengthy negotiations to arrange for me to meet him after Sunday's Rolling Stones concert at Twickenham. But, at the last minute, his PR man rang and said Mick had a sore throat and wasn't going to be able to make it. Not so sore he couldn't appear and sing, I noted.
I have to admit there is no reason why the world's greatest rock and roll star would wish to meet me. He doesn't know me from, well… Adam. And yet, given the number of times I have come close to an introduction, we should have exchanged pleasantries by now.
I first heard the Rolling Stones on a portable Dancette gramophone at my London school in the summer of 1964. A group of sixth-formers was dancing around the record player to I'm a King Bee. In less time than it took for me to roll down my socks, I had chosen the Stones over the Beatles (a decision one had to make in those days) and Mick had become my idol.
The following winter I saw the band at the New Musical Express poll winners concert at Earls Court (they had second billing to the Beatles) and I subsequently became a Stones anorak. I bought every one of their records and had a poster of Mick on my bedroom wall. In 1969, I was at the front of the crowd at the band's free concert in Hyde Park.
After I left school, my obsession deepened as our paths began to cross. I sat next to Mick at the premiere of the Rocky Horror Show in the Royal Court Theatre in Sloane Square in 1973. I was too embarrassed to say hello but noted he looked ultra-cool in his velvet jacket and sneakers. I saw him next at a press conference in Melbourne and danced next to him at CBGB's in New York.
In 1977, we queued together to go through customs in Jamaica and, after we both attended Bob Marley's One Love concert, in the VIP/press enclosure we were the first guests at a party given by Island record boss Chris Blackwell. Mick talked exclusively to Chris.
A girlfriend who had dated Mick got us both backstage passes at Madison Square Gardens in the Eighties, but, annoyingly, Mick was not ''on speakers" with her. When I complained about my failure to meet my hero to a friendly Manhattan socialite who was part of the Andy Warhol crowd, she arranged a dinner party to introduce us. Unfortunately, so many hangers-on crashed the party that I was at one end of the very long table and Mick, who arrived late, was at the other.
I have since sat at a table next to Jagger's at the little known Chez Moi restaurant in Shepherd's Bush, west London, and leant on the same bar as him at the Groucho club in Soho. The last time I saw him in the flesh was in 2000 at Auberon Waugh's Bad Sex Awards where Bron had said he would make the introductions. But Mick, who had presented the award, was chatting to a literary crowd and didn't seem to notice his ageing fan.
What seems so unfair about my inability to shake Mick's hand is that everybody else I know has met him. My wife said hello to him in the Bahamas, my best friend from school was friends with Mick's brother Chris. My mate in the Cotswolds works with Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood and when I told my tale of unrequited Jagger to Bob Ashley, a former builder and the landlord of my local pub, he said that he knew the singer well, having met him while doing up Candida Lycett Green's house.
At the Cornbury Music Festival in June I was re-introduced to the Rolling Stones' PR, Bernard Doherty. He kindly offered me tickets to the Stones at Twickenham on Sunday and, after I told him my sorry tale about not meeting the living legend, he said he would try to put me on the end of the "American Express line". The company is sponsoring the Stones' current tour and apparently Mick greets its preferential customers after the show like the queen at a royal premiere. It was better than nothing I thought.
And then came the sore throat. It's too late for apologies. Without sounding chippy, Mick, who I can assure readers is both more wrinkled and shorter than he appears in photographs, is now off my Christmas card list for good. |
| 25th August 2006 10:32 AM |
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| glencar |
This guy should meet Blondie Chaplin. |
| 25th August 2006 10:32 AM |
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| jb |
quote:
glencar wrote:
This guy should meet Blondie Chaplin.
Funny!!! Or Tim Ries!!! |
| 25th August 2006 10:33 AM |
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| glencar |
Glencar's good tonight, in'nt he? |
| 25th August 2006 10:43 AM |
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| jb |
quote:
glencar wrote:
Glencar's good tonight, in'nt he?
Have you lashed out at anyone recently? |
| 25th August 2006 10:44 AM |
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| glencar |
Nah, that's getting old. |
| 25th August 2006 10:44 AM |
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| glencar |
How bout yourself? Any lashing? |
| 25th August 2006 10:46 AM |
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| jb |
quote:
glencar wrote:
How bout yourself? Any lashing?
No...I hit a median making a left turn out of my complex and damaged a %350 Pirelli tire. It cut a chunk out of the side, and while it is not flat, I cannot drive with it that way. |
| 25th August 2006 10:47 AM |
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| glencar |
I drove in London last week. Now that's tough! Those people can't figure out right is right! |
| 25th August 2006 11:28 AM |
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| jb |
quote:
glencar wrote:
I drove in London last week. Now that's tough! Those people can't figure out right is right!
Did you go to Harrods? |
| 25th August 2006 11:29 AM |
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| glencar |
Not this trip. I've been to London about 7 times & Harrod's is a nice place but no Bloomie's, quite frankly. |
| 25th August 2006 11:31 AM |
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| jb |
quote:
glencar wrote:
Not this trip. I've been to London about 7 times & Harrod's is a nice place but no Bloomie's, quite frankly.
There are many fine taliors who will hand make you a suit on Saville Row.... |
| 25th August 2006 11:37 AM |
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| glencar |
I have enough suits. I rarely have to dress up anyway. Casual Fridays is the way to go@ |
| 25th August 2006 11:38 AM |
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| jb |
quote:
glencar wrote:
I have enough suits. I rarely have to dress up anyway. Casual Fridays is the way to go@
I am an avid suit collector...I have well over 50 custom suits, some of which exceeded 5k!!!! |
| 25th August 2006 12:52 PM |
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| Ten Thousand Motels |
WHY YOU HIJACKING MY THREAD??? WHY?
(Just kiddin')
I think. I posted this too early in the morning. I re-read it once and owe the board an apolgy for posting such an irrelevant piece of crap. It's truly embarrassing. I'm sorry. Hijack away.
[Edited by Ten Thousand Motels] |
| 25th August 2006 12:58 PM |
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| glencar |
It was a pretty boring thread anyway... |
| 25th August 2006 01:02 PM |
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| Stonesgail |
quote:
jb wrote:
Have you lashed out at anyone recently?
Hey Josh, I tried to send you a PM on that
"other board" but your in box was disabled.
You're not the one I wanted to shut up.
I love you. I just ended five years over
there...it's just not fun anymore.
Gail |
| 25th August 2006 01:03 PM |
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| jb |
quote:
Stonesgail wrote:
Hey Josh, I tried to send you a PM on that
"other board" but your in box was disabled.
You're not the one I wanted to shut up.
I love you. I just ended five years over
there...it's just not fun anymore.
Gail
Hello Gail...I hope this finds you well. I am also hoping for an Atlanta show.... |
| 25th August 2006 01:07 PM |
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| Honky Tonk Man |
When he's talking about seeing the Stones at the NME Awards at Earl's Court, I think he means The Empire Pool, Wembley. |
| 25th August 2006 01:07 PM |
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| glencar |
quote:
Stonesgail wrote:
Hey Josh, I tried to send you a PM on that
"other board" but your in box was disabled.
You're not the one I wanted to shut up.
I love you. I just ended five years over
there...it's just not fun anymore.
Gail
That board's just so quiet. This board has some annoying folks but not too many. |
| 25th August 2006 01:09 PM |
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| jb |
quote:
glencar wrote:
That board's just so quiet. This board has some annoying folks but not too many.
I love both boards...Stonedoug/Oldkr have created a fantastic community and Rocks-Off has allowed me the freedom to grow as a person. |
| 25th August 2006 01:17 PM |
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| glencar |
I just don't see enough posts in the folders I like. But I like Doug a lot. And most of the other posters. |
| 25th August 2006 01:18 PM |
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| jb |
quote:
glencar wrote:
I just don't see enough posts in the folders I like. But I like Doug a lot. And most of the other posters.
Did you eat pudding in London? |
| 25th August 2006 01:20 PM |
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| glencar |
No, fajitas! |
| 25th August 2006 01:21 PM |
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| jb |
quote:
glencar wrote:
No, fajitas!
Did you have salt water toffe? |
| 25th August 2006 01:22 PM |
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| glencar |
I had some kind of cake called banoffee which had toffee in it. The Brits do things differently. I did eat at Sticky Fingers. |
| 25th August 2006 01:24 PM |
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| jb |
quote:
glencar wrote:
I had some kind of cake called banoffee which had toffee in it. The Brits do things differently. I did eat at Sticky Fingers.
not good. |
| 25th August 2006 01:25 PM |
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| glencar |
Au contraire! Quite nice. The pound is $2.07 though which is as high as I've ever seen it. |
| 25th August 2006 01:27 PM |
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| jb |
I like how they flew John Mark Karr in Business class...It looked very comfortable. |
| 25th August 2006 01:28 PM |
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| glencar |
Yes, alleged killers must be taken care of! |
