Music is one of my passions, and at the end of February a DJ from a club we played at regularly reminded me it was 50 years to the day since we supported Genesis at the Granary Club, in Bristol. Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, and the others were on the brink of stardom and they had already arrived at the venue when we pitched up in our Ford Transit and our roadies unloaded the gear.
I watched from the centre of the hall as Peter Gabriel set up a bass drum, plus a microphone to use during their performance. Phil Collins came to join me and said hello. I asked him how he felt about Peter adding extra embellishments to their sound.
Phil gave an enigmatic smile. ‘He’s not of this planet, you know,” he replied.
The conversation continued until we had to take to the stage for our one hour warm up slot. We were better than average that night; Genesis were great. It was only a matter of time for them.
(In a poll a few years back, that night was voted the favourite gig from the 1968-88 period that the Granary Club opened its doors)
Fifty years? Well, in October it will be Golden Wedding time for my wife and I. How does that relate to this story? On the day I met Phil, I’d just received confirmation for the hotel booking in London for our honeymoon. (Just a few days – we had gigs to fulfil). He asked where we were staying, and it was just around the corner from their agent’s offices in Lancaster Gate.
“Mike (Rutherford) and I will be in the Swan on Bayswater Road on Monday lunchtime. Pop in for a drink.”
So, we did. Lynne and I visited Carnaby Street and the King’s Road to shop in the morning. Then got back to the Swan by one o’clock. Genesis were off to Germany the next day for a series of TV shows. Lynne and I enjoyed a couple of hours drinking and chatting about music with two great guys. Happy days.
I’ll be back with an update in the middle of April.
