"Connections"

[soundsupport1]

My second connection is even better. When I lived in Scotland, I played in a Presbyterian church with a nice old boy called Don. He once told me he had played in hamburg in the sixties, and had shared the stage with the beatles.

I thought "oh dear, he's losing the plot".
Then he pulled out some photos.
Turns out he undersold himself; he was in a band called 'The Original Tremors', and the Beatles were their support act.

Mind. Blown.

Peace, SoundSupport

 

[40Hz]

By this logic I can say I've played the same stage as the Police (as can @40Hz?).

The band I was in that played it broke up in late ‘78. So we were before that.

Didn’t know The Police played the Rat. How cool is that? But it doesn’t surprise me. The place really took off in the 80s and became more a showcase club featuring real names rather than a “best of Boston” venue by then.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

A old friend of mine used to work with Pete Townshend in publishing, but Pino still got the Who gig. Connections - worthless.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

Twice I've either been the replacement in a, band or asked to be the replacement in a band for someone whose been asked to be in a big name band. This is, of course, practically the same as being in that big name band for connection purposes.

 

[StatesideRambler]

Forty years ago we lived in SoCal and the neighbor three doors down had a son who was one of the founders of Dread Zeppelin, Joseph Jack "Severs" Ramsey, better known by his stage name Jah Paul Jo. We had many conversations as we stopped at each others houses when one walked the dog(s) and the other was doing yard work. We had bass in common but rarely talked about that. Joe was a real talent and a real nice kid. After his mother died he took his father on the road with Dread Zeppelin and Dad had a great time. Shades of Shel Silverstein’s Cover of the Rolling Stone:
“I got my poor ole grey haired daddy
Drivin' my limousine“
which gave us a laugh. Good memories!

 

[Audiomicrowave]

Back in the 60's my dad regularly sold shoes to D J Fontana.

In the late 80's I played some open-mic type sessions with one of the harmonica players that toured with Bob Wills (he was quite old, but a good harmonica player).

In the early 90's, my father-in-law shared an elevator with Motley Crue.

Still waiting on a call to the big leagues. Granted, the first two are quite dead, so that pretty much kills those opportunities.

B

 

[ryan pate]

 

[poppunk]

If you know somebody who ended up making it, you don't ask them for things. If you're on their level you might propose doing some cool stuff together.

I went to high school with a band who has at least song everybody in this forum would know if they heard it. They won a Grammy fairly recently. One of the dudes was my drummer for like two years in high school. He recently credited me and the other dude in the band for getting him started and he likely wouldn't have done it without us.

I would never ask that dude for anything. We throw some messages every now and then on social media, but he's very busy and just knowing him doesn't get me anything. If I had something to give, it might be different. But he's a legit musician and I'm a dude who does this stuff as a second thing now (my time passed and I moved on).

 

[Dincrest]

 

[40Hz]

If I had something to give, it might be different.

Excellent point. And one that a lot of people don’t seem to get. With rare exceptions, it’s mostly quid pro quo when it comes to professional and industry connections. There needs to be mutual benefit. You have to be holding some chips before you can play a chip.

 

[reverendboom]

I'm skeptical of a lot of musician's resumés also. "Played same stage as Dokken" (eight years apart). I can say that I played to 5 million people, but not a single person knows my name or came to see me.

I played at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...still waiting for them to call me back.

 

[mdlewis]

Wow, two comments in one thread about a place I haven’t thought about in years - The Rat!

 

[GretschWretch]

My only "connection" or potential claim to fame is that, had my parents not moved our family from Hicksville, New York to California when I was ten years old, I would have gone to the same high school that Billy Joel dropped out of.

(I bet you can't top that!)

Bet I can. Drummer and Nashville record producer James Stroud was in concert and marching band with me in both junior high and high school, and he also played drums in my first garage band. I haven't had any contact with him in over fifty years. He went on to fame and fortune and I wound up on TalkBass.

 

[Queue]

I was a big fan of The Presidents of the USA (Peaches anyone?) in the 90s, when they first broke up in 1997. Shortly afterward, I spotted the bass player/frontman's email address on an email correspondence sent from an indie record label. I sent him a gushing fan email, with a long, long story in it, and through the years became online friends with him. I first actually met them when in Seattle on business, and PUSA with Sir-Mix-Alot were playing Pain in the Grass at the Seattle Center. After that, I got lots of backstage passes after they reformed PUSA and started touring again, and hung out with the band before and after a few different gigs whenever they played near my home (on the opposite coast). They are really fun. I'm now enshrined on the liner notes from a few recent releases, as one of the "super fans".

It was their instrumental approach (2 string bass, 3 string guitar) that got me to actually pick up an instrument at about 40 years old and try to play it. (I've only done vocals all my life, but nothing any more significant than high school bands, little party gigs, and now dad bands, and occasional open mics. I've since graduated to playing a normal 4 string bass.) I have no aspirations to go further than that, but I'm really enjoying learning to (and playing) bass.

 

[Thumpin6string]

Sure - call Eddie, and see if he can get you a gig.

I did, but all I got was dead silence.

 

[Sub-hoo-fer]

Victor Wooten is an amazing human. Pretty good on bass too

not a connection but he recognized me one time! I try and see his shows whenever I can. Before than pandemic he was here in Roanoke, Virginia at least once a year - either on his own, with his brothers, or the Flecktones. He is really good about talking to folks after the shows and I always say “thank you for coming to Roanoke” because I really want him to come back!

well one time we caught him in Ponte Vedra, Fl with the Trio. I was talking to him after and said “thank you for coming to Ponta Vedra” and he was like “don’t you usually come to shows up in Virginia?”

I was on cloud 9 for a week after.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

Victor Wooten is an amazing human. Pretty good on bass too

not a connection but he recognized me one time! I try and see his shows whenever I can. Before than pandemic he was here in Roanoke, Virginia at least once a year - either on his own, with his brothers, or the Flecktones. He is really good about talking to folks after the shows and I always say “thank you for coming to Roanoke” because I really want him to come back!

well one time we caught him in Ponte Vedra, Fl with the Trio. I was talking to him after and said “thank you for coming to Ponta Vedra” and he was like “don’t you usually come to shows up in Virginia?”

I was on cloud 9 for a week after.

I've heard a similar story, but about Nile Rogers.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

Sonja Kristina complimented one of my songs when we did a support slot. It has not led to fame and fortune through a 'connection' . Back then I didn't really know who she was, though, so just mumbled something in response. That may not have helped.

 

[40Hz]

Wow, two comments in one thread about a place I haven’t thought about in years - The Rat!

For me, thinking about it sometimes feels like that poignant moment at the end of Bladerunner:

“All those moments will be lost in time…like tears in the rain.”​

 

[mdlewis]

For me, thinking about it sometimes feels like that poignant moment at the end of Bladerunner:

“All those moments will be lost in time…like tears in the rain.”​

I love that quote from Blade Runner, particularly the lead-in, "I've seen things...". Sometimes when I reflect back on the long strange trip I've lead this soliloquy runs through my head.

Some, but not all, are lost though. I first played there around 1975 and was lucky enough to make it on to a record that was recorded there, so not everything was lost. I did play and hang out there a lot, though, so most is gone.

I lived on the block just east of the square. We used to move equipment in "borrowed" Stah Mahket shopping carts. Even did some "remodeling" work there for JH for a weekend of free drinks. Boston was a VERY different place in those days.