When Blaze walked into the Gallery for his interview I was already concerned. There was a mix-up which meant that no one was at the Gallery when he arrived. There is nothing worse than not being there when your star turns up to be interviewed! I was mortified and apologised, but it looked for all the world like I pissed him off and now I was screwed. Well, nothing could have been further from the truth. The camera went on and right from the first question Blaze was very open, very interesting, and very entertaining. I could hear his appreciation of his Midlands roots as he told his stories about growing up in the area, getting into his first band, and just plain working hard to achieve his goals. He was great and one of my favourite interviews. His passion for music and his fans really was evident. Even if you aren’t necessarily a fan of Blaze, I hope you’ll watch the interview. With the projects I am planning with MIM, Blaze’s attitude was very inspiring.

He even gave me a real-life example of a ‘Spinal Tap’ moment. When the cameras stopped rolling, we chatted a bit about fame and the odd response people have to it, Blaze saying that image takes over the real person in many cases. He told of a band that had a smoke machine on stage that went into total over-drive and none of the musicians could see what they were doing. He heard the guitarist turn to the crew backstage, and practically crying, said, “I can’t see! I can’t play! What should I do? I can’t see my fingers!” The next thing he heard was a stern voice shouting back, “Stop crying! We’re supposed to be hard!”

I’ve asked Blaze to help out on some of my projects, and I hope he says yes. In the meantime, you can see the leather jacket that he wore for the making of his first album and tour, and a t shirt, on display at the exhibit this September. He handed them to me before he left and said, “I don’t want to see them on Ebay!”

Great stuff. View a couple more photos and excerpts from the interview on our Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/memoriesinmusic/sets/72157624567459756/

Annie x

Well, that’s a legitimate question. What kind of fan am I? It’s maybe easier to say what kind of fan I am not. First of all, I am not a ‘reporter-type’ fan. I am not going to be digging for information on musicians and then publishing it on this site. The only things I want to write about here are things associated with MIM activities, and very occasionally, about something the musicians themselves are currently talking about or doing and are happy for it to be in the public domain. I’m not looking to be the breaking news site, again unless it is MIM-related. I had one person say to that, “That’s because you don’t know anything.” Well, you reckon? OK then, no need to come ask me any more then. Easy.

I am not a ‘hint, hint, hint-type’ fan. I’m not going to be the one who gives heavy hints about what I know but in the end just can’t reveal, or can only say stuff like, “My sources/contacts/people say big news is coming,” or “I’ve heard the most amazing news about so and so, but I just can’t tell you.” In truth I don’t understand this anyway. If it cannot or should not be revealed, why say anything at all? Why even hint about it? I have my theories as to why some engage in this behaviour, but you don’t need my theories. You decide why.

I am not a ‘tell-all/gossip-type’ fan. I am not going to write every last detail of every conversation or email, or endlessly speculate. I don’t think everything is necessarily bad from the ‘tell-all/gossip’ camp, it’s just that I don’t want to be the person that had a conversation with a musician and then they go on my site to read about the MIM charity updates and see what they were wearing, drinking, eating, how they moved, every word of what they said, who they were with, or have to endure gossip about their private lives or situations…you know, a huge load of too much. It amazes me that some fans speak with such authority about people they have met casually 25 years ago, or never met at all – in truth people they don’t know a thing about. But if you do happen to know or work with anyone famous, you surely understand discretion is much appreciated by those whose every move is hounded and written about. If you want to do them a good turn, realise some things are inappropriate to reveal or discuss. Not always wrong, but often not expedient. Inappropriateness is defined differently by everyone; but for me it mostly means: Shut up about stuff Annie. How will this make me look to the people I am talking about? How will it make them feel?

So, what kind of fan am I… a fan that wants musicians and people associated with them to feel extremely comfortable working on charity activities I organise. To me, that means I cannot be any of the above. Erring on the side of caution works for me, and I have seen that it works for them as well. At the end of the day though, it comes to this – I have to look at myself in the mirror and be happy. Being so cautious seems to irk some fans, and I am sorry for that. But I have to sleep at night.

If you are a reporter-type fan, a hinting around-type fan, a tell-all/gossip-type fan, and that works for you, OK. I’m not telling you what to do by any means. I thought about what kind of fan I am, and what kind I wanted to be, and you know, I’m just sayin’… maybe you should think about it too.

Annie x

It was hard to believe I was about to be filmed talking to a Pink Floyd legend, but then Trev and Jon arrived to set up the cameras, and while they did, in he walked. He told me he was in a good mood today when he shook my hand. That’s nice to hear!

I am not a professional interviewer by any means, so really these films are just me, a fan, chatting. I just let the conversation flow as it will. Nick was fun giving me his best Birmingham accent as we started. He actually grew up in London, but when you hear his best Brum talk, you’re in no doubt he’s from there!

We had a nice half an hour talk sitting there amongst the drums. The kit he was sitting behind had just been delivered by Ferrari, and it was huge. It’s the first time I have ever sat behind a drum kit and it’s quite impressive. I don’t know anything about drums, which you will see on the film when it gets posted. Sitting there made me think what it would be like to sit there in front of a huge crowd playing. I could barely see over them!

A lot of the most interesting bits of conversations I’ve had happen when the film stops rolling. I guess because famous people are naturally cautious in interviews (and judging by the way things get taken way out of context or blown out of all proportion it isn’t surprising). While we were taking everything down, he chatted to us about his business and his motor racing and the plans for my company! Cool.

It was a great day, and I even got to have a fan girl moment when I left. I hugged Nick and thanked him for all the joy he’s given me with his music, and he kissed me on the cheek. OK, OK, to all of you now rolling your eyeballs – sorry. But it was a great moment for me. When ever I listen to Pink Floyd from now on, I have this great memory to go along with it. Musicians are special people, and I am having a great time meeting them.

If you’ve got some memories to share, send them in. Fans will definitely enjoy reading them and seeing any photos you have. In the meantime, I will keep sharing mine. If you want to see bigger pictures, go to the MIM Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/memoriesinmusic/sets/72157624254085336/

Annie x

Travelling into the lovely village where Ric lives, I got a bit concerned I may have missed a turn because I didn’t see a house name at first. I am terrible with directions, and I was a bit nervous to travel down this narrow track to the cottage at the end in case I was in the wrong place. I’d have to back out and that looked daunting. Well, there was nothing for it but to check as this was the right street according to Darlene (my sat nav). I knew I was in the right place when Ric appeared in the drive – playing! How awesome to be serenaded a welcome to the house.

It was a ‘picture postcard pretty’ cottage, and because the weather was warm and sunny, Jon filmed us on the porch of a summer house at the bottom of the garden. You couldn’t ask for a more idyllic setting. Ric is awesome and great to talk to – the interview went on for an entire hour but it felt more like five minutes. It is such a privilege to spend time with musicians, and Ric is the type of guy you could happily talk to for a lifetime and never have a dull moment. I’m really grateful to Jon at Scadge Productions for donating his time and all the equipment to film these interviews, especially as all he gets is a meal and has to listen to me endlessly squealing with excitement. Sorry Jon.

I’ve been asking musicians what song they would like fans of the future to hear that they felt represented them best. Ric picked Rose Hip, which I knew from his Still Waters album. Much to my surprise he went to get his violin and played it on the film for me. Gosh… that was just wonderful!

We then called round at his local pub for a bite to eat (and even more chatting!), and Dave Pegg turned up. We sat outside in the sunshine for a bit and Dave entertained us with his awesome stories – like how he actually made it through the traffic to get on stage in time for his slot at the Bath Festival in 1970 and other cool memories. He’s a lot of fun, always laughing – an instant party in a person! I interviewed him on the porch of the summer house too, and because he brought the item with him that he was loaning for the exhibit, he talked about it on the film. It’s a special bass guitar that was made for him as a birthday gift. He ended his interview by asking, “Can I go to the loo now?” LOL!

So now I have some great new memories to share with fans; and Dave Pegg’s bass guitar, and one of Ric Sander’s violins residing in my bedroom. Running Memories in Music – not just a job, an adventure!

This week there will be another instalment to the adventure. A member of Pink Floyd has granted me a filmed interview in London. That’s very exciting! The projects I am working on with my fellow MIM volunteers are really moving ahead too, and I can’t wait to report on those when I am able. Any music fans out there who want to help, you are welcome! I only ask: 1. That you love music; 2. You respect the musicians in word and deed; and 3. You want to benefit charity. Visit here to see what you can do: http://memoriesinmusic.com/getinvolved.html There’s nothing like spreading the joy that music brings!!!

Annie x

Sales in the Memories in Music Gift Shop have also earned funds for our charities. We’re grateful, so thanks if you are one of our shoppers! New items will be added this month, and we have some contests in the making for musician’s charities too. If you want to help our charity projects, drop in on our website to see what you can do.

Last week I took another trip up to Birmingham. Trevor and Jon (and Laura who is working with them learning about the industry – great to meet you Laura!) have been filming me doing interviews to capture some of the memories of the people who have made music in the area, and last week we had the privilege of speaking to Carl Palmer and the amazing Albert Lee.

Carl Palmer was the first interview of the day. I interviewed Carl at the beautiful New Hall Hotel in Sutton Coldfield. I say interview, but really, it is just me chatting with the musicians taking part. I like chatting better, and to let them lead the conversation rather than me guiding it with a list of questions. I do have some, but mostly I just take my cues from them. Once we start talking, I find that I could go on and on because it’s so interesting, but I try to keep it to a 30 minutes or less format. Carl shared his memories of the music that influenced him as a kid, his first times playing drums in public, and of his days in his band Atomic Rooster. He was so much fun that even after the camera stopped rolling we went on talking about all sorts of things.

After lunch we all headed off to speak to the manager of a venue we are going to use to stage a benefit concert associated with the exhibit. An announcement about the concert will be coming soon. Then it was over to The Robin 2 in Wolverhampton to talk to Albert Lee and his assistant Sue. Sue is one of those people that I am sure many fans dream they could be – she started off volunteering her time to put together a newsletter for fans so they could hear about upcoming gigs, and ended up as Albert’s assistant. Sue is a Memories in Music Heroine, a lady who doesn’t seek praise, isn’t interested in using her position to lord it over other fans, just a sweet lady who genuinely wants to do good for the musician she admired. I really loved meeting her and filming some of her memories. More like Sue in the fan world please!

Filming Albert I found the most daunting, probably because he is just so amazing, a real living legend. He’s played with Buddy Holly, The Everly Brothers, Eric Clapton, and has 2 Grammys. I’ve been listening to him play for a long time, and when the camera started rolling I made the mistake of looking at him before I opened my mouth and thinking, ‘Oh my God that’s Albert Lee!’ I had to start over and still I was nervous. But I settled in (I think) and had a fun time talking to him. The venue was really dark and we had these huge bright lights on us which didn’t help my nerves. It’s hard to believe I was sitting in the middle of band set-up talking to Albert about bombs dropping near his home during the war and record shopping with Jimmy Page…. Fun times!

Albert Lee changing his guitar strings before performing at the Robin 2 in Wolverhampton

Saturday started off with shopping in the Bull Ring, and finished in a meeting with another of my favourite musicians, singer/songwriter Deborah Bonham. Deborah and her managers had lunch with me to talk over the exhibit and after talking to me about the whole concept of the exhibit and the company, they are all prepared to help. Deb is a really lovely, warm person. I’m excited to work with her on this exhibit, and hopefully put together an event for her charity that rescues horses from the terrible fates that can befall them when they are no longer able to race. We had a good laugh talking about all sorts, including some of our more eye opening Zeppelin-related experiences. Both of her managers are super as well, and I could have talked to them all day long. How many times do you leave a meeting with lovely balloons as a gift from a manager? I’m guessing not many, but I did! It’s great just to meet all these people, never mind knowing that you have their support as well.

So that’s the update. More filmed interviews are being scheduled later this month, and the ones that have been filmed will show up on the website in due course. If you want to take part in this exhibit, drop us a line. You’ll be in good company and who knows – you might just get a balloon too!

Growing up in the USA, I was made aware of Steve by a friend of mine who knew The Steve Gibbons Band primarily as the opening act for bands like The Who, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and The J Geils Band; and for the albums, ‘Any Road Up’ and ‘Rollin’ On.’ But there’s lots more to know about Steve’s career than just those things.

Steve was born in Harborne, Birmingham, and reportedly was all set to become a plumber. Instead, he joined a group called The Dominettes in 1960 and began playing in the pubs and clubs around Birmingham. The group changed its name to The Uglys, and recorded a single called ‘Wake Up My Mind.’ This song was unlike most of the songs of the period with lyrics like:

Somewhere there’s hunger, somewhere there’s war
But I can do nothing so I’ll just ignore
The cruelty around me, pretending I’m blind
In case I start thinking and Wake Up My Mind.

I read in the papers, a policeman shot down
Two negros in cold blood in some racial town
And I’m having a new car but I don’t know what kind
But one of these days I will Wake Up My Mind.

Quite heavy-duty for the mid 60s. The next band Steve became a member of was Balls, along with Trevor Burton, Denny Laine, and drummer Keith Smart. Steve left the band after a short period, and moved to Idle Race, which eventually became The Steve Gibbons Band. Spotted by the manager of The Who, this is what led to Steve recording his album ‘Any Road Up,’ and to his work touring with the The Who and other bands.

Steve has recorded nine albums, and still tours with his band. He also plays in the Brum Rocks Live shows along with Trevor Burton and Bev Bevan, two other artists who are taking part in our Midlands exhibit. Be sure to check out the music of this inspiring Midlands artist! His gigs are listed on his website here:
http://www.stevegibbonsband.com/

The weekend started in St Pauls Gallery, where Symon Bland was kind enough to allow us to use the Gallery as the interview venue. I wanted to get Symon in an interview too, but he somehow escaped! I’ll get you next time Symon!

Musician Joe Digman was the first interview. Joe is a drummer, and his bands, Light Fantastic and Sight and Sound, opened for the bands Sweet, Mudd, and Showwaddywaddy. The Sweet even played at Joe’s wedding. He had some great stories to tell about exploding pyrotechnics blowing tiles off the ceilings of working men’s clubs, pushing his drum kit to pubs in a pram, and playing in local skiffle bands. We had an extra treat when Joe picked up some drumsticks and played the drum kit that is currently on display in the Gallery, once owned by the drummer of T Rex.

The other interview of the day was Jem Brent, who has starred in musicals such as 42nd Street, Rocky Horror, and Starlight Express. Jem shared his stage experiences being understudy for an entire cast plus learning a whole script in German, and being Cookie Monster on wheels. There are fascinating musicians in the Midlands! All the fun was captured on film by Trevor and Jon from Scadge Studios, who are kindly donating their time and film to record these interviews. I am very grateful to them. I’ve got to get them in front of the camera soon…

Later that evening I arrived at the Birmingham Town Hall and was ushered backstage to meet Ric in his dressing room before the show. It’s the first time I have seen him play live, although I have been listening to him play with Fairport, and his own Ric Sanders Group, for a number of years. He’s such a lovely guy. I wished that we’d had the camera there right then to start recording the interview, as I enjoyed chatting to him so much. We’ve arranged to catch up for the filmed interview when he comes back from a quickie tour later on this month. I’m really looking forward to that!

Ric introduced me to some great folks after the show who are willing to contribute to the exhibit in various ways – sharing memories, making contacts with musicians, and sharing their own memories on the website. Meeting Steve from a radio station in Wolverhampton was fortunate, as I hope to be able to spread word of the exhibit to fans of area musicians to see if they might loan us their memorabilia. I love fan items – they are what I had access to see when I was a kid and the memory of how exciting I found it all never wore off.

Dave Pegg (bass player for Fairport) was a lot of fun to meet. He’s going to allow me to film an interview with him, is going to loan me some items from his personal collection, and has already started networking for me – and believe me, you don’t have a clue what networking is unless you’ve had Dave Pegg networking on your behalf! Trust me on this.

So not only did I walk away from the Town Hall on a cloud from all the great music, I also went out with some great new friends and a pocket full of telephone numbers. It’s going to be a great exhibit!

The first of the interviews will be up as soon as Trev can polish them up, and more will be recorded on March 18th. Stay tuned!

Dawn shares:

OK, starting chronologically, first up is ELO. I saw them at Bingley Hall in June 1978. I was still at school and too young to drive,so my dad took me and my friend Helen, in the car. Bingley Hall was about an hour and a half’s drive from where we lived. I remember telling someone at school that I was going to Bingley Hall and them telling me that was where they did livestock auctions – Bingley Hall was then forever immortalised in my mind as “that cowshed in a field”.

My dad had told us that he would stay in the car whilst the concert was going on, however on meeting back up with him I found him with a massive grin on his face. Turns out he had got bored sitting in the car and had gone for a wander round. He bumped into one of the security guards, who let him in – and my dad watched most of the concert from right beside the stage! He has been an ELO fan ever since, and my LPs ended up being played more than ever in the house.

Join Dawn and share your musical memories with Memories in Music. Send your memories to: stories@memoriesinmusic.com We look forward to hearing from you!

Bev was born in an inner city area of Birmingham called Spark Hill. Deciding to leave a glittering career as a department store buyer, he picked up his drumsticks and played with Denny Laine in a group called Denny Laine and the Diplomats, moving on to The Vikings before finding a place in one of the most influential bands of the 60s called The Move. The Move had nine Top 20 UK singles, and it was Bev and two other members of this group, Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne, who formed The Electric Light Orchestra. Unlike The Move who never enjoyed success in the USA, ELO found fame there first. The band had 27 Top 40 singles on both sides of the Atlantic, and has sold over 100 million albums worldwide.

ELO ended in 1986, and since then Bev has continued to play, in ELO Part II and a reformed version of The Move, Bev Bevan’s Move. He has also written a book about his life as a star in ELO called, ‘The Story of The Electric Light Orchestra.’ He has organised and taken part in several charity gigs to raise money for the Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Barnardos. He now has a weekly radio show on BBC West Midlands and writes a column for The Sunday Mercury: blogs.sundaymercury.net/bev-bevan/

Bev has kindly agreed to loan Memories in Music items from his personal collection for our charity display at St Pauls Gallery. Among these is a tour jacket from his ELO days. Check out some of Bev’s columns, and of course, his music. Bev Bevan has made a huge contribution to music history.

Are you a fan of ELO? Have you seen them in concert, have memorabilia to loan or share on the website? Met Bev? We’re looking for fans to share their memories. Get in touch and your memories will become part of our exhibit in the Gallery and part of the website.