A Red Carpet Evening
On Tuesday evening December 15th, Memories in Music was fortunate enough to be at the premier of the Davis Guggenheim film ‘It Might Get Loud’ featuring Jimmy Page, Jack White, and The Edge. We had 14 VIP guests there, all looking fabulous ready to walk the red carpet and enjoy the film. Some of our guests were contest winners who generously supported Task Brasil by entering to win the tickets. We appreciate all the entrants! One guest in a particular, a lovely Jimmy fan called Alissa, donated an extra sum after she won her ticket. These are the kinds of lovely people Memories in Music is honoured to know! Thanks Alissa.
There was a terrible mix up with the guest lists on the night. Confusion reigned as people’s names were not appearing, and everyone was getting irritated standing in the cold while things were sorted out. After some phone calls, all my guests made their grand entry looking awesome! Unfortunately, that was the last time I saw most of them. Two of my guests were late, and I had to remain outside to wait for them as they couldn’t get in without the ticket I had to give them.
Still, being outside and chatting to security had its benefits, as I was in a prime position to watch Mr Page arrive. A flurry of activity clearing the street and putting up extra barriers heralded his imminent arrival. When his car pulled up, everyone was carefully watching the door by the red carpet, but he got out on the other side of the car, much to the delight of the fans on the “wrong” side of the street! One of them was thrilled to pieces to be able to shake his hand, and everyone cheered at him. He was on his own and looking happy, relaxed, and wonderful – as always! He walked right past me and the security let me stand just 2 feet away from him to watch him being interviewed. I couldn’t hear what was said, but just seeing the whole thing happening with no one in front of me was great!
I happened to look up the red carpet just as Jimmy was turning to enter the building, and saw our fabulous Patron Zacron at the door waiting to welcome Jimmy into the premier. I couldn’t join him however as I was still having to wait for my (now very late) guests.
I was allowed to go up the red carpet to warm myself in the building, and waited by the door watching the people entering. Scott Gorham had come in, and Bernie Marsden. Eventually I heard from my guests. I went back down the red carpet to fetch them, and then back up again with them. I think I walked on the red carpet more than anyone else at the premier! People watched me and whispered about who I was. I thought how fun it was being thought of as ’somebody.’ As it turned out though, this wasn’t to be the most impressive thing of the night.
Once in the building I was escorted to the private VIP area. It was wonderful to be able to speak to Mr Guggenheim, and also to Jimmy. There were only a few people up there before the movie started, so the conversations were relaxed and no one had to shout above a lot of noise. Jimmy is a perfect gentleman and wonderful to engage in conversation. It was nice to see him and Zacron having a laugh and catching up.
The movie went by as a bit of a blur for me. Being honest, I have to say that it was only Jimmy’s parts that really captured my attention fully. I am sure though that fans of Edge and Jack White will be equally pleased with their parts. The crowd enjoyed it, as was obvious from their response.
After the film back in the VIP suite, a few more people appeared than had been there previously. Not many more though. It was an interesting place to be, and I tried to take in as much as I could just from an observation standpoint. Jimmy was so gracious. Only a few people photographed him, most of us just chatted to him and the others in the room. Even when you aren’t talking to him, watching his lovely manner with people is every bit as entertaining. It has also been entertaining reading what people wrote about it afterwards. People who weren’t there making it seem like they were is eye-opening. You discover things about people that maybe you wished you didn’t. Like watching this phenomenon: Every once in a while, the door would open, and some forlorn soul looking desperately for a way in would appear, before the door was unceremoniously closed on them. I watched this with interest and a large dose of embarrassment. Why on earth people would put themselves through the humiliation of being turned away is beyond me. Far better to NOT be seen doing this I would have thought.
I was unhappy with one thing – the lack of true hospitality to one of Jimmy Page’s stature. They were handing out cans of Pringles to eat along with the drinks. Yes, cans of Pringles. Pringles?? That is the best you can do for Jimmy Page? Wow. At one point I almost went to ask him if I could get him anything to eat, or even if I could get him a fresh glass of water, but it wasn’t my event so I refrained. Still, you learn a lot watching these things, and I learned a great deal. I did enjoy the company in the room, and the crew representing Planet Rock stand out as being just super. I enjoyed chatting to them a lot.
Jimmy stayed for a really long time. It was around midnight when he left. He came to every person he had spoken to saying goodnight, calling them by name even if he hadn’t known of them previously. He is truly awesome. Spending time with him and observing his lovely manner with people makes me realise that it is only the jealous, the self-seeking, and the downright nasty, that would talk trash of any description concerning him. All the dazzle of walking the red carpet, talking to the famous, being seen in a VIP area, all paled into comparison to just watching him and how he treated people. That was the real highlight of the night and the one thing I will always be grateful I got to observe. More people like him in the world would make it a better place.
Jimmy Page is truly deserving of a red carpet, and not just for the reasons you might think.
Filed under: Uncategorized10 Comments »
« Musicians of the Midlands: Joan Armatrading | Home | Be a difference in 2010 »
December 18th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
Hey Annie
Excellent write up Annie.
It was a great night especially because I was one of your contest winner and I can attest I did look great on the red carpet!
It sounds like the whole event was disorganised but it happens at these things. I think the whole Pringles thing is quite funny. What you say about Page reconciles with other stories I have heard.
At my old work he came in to look at some Song Remains the Same footage we were doing work on and the people in the studio said he was a true gent and easy to deal with. None of that rubbish they got with other celebs.
Eddie
December 18th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
Pringles! Hahaha, thanks for going all out! Annie, don’t forget you know somebody who’s very powerful in the international hospitality industry over in the D.C. area, so maybe you ought to give him a call about this gaffe.
Anyway, nice write-up. I’m immensely glad you got to talk with Jimmy, and also intrigued to read that he and Zacron were catching up. That’s one for the ages!
Best of luck, and kudos on the work you and all the others are doing, Annie.
December 18th, 2009 at 9:31 pm
Annie,
Always great to read about good things happening to good people. You being one of them. Congrats on a successful evening and for not tripping in your skyscraper heals. Which, I’m told, you looked marvelous in!
And I just happen to like Pringles very much.
Jimmy is a true gentleman.
All the best! And again, congratulations to you and high praises for all the work you’ve done so far.
December 18th, 2009 at 10:21 pm
Eddie, you DID look great on the red carpet – I agree! In fact, all my guests looked very awesome indeed! I love to hear people saying good things about Jimmy. Are you allowed to say why Jimmy came to look at the old SRTS footage? Was it for the remaster of the film?
Steve, thank you for the compliment on the write up. Yeah Pringles for Jimmy – they really pushed the boat out didn’t they? Gotta say, I would only needed to have gone as far as my own kitchen to do a nicer job. Being Suzy Homemaker at heart has its advantages! But really even a trip to the corner Spar shop would have yielded better results!
Nech – you’re so nice to me, From my heart, I appreciate it. If we are ever at another ‘do’ I’ll be sure and break out the Pringles for you. Who told you I looked good in the stilettos? I don’t think anyone got pics of me you would have seen? But if they did, I’d like to see them! All that excitement and not one pic of me. Oh well….
December 18th, 2009 at 10:46 pm
Thanks for a great review, Annie – and I am absolutely overjoyed that you got to spend time with Jimmy. He means so much to so many people, and the warmth and affection towards Jimmy from the audience during the film was palpable and wonderful to witness.
Congratulations on a great event, and hoping that Memories in Music will go from strength to strength in 2010. You can feel rightly proud of what you’ve achieved so far and I just know that you’ll go on to even greater things in the future.
Pringles, though … for goodness’ sake! *rolls eyes*
Love from your fellow skyscraper heels wearer xxx
December 18th, 2009 at 11:02 pm
Thank you Dawn. I totally agree about the crowd, they were lovely and there was a really nice atmosphere in the theatre. I appreciate your best wishes for MIM. I need the fans to make it work, so I am hoping to find more like you to make it happen!
Hahaha…the Pringles…yes rolly eyeballs for sure! A brief summary of the night has to be:
a. Jimmy – so lovely it hurts
b. Skyscraper stilettos – lovely but it hurts
c. Pringles – it just hurts.
December 19th, 2009 at 11:52 am
Great review Annie!
The Pringles thing made me chuckle. They also serve them as “freebies” at the AVO sessions festival. It is a very posh festival where everything is so expensive, but they serve Pringles. Maybe there’s something esoteric about them?
December 20th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
LOL Dragonlady…I can’t understand the event planners of the world and their fascination with Pringles. I just think there is something cheap about them! It will be a mission of mine to rid Pringles from MIM events, and if I ever get into a VIP area again where the lovely Mr Page is in residence, I will be sure he has some nicer food on offer even if I have to cook it myself. which I could easily do.
December 21st, 2009 at 2:29 pm
Thank you a lot for this review! It is a look into a totally different world for me – seeing Jimmy being all gentleman and nice to everybody – also that he came to say good-bye to EVERYBODY in the VIP area! This is really lovely!
I wish I could’ve been there, too (unfortunately I don’t live near London – not even in the UK…)
The part about the Pringles seems to give everybody something to think about. I wouldn’t serve them to anybody, I would be ashamed, if I had to…
Thanks again and I’m glad that you had such a great time (and I envy you, too)!
Raphaela
January 12th, 2010 at 6:02 pm
Annie, as a long time fan of Zeppelin, and especially Mr. Page, I really appreciate your sharing all the wonderful stories with the rest of us regular folks. I am especailly happy to hear Jimmy is a real gentleman, and about as down to earth as a fella can be given his noterity. That is really good to hear.
Keep up the good work you do, your a treat to fans of Jimmy and Zeppelin all over the world..
All the best,
davido