One of the things that intrigues me about rock concerts – everyone afterwards has a different story to tell.  Did the band suck?  Weren’t they fantastic?  They didn’t play the favourite song, the bass player’s cute, the sound was awful, the drummer rocked, they’re not as good as they used to be… the best band in the world!

Every single person in the room, be it a club or an arena, has had an adventure just getting there; the missed train, the last minute babysitter, meeting old friends, the weather, the broken-down car, the lucky parking, the lousy meal, the great seats, who’s got the tickets? 

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Tony was the driving force of Deep Purple’s management in the early days.  My first impressions of him when I joined the band in July 1969 – a man of ideas, an intellect, a man of taste, a man of action.  I remember him rubbing his hands together with enthusiasm and saying, “Now what can we achieve today?”   He was the kind of man who could think of something and then turn it into reality with his drive and passion. 

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Frequently, I’m at a loss for words, but when I recently discovered that I’d left my computer on the security table at Heathrow Airport, I suffered no such deficiency – I found the exact words to express how I felt.  Fuck, fuck… and oh fuck!

Immediately my brain goes into overdrive, the scene of the crime is replayed many times over and analyzed down to the nanosecond. 

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I was saddened by the tragic and untimely death of Steve Lee, the singer of Gottard, a great band that we have worked with many times over the years.  He was passionate about his singing and had a vitality that brightened any room.  This is a huge loss.  Our thoughts go out to Brigitte,  his family, and his band mates.,

RG

Stresa, Italy, 21st July 2010

The occasion; lunch in a secluded restaurant under a roof of vine leaves, slivers of sunlight dappling bright patches on the dozen or so customers – a random cast of characters, tourists, locals, mostly couples.  It is a family-run business, waiters quick and efficient, sure-footedly dispensing breadbaskets and menus with practiced hands and seasoned smiles.

Diners and their secret lives; young and old, thick and thin, bellies, shorts, summer dresses, muffled conversations, occasional laughter.

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