My Debbie Harry experience and recalling the Pretenders backstage in 1981...Learning to Crawl.
This post was inspired by a comment from Brian from Ohio asking about my personal experiences with celebrities.
I have previously shared a list of the celebrities that I have met.
https://dirtybennywrites.blogspot.com/2025/05/famous-people-that-i-have-met.html
I saw Blondie at Avalon in Boston in the early 2000's. As usual, I collected autographs so I came prepared with a Blondie LP to be signed. After the show, there were about 30 people waiting by the tour bus for autographs. Debbie came out the stage door surrounded by bodyguards. She walked directly up to me, took my album and went on the bus. 2 minutes later, a roadie brought out my album signed. The people around me were dumbfounded at how lucky I was to be chosen. Maybe there is more to it. Did she read my energy? Did she know that this one would eventually be able to see? Who knows....it was unusual in all my years of autograph collecting.
Not to mention, she was abundantly curvy as in the below video.
I saw the Pretenders on their tour for Pretenders II at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania in the early 1980's. Chrissie Hynde started out the concert saying, "Some guy out there says he wants to fuck me. He's got about as much chance of that as me going down on my grandmother." They then ripped into The Adultress. It was an intense brutal performance by the Pretenders original line-up.
Afterward, I talked my way backstage with a roadie. The 4 members were on the floor wriggling and wrestling with each other like a bunch of snakes for several minutes. It was not sexual. I asked the roadie what they were doing. He said they do it after every show. Although I spoke with each of them afterward, Martin Chambers just kept saying how drained he is after a show. It was bizarre to say the least.
Shortly thereafter, James Honeymoon-Scott and Pete Farndon died of drug overdoses. I guess the Honeymoon was over.
It was one of the best concerts I had ever seen.
that is a wild after show ritual…i have never heard of such a thing!
ReplyDeletesuch great performers.
did you ever come across courtney love by chance? i recently watched her interview on billy corgan’s podcast…which was as irratic and exausting as you’d imagine. it was hard to get through, but interesting as well, when they let each other finish a damn thought uniterrupted. (you may enjoy his podcast-a variety of musical guests)
but i bring her up because i then looked up some live hole performaces, and have to admit she could really wail. more just curious of her specifically? (as i think i was 12 when live through this came out and of course nirvana was everywhere when i started paying attention to music instead of baseball cards.
and i could talk music with you for a while i’m sure! love hearing these stories:)
brian
Hi Brian...i personally witnessed it...and it was bizarre. I was in my early 20's and had no framework for understanding it. I was major league attracted to Chrissy Hynde and it was a thrill to meet her in person, though she was rather gruff.
DeleteI have no experience with Courtney Love. I was supposed to see Nirvana in Philly when I was living in Hershey PA but I was too tired to make the trip...a big regret for sure. Because of my pursuit of autographs, I have A LOT of stories....I have lived a colorful life for sure.
Kathleen Hanna, Sleater-Kinney, Bratmobile, Dido, Melissa Ferrick ....all terrific. I have previously posted about my multiple interactions with Kristen Hersh and Tanya Donnelly of Throwing muses from my RI stomping grounds. Extremely talented intense ladies..and underrated for sure. Best regards, db
sorry to change the subject and highjack your post as i do, i know.
ReplyDeletedo you believe any of these people came to be organically? their success i mean?
anybody i look at always seems to have a relative (grandpa was a producer for this hollywood film company, mom was a dancer on this stage, etc.)
the orgin stories never add up.
have you witnessed anyone go from just local shmoe to massive success on their own merit, or at least think you have?
one can find old shows and tour dates where they had to play to nobody in the middle of nowhere…for years sometimes. but at the same time…there’s almost always a connection. can a normal person become famous is a simple way to ask it? (curious for my 20 year old self, i would want no part of that life currently.)
thanks db.
brian
Hi Brian, the closest brush that I have witnessed is my experience with Verbena.
Deletehttps://dirtybennywrites.blogspot.com/2023/11/verbena-scott-bondy-aa-bondy-and-dave.html
I think there comes a point that the individual artist decides whether or not to entrain to the system. Scott decided to walk away from Dave Grohl. Kristin Hersh has refused to compromise her music. They will never get to the status of a Taylor Swift or Dolly Parton.
Thanks for your comment, best regards,,,db
i am enjoying Bondy’s solo stuff (new to me and more up my alley).
DeleteI agree, saw what may have been coming and wanted no part of it. good for him. he seems like a genuine and talented dude.
brian
Hi Brian, This is one of the many Verbena shows I attended and recorded.. I am in the foreground to the right. Tall guy...
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyCb6-3LdwE&t=173s
This is perhaps the best show I have ever attended as well as their show in Providence. This includes superceding Soundgarden in their heyday. I was into Nirvana and Soundgarden before they broke nationally. Nothing compared to Verbena.Scott was one of the best electric guitarists I had ever seen. They were slugging Jack from a bottle on stage. They were exploring the edge of expression. He signed their setlist for their Providence show...thanks for attending the rehearsal. I am happy I was able to spend some time backstage with the band. I do find it interesting that Scott...changed his name to AA after the moment of no return. The style of his music changed 180 degrees. I gave them several of my live recordings that I did, which they were very appreciative of. I was never in contact with AA after Verbena ended as my concert days were over. It is interesting to reflect back on as their change paralleled my own, retreating from interacting with the civilization. Thanks for your comment, as always, Brian... best, db
that is a lot of sound for a 3 piece. i can hear the strong cobain influence. but never heard them in columbus.
Delete(one side of my family was from Wayland, Ma. will have to ask the cousins if they knew of them-i would think so. they always would get new stuff months before it was heard down here.
brian
Hi Brian, I agree....for a 3 piece band, it was huge. My brother was in NYC and he was cued in to CBGB's and the lower east side. Verbena was separate from that scene, despite their appearance a CBGB with Groll. Best, db
Delete