I finally got to see Cameron Crowe's semi-autobiographical film "Almost Famous." I bought the DVD and watched it a few weeks ago. It was so cool.
Crowe, who used to be a correspondent for Rolling Stone magazine, had compiled a lot of his experiences interviewing such bands and musicians as Led Zeppelin, Neil Young and Peter Frampton into a couple of hours. In the film, he used a fabricated band — no, not the Monkees. He called it Stillwater, a composite band to house all those experiences.
Utahn Patrick Fugit played 15-year-old William Miller, the character based on Crowe. And, boy, could I relate to him. Some of the things he went through also happen to me as a music critic all the time.
For example:
I've lost count of how many times I have gone backstage to interview a band, only to be told by the doorman, "You're not on the list."
I can't begin to tell you all the times a person I really want to interview has dodged the issues . . . or the interview altogether.
I can't tell you how many times I've had other editors (but not my boss) ask me if my article was genuine or if it was made up.
While I can't say I've been on tour with a band for an extended amount of time, I can say there are those artists who, when they call me or meet me, say they remember me from an interview I did with them a couple of years earlier. (To tell you the truth, sometimes I don't remember them).
I don't know any groupies. . . er, "Band-Aids" . . . named Penny Lane, but I have known some road managers who understood a band and tried their best to keep the temperamental stars happy.
Then there's the scene in "Almost Famous" where everyone rushes to the hotel swimming pool to get a glimpse of Bad Company drummer Simon Kirke.
Well, here's my story:
A couple of weeks ago, before the Bad Company concert at the E Center, I had scheduled an interview with lead-singer Paul Rodgers. The day of the interview (30 minutes before the scheduled time to be precise), the road manager called me up and told me that Paul had an emergency at the local hospital. (He called me from Denver).
"He won't be able to talk with you today," the road manager said. "Is there anyone else you'd like to speak with?"
"Simon," I said. "He's the only band member that has been in all the Bad Company lineups."
"You got it," he said. "Let me track him down. I'll call you in an hour."
Three hours later, the road manager called me and said he had just found the drummer. "He had been golfing all day," he explained. "But I know where he is. I'll have him ring you up."
The phone rang five minutes later and the next voice I heard was Kirke. "Hello, Scott," he said in his jolly English accent. "You'll never guess where I am."
"By the pool?" I asked.
"Yes," he said with a sigh. "I really do have mixed feelings about that movie. Anyway, how are you?"
E-mail: scott@desnews.com