More Montreal

More Montreal

Some random small snippets from Blues ’92. Some are incomplete, some may be embellished but don’t ask me which are which.

At the aforementioned show at the St Denis, I left one of George’s pedals on the stage. Stage manager’s solution was for me to lead Jimmy Rogers and band on stage right and exit stage left in one smooth movement. This was achieved without further incident.

An aged blues lady, Jessie May Hemphill, was to be heard backstage “ How comes I don’t get no fried chicken? Buddy Guy gets fried chicken!”. She was later having tuning problems on stage, George Ross Watt to the rescue!

Overheard at one of the breakfasts organised for the more well known artists..”Did you hear about the Scotchman?”. We know not what had been heard..

George had been asked to attend a “guitar clinic” along with a chap called Robert Junior Lockwood. He was Robert Johnson’s godson though I’m sure there are many claimants to that title. He had very bad piles and his wife carried a cushion everywhere.

George and I were offered a lift in one of the festival limos, which was on a return run from dropping someone else off. George was most upset to find the on board bar empty, but we had a blast. Upon the reaching the Hard Rock, I exited the limo with no problem. George however managed to lock all the doors. The driver got out and could not manage to remedy this. I will never forget the look on his face, bet he had had all sorts in that car and never experienced this.

Favourite memory though is of a late night jam session at the Hard Rock. Basic band was Buddy Guy’s drummer and bassist. Then Johnnie Johnson joined in, the man who played piano on all those Chuck Berry classics. I set up his piano as well.

They were then joined by Mick Taylor, ex Rolling Stone. Then…George was asked to join in. This was something else, the boy from Glasgow up there with some of the greats doing one of his songs. To say I was moved was an understatement, mind you Mr Taylor was a bit strange. I attempted to speak to him, but there was nowt. Not even a “go away”. Ach well…

The event was later raided by the cops for after hours drinking, but there was a plan. They were going to say that it was a publicity shoot and that all the drink was fake. I never heard how that one panned out.