Review: - I'm very grateful to the lovely Cecilia Tonon from Venice for this
epic tale. Cecilia's Roxy website is here.
Here as I sit in this empty train travelling back home
at 6.00 a.m., I remember the great night we have spent' Our special
hero is Zen from Tokyo-Avalonia (aka 'Tokyo Zen'), who flew on Sunday
to Milan just to attend the show, before flying back to Japan. Zen was
in touch with Toshio, the official Chris Spedding site's webmaster,
who promised Zen he would provide three backstage passes for us. With
this hope, I was getting prepared to leave for Milan; I was though still
at work when, at about 12.00 a.m., those crazies Annalisa, Danilo and
Zen rang me from Milan: they were deeply excited 'cause they had just
crossed Phil's way on a major street in Milan, and had their pictures
taken with him. My envy was already at top levels' I came to Milan at
5 p.m. The gang was so nice to pick me up at the railway station and
to wait for me at my hotel those 20 minutes that were necessary for
me to artificially contrast what nature provided. Off we went. Please
note: in Danilo's car, there was no way to listen to Roxy Music... thousands
of cassettes of anything else but NO ROXY! shame shame
Gates were supposed to open at 6 p.m.. There we were at 7.30 (bloody
traffic!!) but the gates were still closed, and a exiguous number of
(maybe 30?) fans were waiting outside. In the meantime Andrea from Rome-Avalonia
had reached us, so there were the 6 of us: Annalisa, her friend Maurizio,
Zen, Andrea, Danilo and Cecilia. What wonderful people Avalon brings
together!! There wasn't any backstage passes for us at the cass. Toshio
had forgetten us. As gates opened, we could easily reach the very first
row. At 8 p.m. the arena seemed to hold less than 2000 people. What
a shame, Italy! We were very excited and all the people round us had
to understand who the real fans were. Annalisa and Andrea spent their
very last money on the merchandising, and I suddenly thought the best
way to spend some time was to draw with my lipstick a '-2: Happy birthday,
Bryan' on the back side of the tour poster Andrea had just bought. Zen
and Danilo, who's an artist, helped me out with pencils.
At about 8.30, lights were suddenly off and the Finnish support band
was stepping on stage. I recognized Emmi and greeted her loud, which
she seemed to appreciate. The support band was not bad at all; much
better than Joshua Kadison in Munich. They played some rock, very energic
stuff. What's best - it didn't last long. At something past 9, lights
were on again. Then we surprisingly noticed an English speaking pair
standing close to us. Danilo got talking to them and what a surprise
to find out they were Avalonians too! Mark Heptinstall and his wife
were there. This must be really the Avalonia's attraction power: without
even knowing us, we had come straight to the same place! Afterwards
I recalled having seen Mark's wife in Castle Howard last year. It's
a small world, she commented. Finally the show started. Not many changes
to Munich; one was Andy's outfit, which was blue in Munich, was violet
in Milan (nobody told him violet in an unlucky colour in Italy?!) with
an orange stripe on the arms and an orange tie. Somehow discussable,
but Andy can wear whatever he wants. The usual (always moving) start,
the usual set list. Only MOP was dropped, and replaced by Avalon and
Dance Away (I personally would have preferred Bittersweet and Sea Breezes!!).
I feared Virginia Plain would also be dropped and I kept shouting at
Phil they should do that song. He just laughed. Actually, Virginia Plain
came at the end of the show, Phil smiled and we went crazy. We shouted
and yelled and danced all the time.
The only song the audience respected with most silence was In Every
Dream Home a Heartache, that was perhaps the highlight of the whole
concert. We were standing in front of Phil and I could notice all details
of his white shoes, but unluckily I could hardly see my latest favourite,
Andy, because we were too far away from his side. Photographers and
cameramen were constantly standing on the way, so that Lucy too was
impossible to see. We had a ball with Phil. We were singing and waving
up all the time and he was laughing and smiling back at us, he seemed
to recognize Annalisa, Danilo and Zen from the morning. Yanick was there
too, she smiled at me often and seemed to have a great time as well.
One difference I spotted to the Munich gig is concerning Bryan's presence
on stage. There he was holding back, like he didn't want to put the
other ones in the shade; here he was more present, just seldom he was
leaving the centre to stand on a corner. It seemed like he wanted to
be the scene's master again. Bryan was in a great form, quite handsome
(!!) and seemed to have a ball. When photographers went besides and
we were better to be viewed from the stage, Annalisa, Maurizio and I
lifted up our poster with the 'Happy Birthday!' painting. Bryan saw
it and blinked at us (not too moved, probably). I personally had my
own mission: I wanted to make Andy smile. I waved up at him, threw him
kisses, he would look at me but always so serious and statuary. Till
the moment in which he (standing by Phil) couldn't resist any longer
and broke in a timid smile: Annalisa and I were making such a big show
to catch their attention and Phil was already laughing. We were contagious!
Security was very strict and unpleasant and would dance away anyone
who hadn't the backstage pass. No matter how we prayed. Standing outside
the arena in the dark, foggy night, we were very sad and angry. How
can happen that absolutely anonymous (at least at our eyes) people got
those f** blue signs, and we, the REAL fans, members of the one and
only international fan club, were driven away? ...Then I suddenly noticed
firemen coming out from the arena from a backdoor they left open. My
instinct suggested me that was the right way. At the end, what could
happen to us? to the utmost, they had driven us away again. So the 6
of us run into the arena again, through this backdoor, and here we were:
the first security block was bypassed, but we crashed into the second
one. No mercy, they weren't moved at all by our story of the missing
passes ("And WHO IS Chris Spedding?"). Annalisa and I tried all our
best weapons but no way. But at once Danilo, who's got a special Roxy-radar
(no joke: he's able to spot a Roxy member in any weather condition within
a radius of three miles), noticed Zev Katz slightly slipping behind
our shoulders, like a ghost. In a second we were upon him and started
again with that missing passes' story. This time it worked: he agreed
calling Chris Spedding for us. After a little while, Mister Chris Spedding
finally appeared. He was the opposite of how one imagines a typical
rockstar. He was wearing a raincoat and had a small black bag, he looked
very tired. He appreciated all Zen's presents from Japan, which were
some special spices, and, on our request, he walked us without any problems
into the backside corridors. We took ourselves the satisfaction to say
goodbye to the security, and went in.
On the way to the corridors, I tried to talk with Chris. He said he
was very tired from the tour. I asked him if he knew of the Avalon mailing
list but he didn't. Once in the corridors, he left us waiting in a sort
of refectory, telling us the other ones would appear sooner or later,
and he was gone. But time went by and nobody came. Then I thought I
just took a look around, and round a corner I finally found them!!!!
They were drinking champagne and relaxing with a few people (who didn't
seem fans but rather friends or relatives). The first one I saw was
Phil. He was wearing black clothes. As he saw me, he was the first to
say hello, and this in a very kind and friendly way. I introduced myself,
we spoke about his and my site. Andy came along too, bringing a bottle
of Champagne. He looked soooooooooooo sweet with those big glasses...
as we found out we had no pens for the autographs, they were both so
nice to go back in their dressing rooms and look for one. Phil found
a golden felp-tip pen and he signed all our stuff in gold, which made
him visibly very proud. Andy had temporarily disappeared.
While talking to Phil, I spotted Rhett Davies and called him. He was
extremely friendly and even told me he remembered me from last year's
Bryan's concert in Venice. This was probably a lie, but a nice one.
We spoke a little, he asked me which concert he liked best and so on.
He was very very nice. We moved along and found Bryan. He was partying
with the usual plenty of beauties and didn't welcome us in any special
warm way. Well - I don't want to mean he wasn't nice or friendly - he
signed autographs, made all pics we wished, but somehow seemed to be
wishing to be left in peace. He remembered having met Zen in Tokyo the
week before. I told him seriously: "It' s long time since we last met".
He stared at me with a question mark over his head. Perhaps he had forgotten
about our meeting in the dressing rooms in Venice, and about "Chance
meeting" as well. I even asked him to marry me, but got no answer. No
matter, I don't think Bry'd be a good husband. I couldn't find the words
to ask him that famous lemon-sucking thing. On the very last sight I
caught of him, Bryan was wearing his hat again. Bryan, we all prefer
you without the hat!
After Bry had shut himself in his room, Zev crossed the corridor. He
smiled at us, like he were thinking: "You succeeded, at last!" and signed
autographs too. We moved further, and found though Andy's cabin was
shut. Feeling lost, we ran back to Phil, asking for help and he was
so kind and helpful to leave all what he was doing and to go straight
to Andy's door; he knocked and called: "Your fans are looking for you".
My little one opened the door - he was sitting on a sofa with a beautiful
lady. They came towards us with open arms. I was so surprised, cause
one doesn't expect a rockstar to be so nice and friendly and simply
human! Well, Andy Mackay and his wife are fantastic persons. His wife
shot us many pics and he talked with me a lot, he was interested in
knowing in which part of Venice I live (they both seemed to know Venice
well and to love it) and what my husband does; he also wanted me to
write him my site's url, said he was going to visit it. I would never
have expected this. If I think back of when I was 15 and I used to listen
to Angel Eyes... As I asked him whether he noticed me in the crowd,
during the concert, he said he did, and told me exactly where I was
standing! At the end I wrote him my site's url and my telephone number
too and invited them to Venice. I'll repeat myself but Andy's wife is
very nice, elegant and charming. She said she's a fan too and she enjoyed
the show. ANDY MACKAY'S No. 1 !!
We
were about to leave the backstage, when The Great Paul appeared. Well
- if Andy was friendly, Paul was so nice and so modest that really seemed
to be one of us. I don't think there are other rock stars on earth like
them. Paul talked to us for quite a long while, we spoke about everything:
about his cat, Venice, the concerts: he confirmed us they were immediately
leaving for Vienna and were going to sleep on a bus, which he didn't
like at all. I complained about the too high tickets prices, and explained
to him what the "post-Roxy blues" is, a feeling that all Avalonians
know too well. He shown enthusiasm for finally meeting Danilo, whom
he already knew by name. They spoke a lot together, seemed to understand
each other fine. Danilo told him the reason why he missed him in Chicago
and shown him his Pauldrum.com T-shirt (which Phil had already recognized
as the new one). Paul asked me about my website url too. As I asked
him if he knew the Avalon mailing list, he answered he surely knew it,
but he wouldn't read all its mails. The last one we met on our way out
was Lucy Wilkins - so pretty and so kind that almost our men fell in
love with her. She made pics with us too and I told her how much we
do love her solo. She was grateful. |