I was introduced to the glory and majesty of Twisted F****** Sister not by a secret hand shake or even by Big G but by a girl ............I know I was shocked myself, I won't name her as she was a shy retiring type! I knew the name having read the Garry Bushell interview and I was aware that they were actually recording with the notorious Pete Way, I know this because it was all over Sounds and Kerrang my preferred music reading.
The girl in question claimed that she was into rock music but I believe she just liked the types that frequented those types of bands you know the types long hair bad boys..............damn I used to be one of those, mind you I'm not sure of the bad boy bit, more like damaged goods!
Anyway as always I tried to help out and do my bit to educate this young lady, she soon kept my Diamond Head "Borrowed Time" LP (oh those were the days walking around with JG Windows album bags trying to look mysterious) the relationship was always up in the air primarily because I was a dumb ass and usually pissed as a fart as I hadn't been long out of the army and my last instruction was to forget all about it, I wasn't very successful but I did try my very hardest, now what has this got to do with Twisted Sister, well a certain LP got damaged (GRRRR) and as an apology the Twisted Sister EP was the peace offering, and I have to admit to enjoying it!
Now me and my friends from Durham used to go to the recording of the Tube (a now defunct music programme) that was recorded live on a Friday night in Newcastle, we got in most times but on the night of the hard rock special not all of us did, it was a very distracted kind of day I got to the town early and I will be totally honest I was absolutely hammered at 11.00 in the morning, the days was going to be a long one we were going to try and see Twisted Sister but eventually most of my friends knew that I was in a bit of a state my girlfriend finished with me and got back on the bus because and I quote her directly "pig" that was the end of that well sort of, on and off she tried very unsuccessfully to make me incredibly jealous, it simply wasn't going to happen not when I so far into a bottle!
The day progressed badly, and it wasn't just me we all got hammered its just I was hammered early in the day, a couple of us made it into the studio but if I'm honest I have no recollection of the day other than saying to Lemmy "I'm glad you have a decent guitarist now" boy was I proven wrong on that one! anyway Twisted Sister were quite good, I have seen the footage many times but I have no recollection, I only remember the Lemmy story because so many people used to remind me about it ( I have all of your names and I know where you all live) so when tickets were announced for the Mayfair I was a good boy and stayed off the drink for a night and got one, dressed in my finest Ted Nugent T shirt (OK it was my brothers but I wont tell if you wont) and skin tight (yes I was really skinny at the time) red canvas pants, I still maintain I met my wife for the first time that night but the years and an alcohol impaired memory we both cannot confirm this!
A Lack lustre support band (Infidel if my memory serves me correctly) but the headline act were awesome I had seen the future and it was Rock and Roll! however I still hadn't managed to start earning money, I was working where ever I could and the usually pissing it into the wind, but by the time the Stay Hungry tour was announced I gladly bought a ticket for my hometown gig and blagged a ticket for the London show! a bus trip had been organised to leave from the Braes and I pulled into Gimpsville about three hours before we all had to meet up, what I should have done is stayed in Newcastle and got a hotel room, but no I was intending to see my beloved family, wrong I was back five minutes when I was dragged at gun point (OK it might have been a bottle of pernod) to the local park and then we end up at our pick up point several pints of Snake bite later and all kind of shenanigans were happening including me climbing into the ceiling of the pub as a dare and then getting stuck when the coach turned up!
The coach driver warned me as I got on about any funny business, "my dear sir I am in no way shape or form going to be able to do any funny business for at least an hour" he nearly threw me off there and then thankfully, Martin was able to talk him into letting me on and I soon fell asleep towards the rear of the vehicle I awoke as we pulled up to the traffic lights at Malbourgh Crescent bus station as a few people jumped off so they could for a few beers before the band started, I all of a sudden had an urge to go to the toilet so I opened the emergency door and hopped out as the bus pulled away, I waved at my friends as they watched in horror as I lurched down stairs (there was a set of old fashioned toilets there) I did my business and came up the opposite set of stairs and then my mind was blank, I was pissed in Newcastle and had no idea where the hell I was going, well I did but I couldn't remember how to get there, Thankfully two girls who actually knew me from previously mentioned girlfriend found me and escorted me to the venue, many months later when I was more sober they claimed that they had never seen anyone so drunk in their lives (hahahahaha they just didn't know the rest of my friends) I thought I was being an extremely courteous gentleman, it would appear I was being an extremely polite dick, ah well at least I was polite!
I arrived at the venue and then promptly fell down the stairs of the same bloody venue and if anybody was to know the venue trust me they were steep I landed at the feet of the feet of all my friends who were over the moon to see me, and then the night got serious, Lita Ford was the support act and I thought she was bloody great now at this point I stopped drinking as I wanted to see the bands I got a great vantage point up in the balcony and I was drinking water by the bucket full, the heat in the place was unbelievable and even then I knew that the place was way over crowded, again another astounding gig from the headliners, full of energy and still in my top ten of gigs, at the end we collected everybody and I was the responsible adult and helped everybody including a few waifs and strays, the bus driver eyed me suspiciously but like I said I was the responsible adult I even chatted with him up front and took the collection, a great night was had by all including me.
I awoke with the smell of a cooked breakfast and I devoured it, I had a quick bath thanked my mum and then headed back to the big smoke awaiting for Twisted Sister to hit the capitol, it was all arranged we were going to have a glorious day, we met up for breakfast and then headed to the pub the day then slide all out of control, I never did get to see the gig it would appear that at some point I took offence at something that was said in my direction and in a massive strop I fucked off, in my defence (or not as the case may be) I was totally off my face by two o'clock in the afternoon so no wonder I was stroppy, I have little recollection at all of the day, except I remember I awoke on a night bus travelling around London at some silly time in the morning going god knows where and that it cost me £15 to get back to Croydon in the early hours, and yes I had the biggest hangover of my life, when I crawled out of my pit I gave myself the biggest talking to that I could and although I didn't quite curtail my drinking (I had about another two years worth to go) I did limit myself to beer, nothing mixed and never more than six pints, and I got back into running and exercise (oh I remember those days) I never got to see Twisted ever again probably just as well it would just taint the memory of two perfect gigs damn it those were the days.
So there you go blog number three in six days and number four will be published tomorrow night, it might not be the frivolous type that I have done lately but I do intend it to be the last serious one for a while I intend the following ones to be typed in the style of early Van Halen.................party time oh yeah! so be careful what you wish for, and keep liking and sharing the disease must be further pollinated watch the skies until then.........................Toodles!
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