Anecdote # 737

Jimmy Page Recoils In Horror.

two night before playing ProjeKct Two's last show
to an enthused canadian audience in montreal
I received a very different reaction from an audience of two.

on july 6, 1998 P2 was scheduled to play a show in toronto.
an hour before the show I came down to the lobby.
I always drove the van robert, trey, and I toured in
so I came down to the lobby a few minutes early to allow
the valet parking to bring the van around.
it was a huge open atrium type lobby with couches and plants.
standing there waiting for the vehicle I noticed
some people across the lobby by the concierge stand.
there was a large man weighed down with packages
and what looked to be a painting perhaps.
standing next to him was a tall man in a white suit.
it was Jimmy Page!
I kept looking at him and he at me,
just like with jeff beck 15 years before (see anecdote # 282).

in the late sixties there were 4 Guitar Gods. I've already spoken of two of them Hendrix and Beck, both subjects I could probably write books about. of course Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page hold the same rank. amazing to think, 3 of the 4 came from the same band, The Yardbirds. even before the yardbirds I had heard eric play on record with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, a phenomenal english blues band. then came Cream, a huge influence. eric's sound was unbelievable for the time. juicy and full with a smidge of tube distortion that would cause notes to zing. all around london the walls had the graffiti "Clapton Is God" and not without good reason. he had the touch.
Jimmy Page of course struck gold by putting white man's blues together with heavy rock creating a model for heavy metal that has never been rivaled: Led Zeppelin. his guitar playing was sensational and unique. odd tunings. singable solos. killer riffs. I was thrilled and informed by all 4 guitar gods, needless to say, and learned as much as I could from them.

in my young teen life (before the days of led zeppelin) there were two songs which rocked my world. both were by The Kinks and both featured similar raucous guitar solos. those songs remain burned in my mind as the epitome of english rock. you really got me was my favorite of the two but the solo sound in all day and all of the night just floored me. I love those two songs. there was always a rumor the guitar solos were played by a "session" player named Jimmy Page, not by the very capable Kinks guitarist Dave Davies.

so Jimmy was looking at me as though he recognized me. maybe he saw me on a guitar magazine cover or something. I don't like to bother "stars" but I had to ask about the Kinks songs. just one question.

english rock stars often have a babysitter/body guard called a "minder". the large man weighed down with packages was Jimmy's minder. I walked towards Jimmy. I was wearing a suit. I'm not an intimidating looking fellow. Jimmy's minder stepped in front of me and snarled, "no you don't, mate, back off!"
"I just want to ask Jimmy a question," I said.
"I told you fuck off!!"
Jimmy Page was recoiling in horror at the supposed threat I posed.
I felt lower than gravel.

I wanted to shout,
"I've got one word for you:
Jeff Beck."
instead I left.
now I know what it feels like to be on
the other side of the Sharpie.

photo note: for my purposes here I have used the 7-inch Jimmy Page Action Figure (with the cigarette dangling from the lips)
Made by Neca.