Tiger Would?

As the cult of celebrity thickens, it’s fast becoming an epidemic. I’m sitting in Orlando just down the road from the once squeeky clean Tiger Woods who’s now looking like he was a tiger after all. He only ever popped out for a round of golf but now he’s got to be feeling a little caged in with the world’s media camped outside his Isleworth estate.

And now we discover he’s had more than one illicit affair. Each day we have another ‘Woodette’ stepping in to the media circus. Apparently the girl who originally had denied any wrong doing might admit to doing right by admitting to doing wrong. Could it have something to do with the other scarlet woman having just landed $150,000 from US weekly.? Maybe I could convince someone I was his love child and land a pay check? Er, maybe not…

While his Escalade  needs an extreme makeover somewhere to the tune of $8,000 he seemed to think his image would remain untarnished. His check book can more than cover the cost of the vehicular damage yet I can’t help wondering why his millions weren’t better spent protecting his image. We have actual persons deployed nowadays as image consultants and why he didn’t find the best we’ll never know. Did he really expect that by keeping quite this would go away. Yes you Mr Woods billionaire and most rewarded sports star on earth. This was NEVER going to go away and now when a simple ‘I fucked up’ statement to all and sundry might have sufficed it’s a big time headache. All the vultures are out and it looks like they are baying for blood. His sponsors were quoted as saying they didn’t have a problem with this but now as each day goes by they must be wondering that this is bad publicity. I’m looking at it and wondering how much could one man possibly lose in one week. Never mind the sponsors what about the missus?  He’s already apparently ‘renegotiating’ the pre nup. Is that a prenupshutmeup  to stop her selling her side of things to the press? And  what could that be worth! Then there’s the publishing advance from hell. Here fill in whatever you want, just give us the meat and bones

I firmly believe in this day and age of people making fortunes out of celebrity fuck ups he should have found one image consultant supremo and slapped an open check on their desk and say, ‘Get me out of this, whatever it costs, just get me out of this.’ Money well spent and money very well saved.

Let’s be honest a man knowing what he’d done and with unlimited funds to employ the best would have someone come round, cut a check and say, ‘Make this go away.’ For a guy who seemed to have it all and the type of brand sponsors fall over you would expect he would have made a better job of all this. Where are his advisers, he must have them? If not …Tiger I’m here, I’d have done it for you!

Even though his sponsors are saying they are sticking by him, how long can all this bad publicity realistically be tolerated? I feel particularly sorry for one of his sponsors, Nike who’s slogan is ‘Just do it.’ A TV ad with Tiger Woods on…….and a tag line that fires across the screen saying ‘Just do it?’ I think there might be some people sat behind closed doors rethinking their marketing plan or at least who their marketing plan should involve. Here is a brand that can, after all attract the creme de la creme from the sporting world and there are a good few few celebrity sports people that are far less maintenance. And you have thought a golfer would have been so much ’safer’ than a football or baseball player. Maybe not..

There is plenty more to come from this story. Tiger, Tiger’s burning bright but for now I’ve gone.

Sally worked at Granada for a good few years and was there 30 years ago when I managed to get a bunch of Irish kiddies a nice little break. I have to admire them for booking U2 way ahead of anyone else around the time ‘I will follow’ came out. Back then U2 were only getting interviews on specialist radio shows so it was very bold on Granada’s part to stick their necks out and book them, especially on a kid’s show. Not only did they get on TV but the show was broadcast nationally.

Looking back at that footage nowadays is incredible and yet so few web sites even list it. We know it exists, we were there. U2 looked so young but then again so did I !!! They were always so grateful for every opportunity, very humble and lapped up the chance to meet the media.They were the perfect band to get on radio or television…you got them on and they did the rest. They made a plugger’s job easy. I’ll get blasted here from Sal if I’m wrong but the show was ‘Get it together’ presented by one of the world’s most famous owls, ‘Ollie Beak.’ The show’s producer was Muriel Young, a lovely lady who sadly passed away a few years ago but someone who I can still picture vividly. She came out of an era in television, the 60’s where some of the most amazing bands passed through their doors. I missed that one professionally (yes, too young!) but still had my radio and TV there to give me the most amazing education.

Television back in the 70’s , especially music television which was where I was hovering was littered with the best bunch of people you could ever hope to meet. I made some great friends there. If you loved music and worked in television you were allowed to work on music programmes. Whoever thought up that recipe deserves a medal, music people for music televsion. Then again the same could be said of record pluggers, we loved music so all day you were exchanging stories, talking about great new records that had come out, booking bands on to shows, doing the work and having great fun at the same time. TV researchers trusted you and no matter how much I wanted to get my bands on to TV I prided myself on never trying to force stuff on them that clearly wasn’t right for the show. There were other places to book other bands so why even try to get an act on a show that wouldn’t be right for their audience anyway, what’s the point?

I think I remember the pool area (not the swimming type but the grubby green, beer sodden baize and splintered cue variety) as being more interesting than what was happening on the stage. It was the furthest point from the stage and where everyone I knew had congregated. Enough said! Ian Curtis was fairly ‘well oiled’ on cheap alcohol and seemed to be ranting about anything and everything. I think he was particularly miffed that Kevin Cummins’ made up combo ‘ The Negatives’ had been generating a lot of interest in the place, as well as in the press and they hadn’t even existed. Kevin, knowing how gullible the music press were invented all these stories about where they were playing, how they were creating a buzz and the music press lapped it up. Because of Manchester’s significance in the birth of punk from the famous Sex Pistols Lesser Free Trade Hall gig, to The Electric Circus, So it Goes, The Buzzcocks and beyond, anything muted from this nation’s hallowed turf would be worth writing about. Kevin along with his writing colleague Paul Morley thought it was hilarious, who wouldn’t have? A clear case of the music press being so far up it’s own ass.

Ian’s slagging off of Tony Wilson was more the drink talking, although to anyone passing it might have appeared that it could ‘go off’ at any time. Wilson handled it very well though .. when people behave like this we all know the slightest comment can set them off. Tony smiled like only he could, a smirk, a grin, cordial, professional all the time, all combined as an excellent way of defusing the abuse (sounds like a Pixies anthem ) Ian stomped around a little more and then became more frustrated that everyone was going on before them, something he could hardly hold Tony accountable for. A set close to 3am could hardly be considered a headliner, more ‘Er turn the lights off on your way out will you.’

Neither Stiff nor Chiswick signed anyone that night and I couldn’t even remember the name of anyone who played, with the obvious exception of Joy Division that is. The performance was less than memorable and whenever anyone recalls the evening all you hear mentioned is Ian’s ranting. The band were no strangers to the place either, the year before they had played there a couple of times under their previous name Warsaw, and just a few weeks earlier as Joy Division. Ian probably thought this was going to be ‘the one.’

A while ago I reminded Dave Robinson, the co founder of Stiff Records about Joy Division playing that night and he couldn’t even remember!

Rob had many qualities not least of all his humility. Most of you reading this won’t know who he was and that’s a shame. He was a hugely talented PR blessed with remarkable communication skills and someone adept at identifying and nurturing talent. I can imagine the impact his death will have had on so many artists from U2 to Tom Waits from just reading the tributes Johnny Marr and Marianne Faithful have already offered. Marianne said he was one of the greatest men she had ever met, Billboard referred to him as a PR giant. Words could never serve to do him justice, he was a very special human being.

Rob was the first person to spot the talent that was U2 and gave his employer Island Records the heads up, yet he was never one to gloat over it. I often wonder if U2 would have gone on to become what they are today without Island and especially without Rob Partridge. He had a unique ability when it came to dealing with artists, he took time to understand them and they in turn loved working with him.

The last time I saw him was maybe 10 years ago yet but when I read the tributes and e-mails and see his picture it’s like I’m there in his front room and he’s defending his dedication to Queens Park Rangers like only Rob could. And always there at his side his wonderful and loving wife Tina. A remarkable half of a remarkable whole.

I’m not the only one who will miss him and look forward to the day someone walks on to a stage to receive the Rob Partridge Lifetime Achievement Award.

The same principle didn’t really apply to television because the first time they usually met the act was when they were on camera. Although I made some great friends in television over the years Granada was always my favorite TV station. In the 70’s and 80’s they had an amazing bunch of people working there, all very talented but equally great to deal as well. When I first started plugging, Tony Wilson was one of those guys. It was very important for me to try and get my acts on ‘What’s on’ which was part of Granada Reports, the local news show which he presented. I had a fair amount of success, he’d done U2, The B2’s, Eddie and the Hot Rods, Grace Jones etc for me but this time round I’d sold him on the idea of Japan’s equivalent to The B52’s, a zany outfit called The Plastics.

I’d given Tony their album and we’d agreed they looked the part, a lovely lead singer called Chica and her partner, main man and guitarist Hajime Tachibana He agreed to have them in for a short interview followed by a clip of their video, it would look great and do wonders to promote the upcoming show.The press they were getting was good but there was nothing like TV for whetting people’s appetite. I thanked Tony and went ahead arranging to fly them up to Manchester for the appearance.

The day arrived, they had flown up the night before and the plan was to collect them at the hotel late afternoon. Perfect, it gave me time to drive over the Pennines to Yorkshire, get a few things done and still be back by 5pm. I did what I had to do and headed back to Manchester. I remember it well, it was a lousy day, the mist had descended and there were a couple of nasty pile ups on the stretch of the motorway that took me over the moors. It looks bleak up there at the best of times, that day it looked like a scene from Hound of the Baskervilles. I was sure Sherlock Holmes and the good doctor would emerge from the fog, maybe they’d offer me a lift. Even if they had, the weather was that bad I probably would have mistaken them for Gollum or a couple of Trolls and run a mile. By now the dark was descending to make everything totally ethereal. I hit the play button on the cassette, I had recorded one of my favorite radio shows the previous night, I couldn’t believe it, Jim Morrison was singing ‘The End’

‘This is end, beautiful friend, the end.’ I believed him, eerily I left the cassette playing and Jim kept reminding me.

The Manchester Poly show was a good one for U2. Wylie had pulled a few fans down from Liverpool and there was a presentable local turnout so they got to play in front of a good few people which is more than can be said for the next time they played Manchester, upstairs in a pub in Shudehill, I think maybe it was the Beach Club. There were 9 people there, three of whom were with me! The band soundchecked around 9pm and people were starting to leave thinking that was it. We had to drag them back and tell them they weren’t on til 11pm. Maybe there were only 7 left when they finally played but U2 being as they are played like it was a full house. They always did that right from the very start. Everyone who came, no matter how small a crowd were treated to a full show, no exceptions. I think out of everyone I ever saw and most certainly everyone I ever worked with they had a very special bond with their audience. They never lost that, everyone who saw them then still goes to see them now, plus maybe a few others!

After the show had finished we stuck our heads behind to say hello. The band were very excited because Mark Radcliffe the local DJ was there and they were keen to hear what he thought. We both remember them as being very personable, polite and just thrilled to meet everyone and anyone they could, Bono especially. He always wanted to get out front as soon as posssible and meet the fans. It wasn’t long before he knew some of them by name.

I also remember after every show he would always say ‘How was it, what did you think?’ They’d always sit around after gig and have a band meeting so they sort of knew the answer but always asked those who mattered most, the fans. Tonight they were asking us and we said we enjoyed it, because we had. In his perpetual quest to grab the audience’s attention Bono had grabbed on to some pipes directly above him on stage and had been swinging from them. They were central heating pipes and his hands were red raw. Wrapped up in the moment he probably hadn’t noticed at the time but we certainly had.

Having had a good night and met the boys we said our farewells and left. It was pissing down with rain outside so we made a dash for the car, or at least where we thought we’d left the car. Gone, the damn thing had been stolen and we stood there cursing in the rain. We headed back and in to the gig to call the police and report it, more for the insurance than any likelyhood of ever getting it back. The band were still out front talking to the audience and Bono and The Edge, followed closely by Adam and Larry a couple of moments later came over to ask why we were back.

My lasting memories of the show were of Mark cursing the theft of his car, ‘Fookin bastards, I’ll kill ‘em if I ever get hold of ‘em,’ blah blah and these young Irish kids showing so much concern and listening intently. Bless!

U2 came on around 8-30pm and as Wah Heat had been creating a bit of a buzz there was a decent turn out. We’d already arrived by then and were downing a couple of pints at the bar. We turned round to see and there before us were a bunch of awkard looking kids doing what bands do, re tuning, a bit of a bass drum thumping away and the singer adjusting his mike stand. ‘We’re U2 and we’re from Dublin.’ Little did I know that this was the beginning of an amazing journey for all of us.

We moved down nearer to the front so we could get a good look, if we made the effort to come and see them then I don’t see the point in propping up the bar. There’s seeing a band and there’s being at the bar, hardly the same thing. They sounded like they should have done, raw but with a lot of energy and most of it coming from their singer. The guy, who even then went by the name of Bono had such a determined, almost demonic look about him you could see his sole ambition was to make sure everyone know who they were by the time they left the stage. And bad boots and haircut were helping, but not maybe in the way he had planned.

Boots aside, he did this by repeating who they were another couple more times, lauding up Wylie and his mob, telling us they had a record contract and also that their producer was Martin Hannett. This prompted a curious glance at each other from me and Mark and a certain’ tell us more?’ Hannett had produced Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures and Radcliffe had recently recorded a session with them for his show on Piccadilly Radio  but neither of us knew he’d made a record with this lot. Mark was a big Joy Division fan, he’d even called his show ‘Transmission’ after their epic. After announcing their association with Hannett they went on to play the track he’d done with them, what was to be their forthcoming single ‘11 o’clock tick tock’

Wow this was a bit special, an extraordinary sound and particularly from this slightly gauntish, again fairly awkward guitar player, The Edge. He played an unusual Gibson Explorer guitar and moved it around his torso like he was feeling every note. His sound even back then was quite unique and we both loved what he was doing. By now we were both starting to look a lot more at what was going on up there onstage. Fairly charismatic singer, original and very impressive guitar sound, and then the rhythm section. Larry was the James Dean of the band, a real beauty that had all the girls in the audience nudging each other and a very competent drummer who was just learning with every show. And then came Adam. I don’t think I’m alone in saying that Adam was the least talented back then and to see how he has blossomed in to his look and the feel he has for his bass now is quite amazing. I don’t think anyone saw that one coming!

It reminded me of my bass playing youth, the ability, not the haircut which I will have to come back to. I was hell bent on being a rock star, not just me but all my friends and especially my bandmates. Myself our drummer Kenny, and legendary singer Sudi always came up with the band names and mighty fine they were too!  I vividly remember ‘ Dwarf Cornell’ which I’m sure was mine! Oh I have to stop and keep this blog deserving of it’s own place, too fond a memory to absorb within Adam Clayton’s haircut methinks.

Everyone I knew then who worked in radio were fans of both music and radio. They loved the idea of having a good local radio station and wherever possible they reflected that in the music they played. They took far more chances in their programing policy then than ever they could now. They were never going to be too daring but they would certainly play records by new artists if they fitted in to the station’s sound.Obviously if they liked Slipnot or some German industrial band they weren’t going to let personal tastes influence them, and lose their jobs at the same time.

Radio station music policy now gives very little room for new artists to receive anything like the amount of exposure they need to get a hit through radio, those days are gone. I remember just before I hung up my plugging boots it would be any excuse not to play a record rather than looking for a reason to. Very sad. I heard the same excuses my colleagues in press were getting. Press would say, ‘we need radio’ before we can write about it and radio would say ‘we need press before we can play it!!!’ Where the hell is the logic in that, surely someone can be a little adventurous, I wasn’t asking the radio stations to play anything that I didn’t see fitted in with the station sound. How can anyone new stand a chance of having a hit with an attitude like that. When you think of some of the records I promoted were ’safe’ in the eyes of programmers, one example being Natalie Imbruglia and ‘Torn’ It became the biggest airplay single of the time and yet it was the first single by a new artist meaning today hardly any chance of getting that amount of support.

No risk from radio means no opportunity for new artists. Some people make great radio records, it shouldn’t matter that they are unknown.