Goal Achieved!

I’m so proud of my colleagues at Free-FM for the way we handled our night at the 10th annual Rock the Park. We came, we saw, we rocked and I did get to do the one thing I wanted most – meet Tommy Shaw. But it was only because of sheer luck. The band did not submit to a meet-and-greet with us or our contest winners. If not for Toto keeping us waiting for 40 minutes, Mr. Shaw and I never would have had a moment. 

To say the band managers backstage at this massive event are anal retentive is like saying the Grand Canyon is a hole in the ground. I’ve experienced this at Rock the Park a few years ago; if you do get a photo with the band you are told ahead of time there are no autographs, no questions, no handshakes and no dilly-dallying.  You walk in, slap an arm around a band member, smile for the camera and get out.  That’s how it was with the Doobie Brothers and CCR a few years ago and that’s how it was with Toto when we finally got to meet them.

Unfortunately there wasn’t going to be an opportunity to meet Styx.  That’s just how it is. These guys have been on the road for decades and they either spend time in their trailers or tents, they go into the city to grab some food, they warm up or save their voices for the show and they are so over the whole media circus.

So there we were, waiting behind the stage for our 5 seconds with Toto when Gowan, who is with Styx, came along and recognized Derek. As they were chatting who ambled up but Tommy Shaw! My heart nearly leaped out of my chest and as he moved past us, talking to a person here and there, I was afraid he’d get away. But our Promotions Manager Jess caught his eye, pointed to me and mouthed, “can we get a picture?”  So Tommy walked over to me and I told him how happy I was to meet him. I said I’d always been a fan of Styx but of him in particular since “your solo album Girls With Guns.”  His eyes got wide and he said, “Girls With Guns? Wow!”  I offered to sing him any song from the album and we laughed because that would be awful and ridiculous! He was so warm and nice despite obviously being in a hurry and I felt like he knew I was legit.

He also said, “you must have been a little kid back then!”  Thank you sunscreen.

No one else in our whole group got to meet him.  It was just meant to be!  They got on stage and broke into Blue Collar Man with his voice sounding as pure and perfect as it did 35 years ago. What a night!

Earlier during our live broadcast, Saga lead singer Michael Sadler came by and answered some questions. Here’s another guy whose voice is as strong as ever and comes packing a great attitude.  Note our beautiful set-up with furniture from EQ3 and a huge screen overhead projecting photos from the event.

Saga gave my second-favourite performance of the night.

When The Big Show got up on stage before Styx, the whole thing came together with Lindey and Dave McIntyre and our presentation to them of a custom-made guitar signed by all the members of Styx. We met a young lad who has this terrible disease they’re trying to eradicate.  He’s 13 years old, almost completely paralyzed and about the size of a toddler. When he and his Dad left the gazebo, about 25 people, women, men, broadcasters, fans and clients, all had wet eyes. It really brings it home.

But to show you one of the small reasons this event is such a huge success and has become part of the fabric of London in its 10 short years, here’s my favourite sign.  It typifies the attitude of the people running the massive three-night undertaking and the 260 volunteers who make it happen. We like to rock!