Now I Wanna Be Your Dog

Happy Chinese New Year!

It's the year of the Dog. So, for those of us born in 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, and 2006, it's our year. (Betcha didn't know that I was born in 1922.)

People born in the Year of the Dog possess the best traits of human nature. They have a deep sense of loyalty and are honest. Cautious and serious regarding love, the Dog needs a trustworthy partner who has strong family sympathies, and appreciates their tenderhearted virtues. But Dog People are somewhat selfish, terribly stubborn, and eccentric. They care little for wealth, yet somehow always seem to have money. They can be cold emotionally and sometimes distant at parties. They can find fault with many things and are noted for their sharp tongues. Dog people make good leaders. They are compatible with those born in the Years of the Horse, Tiger, and Rabbit.

Jimmy! Jimmy! Jimmy!

Jimmy Page is 62 today.

Almost every rock guitarist from the late '60s to the present day has been influenced by Page. He was a session musician on numerous great 60's songs like Donovan's Hurdy Gurdy Man and The Who's I Can't Explain.

In 1966 he joined the Yardbirds and he and Jeff Beck created a dueling guitar sound.

When the Yardbirds split in 1968 they still had shows to play in Europe, so Jimmy put together a band called The New Yardbirds. In that lineup was fellow session musician John Paul Jones and newcomers Robert Plant and John Bonham. After the tour the band's name was changed to Led Zeppelin...and the rest is history.

Bingo Hand Job (a.k.a. REM), London 1991

First of all...and this is kinda weird...I was doing some research on the web about this show when I found this: http://ticketstubs.metafilter.com/story.stub/72 I haven't been in touch with Sid since 1991! Sometimes, I love the internet - especially when you run into old friends.

I gave Michael Stipe a fork...but I'll get to that later.
I studied in London '90-'91. I heard about the show while I was in the photo lab at school. A couple of people had been at the Borderline the previous night and heard that REM was playing a secret gig. The plan was that I would go and try to get tickets and my friends would meet me there later.

I cut class, hopped the Tube, and headed to the Borderline. I got there at about 1:00 and met Sid and Scott, a couple of American guys who were also studying abroad. We sat outside all day...and at about 3:30 this limo pulled up. Out steps REM! I was speechless -- they were like, 5 feet away from me.

We didn't have tickets, and we didn't want to lose our spots in the queue, but we were getting hungry. There was a BBQ place a few doors down. Someone went and ordered food, and I remember that a waiter brought our order out to us. The coleslaw was good. They gave us actual utensils, and I kept two forks. Sid and Scott and I rubbed them for good luck, hoping that we'd get into the show. I took the hand-written sign that was posted as a souvenir in case we didn't get in (see image).

And as luck would have it, we were able to scalp tickets for 40 pounds each (that was about $80 American dollars), but we got in, and we were right up front. Sid's posting has some good memories, and I recall that they messed up on Radio Song. Definitely one of the best shows I've ever seen.

Afterward we met Michael Stipe and I gave him one of the forks (I kept its partner for a long time, but I've since lost it). I think I said something like, "this fork brought us good luck, so I hope it brings you good luck, too." He probably thought that we were a bit crazy.

I still have my Bingo Hand Job concert shirt -- it's yellowed with age, but I'll never part with it.