Gordon Lightfoot Forums - View Single Post

davidgledhill · 10-30-2005, 02:54 AM

One of the more revealing moments of my time at Massey Hall involved my younger brother, John, 15, also an usher, during the Lightfoot concerts. He was a rock drummer, very much into heavy metal – his band used to practice in our basement – there was an ongoing competition between the two 6' guitarists to see who could be tallest in their platform shoes which got taller each week until it reached the ceiling of its absurd climax with both of them standing on cement blocks – they couldn't go any higher as their heads were touching the ceiling. I digress, anyways, one of the great things about being an usher was that you could always come in early, change into your uniform and go up stairs and sit around and watch the sound checks. The commissionaires who worked on the doors knew to let us in so there was no danger that we would be kicked out. < The only artist who insisted that we clear the hall while he set up was Paul Simon. I listened to Still Crazy After All These Years with a new appreciation after that. >

Okay, we are all sitting upstairs watching Lightfoot and his band rehearse, tape down the mikes and do their sound checks. I had told John that Lightfoot's manager, Bernie Fiedler, was a difficult character, I didn't use such a polite term as that. John comes in late, I think he had been up the road at Sam the Record Man's. He walks up to a guy going 'One, Two, One Two' into the mike, assuming it is Fiedler and says with the self assuredness of youth and as a non - folk fan, “ Well do you think 'Gordy baby' is all ready for tonight's concert?”

The fellow onstage looks at him with a fair degree of surprise in his eyes and replies, “Yeah, I think Gordy's ready for tonight's concert.”

“That's good, Gordy baby should be, “ my brother replies and strides up the aisle to join myself and the other ushers killing themselves with stifled laughter or dying of embarassment, as I was, for John had not been talking to Fiedler but to Lightfoot himself.

Massey Hall was a great place to work, John still had his job after that exchange. It ruined me, though, for paying to get into live concerts ever after.

10-30-2005, 02:54 AM	#8
davidgledhill Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: vancouver island Posts: 19	One of the more revealing moments of my time at Massey Hall involved my younger brother, John, 15, also an usher, during the Lightfoot concerts. He was a rock drummer, very much into heavy metal – his band used to practice in our basement – there was an ongoing competition between the two 6' guitarists to see who could be tallest in their platform shoes which got taller each week until it reached the ceiling of its absurd climax with both of them standing on cement blocks – they couldn't go any higher as their heads were touching the ceiling. I digress, anyways, one of the great things about being an usher was that you could always come in early, change into your uniform and go up stairs and sit around and watch the sound checks. The commissionaires who worked on the doors knew to let us in so there was no danger that we would be kicked out. < The only artist who insisted that we clear the hall while he set up was Paul Simon. I listened to Still Crazy After All These Years with a new appreciation after that. > Okay, we are all sitting upstairs watching Lightfoot and his band rehearse, tape down the mikes and do their sound checks. I had told John that Lightfoot's manager, Bernie Fiedler, was a difficult character, I didn't use such a polite term as that. John comes in late, I think he had been up the road at Sam the Record Man's. He walks up to a guy going 'One, Two, One Two' into the mike, assuming it is Fiedler and says with the self assuredness of youth and as a non - folk fan, “ Well do you think 'Gordy baby' is all ready for tonight's concert?” The fellow onstage looks at him with a fair degree of surprise in his eyes and replies, “Yeah, I think Gordy's ready for tonight's concert.” “That's good, Gordy baby should be, “ my brother replies and strides up the aisle to join myself and the other ushers killing themselves with stifled laughter or dying of embarassment, as I was, for John had not been talking to Fiedler but to Lightfoot himself. Massey Hall was a great place to work, John still had his job after that exchange. It ruined me, though, for paying to get into live concerts ever after.