My Rock and Roll Love Letter To You!

This is my Rock and Roll Love Letter,

to You!

Live Music Head sees The Bay City Rollers

Casino Rama, Orillia

May 4, 2013

“Yesterday when I was young, 

I played the game and never won.
Thought rock and roll would bless my soul forever.
Songs of love and ecstasy 

remind me how it used to be.
I thought those days would never end, 

but now it seems I need a friend.
I remember all those days gone by,

I remember all their faces, the old familiar places.
Don't let the music die, 

know our song could last forever.
Don't let the music die, don't let the music die!
And though we've said goodbye, 

we could spend our lives together.

So as time goes by, don't let the music die.
Yesterday the world was mine, 

I played the clown and Pantomime,
or was it just a dream that's gone forever?
Echoed voices from the past, 

recall the songs I thought would last,
and say those times will never die.
And the love we share's the reason why.
I remember all those days gone by,

I remember all the faces, the old familiar places.
Don't let the music die, 

know our song could last forever.
Don't let the music die, don't let the music die!
And though we've said goodbye, 

we could spend our lives together.
So as time goes by, don't let the music die.
When we were young we had our time,

and we would drink sweet talking wine.

But now that it’s over, 

all the songs sound out of rhyme.
Don't let the music die, 

know our song could last forever.
Don't let the music die, don't let the music die!
And though we've said goodbye, 

we could spend our lives together.
So as time goes by, don't let the music die.”

 ~ Eric Faulkner and Stuart Wood
(Don't Let The Music Die from the album It's a Game)

I still can’t get over seeing The Bay City Rollers again 

after all these years.

Ever since our little road trip to Orillia 

last Saturday night.

S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y Night!

S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y Night!!

I’ve been listening to all the old songs again and again,

not wanting to get off

this truly wonderful, youthful rock and roll wave 

I’ve been riding.

I think I shed a few dozen years doing so.

Trying to describe how it feels to re-visit these days,

“the days before sex”,

only one word comes to mind really: joy.

Joy!!

And giddy.

I’ve been downright giddy!!

It’s been something like thirty-seven years since

the Bay City Rollers made me feel this way.

Well, them

and the story Anne-Marie told in the car

about falling into her laundry basket 

getting ready for the show,

and breaking her left tit.

I laughed so hard I peed my pants.

But it’s the songs!

The songs!

“I could love you, but why begin it?
'Cos there ain't any future in it!
She's got me, but I'm not free, so...

Bye Bye Baby, baby goodbye,

goodbye baby, baby bye bye!”
And Shang-a-Lang!

And Rock and Roll Loveletter!

“Dear mama, papa, hey your boy’s doin fine.
And the energy you gave him keeps on tryin to unwind.
'Cause I see an ancient rhythm in a man's genetic code,
gotta keep on rock and rollin’ till my genes explode!”

Jeans explode!

Sigh.

I Only Wanna Be With You!

Such great, great songs!
And they played 'em all!

We weren’t the only ones 
experiencing the utter joy of it either.

Casino Rama was sold out.

Sold out!
I’m tellin’ ya people,

you just can’t beat the music from the 70s.

Not even squeeky clean 

1970s teenybopper pop such as this.

I was surrounded by nothing but enthusiasm,

thanks to Les McKeown, lead singer,

who completely charmed everyone.

His banter between songs,

with that lovely Scottish accent,

was so funny, so genuine, so heartfelt,

I fell madly, madly in love with him all over again.

No Bay City Roller fan would ever remember

hearing banter between songs back in the day,

for we were too busy screaming.

But as I listened to Les sing with a voice as sweet as ever,

I fantasized about taking him home with me,

wrapping him up in a blanket

and spoon feeding him soup.

Just like I used to do.

I know, I know...

Eric Faulkner was always my favourite,

and the guitarist still is,

but he wasn’t there.

And I was so emotionally struck when Les sang

Don’t Let The Music Die,

a song Eric co-wrote with Woody;

a song that captures all the love of rock and roll

and the heroes that caused it and played it back then,

since then,

and still cause it, and play it now.

I sigh.

For oh, how I love it!

At the end of the show

as we were filing out of the concert theatre,

security told us the band was doing a meet and greet.

“Aaaah!”, we all went!

And by the time we got to it,

I was stunned.

For the length of the line-up was not to be believed.

Wrapped around the casino lobby it was!

Once in the line, it inched oh-so slowly,

for at least an hour, maybe more

before we finally reached our childhood hero.

But no one minded.

The vibe was fantastic!

After a while, 

when I turned back to see just how many folks

had extended behind us, well...

it was unbelievable!

But is it unbelievable?

Perhaps one should never underestimate

the power of The Bay City Rollers!

Clearly I had great musical taste as a kid.

Ha!

There were middle-aged girls in Roller gear and buttons,

plaid shirts and scarves.

One girl even showed me her BCR watch 

with a plaid wrist band

reminding me of how I used to have the exact same one.

Whatever happened to it, I wonder?

There were girls holding original album covers of Dedication

(an album the band recorded right here in Toronto)

and sleeved 45 singles.

And 8x10 glossies.

All waiting to be touched by 

a 57-year old rock and roller with a Sharpie.

Unbelievable!

And absolutely glorious!

Hell,

I too was showing my love

by sportin’ a t-shirt with the same image 

seen at the top of this blog

screened across my middle-aged breasts.

And all this fandom was for just one Roller.

Not to belittle the greatness of the band that backed him up,

for they were all just completely great.

The show was great, and the band sounded great!

But Eric Faulkner was not there,

neither was Woody, Derek, or Alan.

Not even Ian.

All the fans in Orillia were there to see Les McKeown.
Had all the original band members been present,
no doubt The Bay City Rollers would`ve had to play 
three nights straight to meet the demand.

Live Music Head with Les McKeown

When we finally reached the lead singer, I said:
I’m so in love with you!

I was one of them girls 

who stalked you back in the 70s...

when the band was in Toronto

staying at the Harbour Castle Hilton.

Me and my little friends got kicked out for screaming.

The Bay City Rollers were my first concert,
August 22, 1977,
one day after my fourteenth birthday
at the CNE Grandstand.
Les McKeown who was the lead singer then,
and is still the lead singer now,

kissed me on the cheek.

Sigh.

He also signed my ticket stub.

Eric?
Eric who?
I’m so in love with you!

Don’t Let The Music Die!!

Les McKeown has been getting a lot of press on this tour,

and I heard him say in one interview that

it is his hope that Eric and Woody 

will join him back on stage by the year 2014.

I hope so too!

My favourite Bay City Rollers clip...

The official Les McKeown website...
http://www.lesmckeown.com/

The official Eric Faulkner website...
http://www.ericfaulkner.org/

My First Concert

My First Concert
by Live Music Head
April, 2008

The first concert I ever went to was Rush;
Friday, December 30, 1977
Maple Leaf Gardens , Toronto.
My brother and I were so excited because
my dad worked with the brother of the husband
of Geddy Lee’s sister.

And he got us 10th row seats, on the floor!
Can you believe it?
I wish I could remember what songs they played.
I was 14.
And suddenly cool.
Or was I?
I’m not being very honest.
My first concert was not Rush.
And I cannot tell a lie.
Believe it or not, my very first concert was…
Are you ready for this?
Really ready?
The Bay City Rollers!
Monday, August 22, 1977
Exhibition Stadium, Toronto;
four months before the Rush show.

And I don’t remember what songs they played either.
But there were events leading up to that concert which I do recall.
Yes, I was a Roller fan and
I had a lot of fun chasing those Scottish lads around.
My memorabilia and photos from that period show me
and my girlfriends all dressed up in our tartan Roller gear.
And my bedroom walls were plastered with their images.
We were so young, innocent, and silly;
much younger, more innocent and sillier than
the fourteen year olds of today.
And we were also very brave.
We thought nothing about calling a cab at 3 in the morning
to take us to the airport to greet our heroes.
Or a cab to their hotel for that matter.
We even managed to secure a room at the Harbour Castle Hotel
where the band was staying.
I really don’t remember how we managed that,
but it didn’t last very long anyway.
When the elevator doors opened on
what we hoped was their floor,
we were struck hysterical when the band's manager stepped on.
The screaming began and all hell broke loose.
I remember clutching on to Mr Manager’s arm; crying
“Please take me to him!”
“Take me to Eric! Please! Please! Oh Please!”

It was outrageous.
And it wasn’t long before hands were clutching my arm
when security came to drag us through the lobby
promptly booting us back out to the sidewalk
where all the other girls were stationed.
Our hotel stay lasted a total of 29 minutes.
The excitement of coming
that close to our heroes was devastating
and we continued to scream and cry a while longer.
Catching our breath,
we waited there on the sidewalk of Queens Quay
with necks straining upward for a glimpse
of a curtain parting
or a wave from a window.
But who should we believe?
That guy who says the boys will be leaving
for their press conference from that exit
or should we keep an eye on
the limousine that’s parked over there by that door?

We were so stressed out and
time ticked slowly.
We killed time sharing our fantasies with each other
like how great it was gonna be when I finally did meet Eric;
how he would fall madly in love with me and wouldn’t go back to Scotland without taking me with him.

And we had the latest gossip to flip through;
Teen Beet, Tiger Beat and 16 Magazine.
Sigh.
It was summertime and we could sit there all day
or forever,
waiting for that limousine to move.
“Hey, did that limousine move?”
Oh my god!
Suddenly it was happening so fast;
that non-descript side doorway had opened
and some older boys were anxiously waving
the limousine over a little closer.
It was a blur of tartan clad hunks
flying straight into that long black car.
Did their running shoes even touch the ground?
Oh my god!
And then the girls moved.
Boy, did we move;
rushing the car!
I was one of the first to grip a door handle,
cupping the other hand to peer through
the dark-tinted window into the back seat
where I instantly found Eric staring right back at me!
I screamed like I was watching a horror movie.
“I love you!” I cried.”I love you so much, Eric!”
Tears were pouring down my face
stopping to dry on my fourteen year old breasts,
which by the way, were large for my age
compared to some of the other girls.
And mine were sporting a white t-shirt
with big black letters silk-screened across the front that read:
“Sexy Eric”.
And now he’s looking straight at them,
with only a pane of glass to separate!
The limousine was speeding up
and I had to pick up the pace.
There was no way in hell I was letting go of the door handle.
I plastered my face against that dark-stained window
sputtering my drippy undying love for
my gorgeous guitar-playing god.
If only I could touch him!
I could see he was wearing shorts with legs
and I’d know those socks anywhere.
Suddenly I found myself running;
running to keep up with the limo
which was gassing it along the Quay.
Many girls were letting go,
falling face first into the pavement.
(I did that once
skipping rope.
I woke up from my faint
sitting on my father’s knee
with a stunned look on my face.
My chin was scratched and bruised and I had a huge fat lip.
My brother was right there of course, waiting for my eyes to open
so I could see him pointing and laughing.
I burst into tears,
turning to hide my big fat lip into my father’s chest.
Stupid brothers.)
My Eric would never laugh at me;
fat, scratched, and bruised lip or not.
We were hysterical now
chasing the long black automobile.
We must’ve looked comical to the passerby,
perhaps even disturbing.
My fingers were slipping loose...
But no, I can’t let go!
No, don’t look away!
“Please stop the car
Let me in
Take me with you!”
I’m letting go, oh no!
And then I stumbled,
scraping my knees bloody.
I was now a crumpled little fourteen year old mess
crawling to the curb sobbing
and wiping my snotty little nose all over “Sexy Eric”.
The limousine carrying my love
quickly disappeared before my eyes.
Oh so close, I thought.
So close, again!

There was a time I would completely deny this story;
every last word of it, absolutely.
The denials started when I was sixteen years old
after bringing a boy home;
when my older brothers,
dying for a way to tease
and embarrass their younger sister,
would tell my boyfriends all about my Roller days.
Aaargh!
"No, my first concert was Rush! Rush, dammit!”
Yes, it was around the age of 16
that my second concert became my first.
Boys liked Rush you see, not the Bay City Rollers.
And I was definitely at that Rush show watching
from that awesome 10th row floor seat,
that is no lie.
And there really was only a few months in between shows.
But I remember those days fondly now,
without the need to deny any of it.
Do I really care that I don't actually
remember the concerts themselves?
Not really.
And apparently nothing has changed
over the last thirty one years,
because I’m still a rock and roll chick
chasing…
well, not tartan clad Scottish lads anymore,
or black limousines,
although I still enjoy taking cabs;
but music…
music, I chase.
Not boys,
music, dammit!
Maintaining youthfulness is important to me
so I’ll likely keep chasing it,
again and again
until the day I die.

This video is a great reminder 
of why I loved The Bay City Rollers,
and still do...

All photos courtesy of Live Music Head's scrapbook.