PATHETIC ENCOUNTERS WITH FAMOUS PEOPLE #1
In the mid 1990s, during one of my periods of employment at the BBC, I happened to find myself backstage at a recording of Later... With Jools Holland. An assortment of band members and hangers-on milled around the hospitality area, and I was standing near a trestle table laid out with food. Suddenly, from right across the other side of the room, David Byrne began walking towards me, smiling. Really smiling. He really had caught my eye. David Byrne, I thought, phew! Founder of Talking Heads and creator of one of my all time favourite albums, Fear Of Music. What would we have to talk about - but no, there was so much to talk about. David got closer. Soon he was standing right next to me. "Hi there," he said. A promising start. But before I could get a chance to discuss with him the nagging riff that opens Memories Can't Wait, or his famous big white suit, or his (frankly disappointing) new Brazilian direction, he gestured towards a large platter of satay sticks.
"Are these chicken or pork?" he asked.
I said, "Uh - pork."
"Too bad," he answered, and walked off.
Who knows what would have happened if I hadn't eaten the last of the chicken ones?