I was cooking in a 5 star hotel/restaurant where the band was staying during a trip to Phoenix for the Hold Your Fire tour in 1988. I came out of the kitchen after preparing the bands meal to find Geddy and Alex in the dining room. Joining them was Tour Manager/Lighting Director (at the time) Howard Ungerleider, Guy Charbonneau (I think it was Guy) and one of the bands Managers named Val "something", (who can remember names at a time like this) all sitting together around one of the dining room tables, after closing, in the restaurant that was now empty.
I wanted to ask Geddy and Alex if they were going to speak at the Musicians Institute in LA in the future due to the fact that I would be attending the school soon. Alex answered "No, we don't have any plans to speak there again in the near future." Then, to my surprise, they started asking me questions.
First, they were curious if I had really cooked the fantastic meal that they had just eaten. I assured them that I had and thanked them for their comments. They asked if cooking was my life's ambition and I told them of my former career in radio and stand-up comedy (I had been a stand-up impressionist). This (and the three empty bottles of wine on the table) prompted Alex to start doing impressions for me. He did a pretty good Popeye and I countered with a better one. Everyone was cracking up as Geddy threw in a few cool voices and more from Alex. Then I said, "I do a pretty good Geddy Lee impression, would you like to hear it?" The entourage clamored to hear my parody of their homeboy and I interrupted by saying I wouldn't do it unless Geddy said it was OK (I didn't want to offend anyone). The drunken cheering continued and finally Geddy said I could do it.
The first thing I did was tear off my chef's hat, revealing my long locks, which at the time draped down the middle of my back. This caused the band of merry men to "gasp" and "ah" as they admired my transformation into what now resembled one of their musical peers. I cupped my hand to my ear and around towards my mouth and began to sing the first verse of "Red Barchetta". The performance rattled all in attendance. As I got to the part where the drums kick in, I mimicked Neil's drum part on the table, which stirred Alex as he pointed at my hands pounding out the rhythms on the table, as I sang. When I was finished everyone clapped and roused with great appreciation and even Geddy smiled.
As I exited, the group began to stir as well, readying to leave. I rushed to my locker and changed cloths hurriedly and made my way towards the exit that they would be using to leave by. I met up with them again but was headed off by Howard who started to tell me how impressed the boys had been by me and my performance. Then He asked what I was doing at that time and I told him "Nothing, I'm free right now"(What did you think I was going to say). Then Howard told me he had to go over to the Hilton, where the road crew was staying and wanted to know if I would give him a lift over there.
So, here I am driving down the streets of Phoenix with the former Tour Manager of The Who (and current manager Metallica) Howard Ungerleider. I popped in a tape of the band I was with at the time but was abruptly asked to turn it off. Howard said, "If you want my help listen to some good advise". "Never sign off your publishing rights to your record company, always get a separate publisher or else your going to get fucked out of a lot of money". He went on with more words of wisdom as we approached the Hilton.
After introducing me to the road crew as "his friend Greg" and taking care of the business he had there, we started back to the car. Howard thanked me for my help and asked if I had tickets to the show on the following night. I assured him that I had purchased tickets months in advance and then he said "Well, why don't you come to the sound booth after Tommy Shaw (the opening act) gets off stage and I will give you a full access pass". I was in heaven as Howard exited the car and I pinched my self while waving goodbye as he headed back into the Arizona Biltmore, where this whole journey began.
The following night was my Brothers Birthday and after returning home and sharing my seemingly unbelievable story with him we slept with visions of RUSH dancing in our heads (to the tune of Limelight). That evening we got to the show, each with a girlfriend a found our seats which were in pretty good location. Tommy Shaw rocked out and the lights came up as the crowd eagerly awaited RUSH to rock the house.
Everyone in our party had heard of my escapades the night before and knew where I was headed as I made my way towards the center of the arena where Howard was preparing to display his ominous talents as the Lighting Director. I called to him and he came over to the side of the platform. He asked me if I wanted to sit up on the sound booth. I told him that I had three friends with me and that it was my Brothers Birthday and Howard said that I should bring them up to. Imagine coming back to your friends at a concert and asking them if they want to sit up on the sound booth with you and all the VIP's.
The show was being recorded at the time and one of the songs that the band played can be heard on the A Show Of Hands album ("Force Ten") which set the whole experience in stone for all of us. It was a phenomenal show and everyone was bubbling with excitement. After the final encore, Howard came over to us and popped the question, "So, do you guy's want to go back-stage"? We all said "no" and went home...NOT...We shuffled our way to the back-stage area, without passes being led by the Tour Manager through all the security check points until we arrived in one of the rooms of the arena decorated with a lavish array of food and beverages.
The band was no where in site and I later learned they were finishing up some interviews with the press and meeting some contest winners and DJ's from the local radio station. Then the moment arrived as both Geddy and Alex shuffled into the room and made their way towards a couch at the end of the room with a television propped in front of it. There I was sitting on a couch next to Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson eating shrimp, drinking Heineken and watching Rod Serling and the Twilight Zone on TV. The night ended with us waving goodbye to the boys including Neil who appeared for only a moment as the three boarded their tour bus and sped off to the next town.
So there you have it, my brush with the greatness of the RUSH clan.
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