Memory:Maximiliano Rueda
I was stage manager for Johnny Winter, when my friend Mick Kluchinsky invited me to see GENTLE GIANT at the PALLADIUM in NYC. He was the tour manager for "G.G.."during the last tour.
We had been working together on Johnny's crew when he was offered the job by their management company. At that time he offered me the job of stage manager for the band because he knew I was a big fan of the band, and knew all of their music.
Two weeks later GENTLE GIANT's management told him they wanted to go with an all Scottish crew, so I was out. I was crushed but I still was working for Johnny, who I love dearly as a brother. So it wasn't to bad.
Just before Mick called me to see the band, Johnny was booked on a tour of GERMANY. The day of GENTLE GIANT's show at the PALLADIUM, Mick calls me and invites me to the show. Guest list, backstage pass, etc. I get to the theater, and Mick meets me at the door. He takes me up to the dressing rooms, and introduces me to the band. Then he turns me loose, tells me to sit wherever I want, and he'll talk to me after the show.
What a great show it was. They played stuff from "The Missing Piece", "Free Hand", and lots of other great stuff.
After the show Mick comes up to me and says, "What do you think, think you can handle the gig". I was totally floored. I said, "What are you nuts? You offer me the job weeks ago, and then 2 weeks later tell me I can't have it. I'm committed to Johnny's Germany tour, which I leave for tomorrow. I can't take this gig.", Now I'm completely depressed because I really had wanted to work for GENTLE GIANT for years.
Oh well perhaps it was for the best, because it was the last tour, and I went on to work for Johnny for several years after that, eventually becoming his tour manager.