Sometimes you meet your 'heroes' and it doesn't always work out ...

One of the people whom I will always remember for a personality clash with myself is Eddie Tenpole, manic punk frontman of Tenpole Tudor and of course former game show host on The Crystal Maze. I hold no personal grudges of course, but my one experience of working with him is one I'd rather not have had, though to be honest, it wasn't all his fault!

It was during the mid-90's when the band were on a comeback tip due to his rise in profile on the tv show. Due to my having enjoyed seeing the band live in Yeovil in 1981 I choose to promote a gig for them at The Witchwood, and I am sure that it was the old punk brigade who turned out for them and not a new wave of game show couch potatoes.

To say that the man arrived at the venue that night with an attitude for the promoter is an understatement. I have always accepted touring musicians are prone to a degree of frustration, fatigue and nervous exhaustion, but no matter how I tried to appease the man, nothing we had at The Witchwood appeared to be good enough for him.

The lot of the promoter of course can be one of a no win situation, and thankfully I was quite experienced in the ways of difficult people. I was also aided by the band's tour manager who made it clear to me that prior to performance, Eddie can be difficult due to his adrenalin levels, and subsequently I was promised a stunning live performance as compensation.

The tour manager wasn't wrong. As Eddie Tenpole took the stage, the first note heralded a full on in your face live concert performance that rated amongst the best I have seen at The Witchwood. I did however still feel that his lack of respect for me as a person and my efforts as an active supporter of live music could only to be taken as personal insult. Come the end of the night, his full-on demands for late drinks was not welcomed by tired staff, and despite the glory of the show, with a little ill-feeling in the air, the night was over.

There was of course to be a twist to the tale. As part of the deal, I had offered to provide paid up bed and breakfast for the band and their crew, but seeing as door reciepts hadn't warranted anything more than a slight financial loss, I took the cheapest local option.

The 'hotel' I provided was not one I had used before. It was situated within walking distance from the venue and was owned and run by an infamous local character called Molly Bird*. Molly was a local celebrity due to her work setting up a refuge for hundreds of homeless cats - what I didn't know however was that Molly, now settling into her more eccentric mature years, had provided residence for her cats within immediate boundaries of the hotel.

A Cat
Not the most musically gifted of creatures ...

Poor Eddie! Already on one and not happy with his lot in Ashton Under Lyne, his night's sleep was riddled and disturbed by a chorus of whining cats. The thing is, that come the following morning on his return to collect the band's gear from the venue, he made sure he let me know of his dissapproval. Needless to say, when Tenpole Tudor jumped into their van and trundled off down the road, I was much relieved and happy to continue my day without fear of the wrath of Eddie Tenpole. I suppose someone out there will tell me he's actually a very nice man ...

* Sadly, Molly Bird passed away in April 2001