The Day I met Randy Rhoads - UK 1981

[Hunterd]

Yup that's them. (Thanks for posting them for me Shaun). Note the Greg Lake ticket seating... Block 14 AA44 was pretty much at the back of the stalls. Gary Moore wouldn't had been able to throw a towel in at that distance! In those days security was lack and most hardened headbangers made their way up front... I got myself in seats two rows from the stage... Hammersmith security cracked down hard after around 84 and forced fans to stay in their seats... No front stage head banging after that! The Motorhead ticket was the replacement for the cancelled Blizzard ticket from December 81, much to my disappointment. The 82 Gig was the Speak of the Devil tour with Brad Gillis... Bad seats with plenty of echo.

[scooterh67]

Thanks Dave for sharing your story and pics with us, totally awesome!! I enjoyed reading it and wishing I was there to.

Scott

[Fozzy41]

Cheers for that Bob, sorry I mean Dave, thanks for the PM.

[stealaway]

Great story and it´s like "hey, thanx for the memories!" no matter how sad it is... Well, you got to meet him and that´s worth a gold!

[Mr.McTaco]

Amazing!

[GUITARIDOL5682]

I found this great story in the archives, this is for everyone who missed it the first time. Enjoy!!

[fortress]

thx

[geoff11]

Great post...i've only registered with this tonight so i'm enjoying reading them all. I met Randy Rhoads before the Blizzard of Ozz gig at The Edinburgh Odeon on 15/09/80. Most bands would go in the back entrance, which was a pain to find unless you knew the area. Some pals and I waited for a couple of hours and we were in luck as that was the way they came in. He couldn't have been friendlier and even Ozzy was coherent, ha ha - this was 1980 remember!! All the band members were happy to sign tickets and programs and didn't act in a superior manner in any way at all. The concert was class and being a guitarist I watched Randy intently. I was not disappointed. I was gutted when he died, especially so young, as he would have got better and better.
Just to mention Lemmy, i'm surprised at him throwing water over fans. I saw Motorhead on the Overkill and Bomber tours (Odeon again!) and the band let in the fans who had hung around after the gig, on both occasions, and signed and chatted for a good half hour or so until every fan had been seen. He must've had a bad head that other time, ha ha. The Odeon was a great place for a rock concert - I met Rory Gallagher arriving via the back entrance on 26/09/80, so his is another prized autograph. That was only 11 days after meeting Randy. I'd met Ronnie James Dio prior to a Sabbath gig on 16/05/80, at the same back entrance. He was happy to sign autographs and was really well spoken...I hadn't realised quite how small he was! Me and a group of about 7 or 8 pals were the only ones who ever waited there - the Edinburgh street layout is a pain up that way and the back entrance was tiny, across a grotty old carpark, round umpteen corners and not signposted in any way. It closed down years ago of course, which is a real shame. I have to say though, the most welcoming rock star of them all was Ian Gillan. I saw him at The Odeon twice, on 05/03/80 and 23/10/80 and both times he let umpteen fans into the changing rooms and the whole band chatted and signed autographs. I was just a 16 year old laddie in 1980, but i've still got all my ticket stubs and programs from that era. Ah, the memories