If you haven’t read Part 1 of Tom Cochrane, Go here first.
So, we had Tom Cochrane’s comfort doll photo, and we needed another photo to add to the same auction -musician Jimmy Eppard participated and while I was working with Jimmy, I found out that Tom Cochrane & Red Rider were going to perform at the Nakusp Music Fest as the headliner for the final night’s closing out. We attend the Nakusp Music Fest each year, so I suddenly had a ‘plan’. What if I convinced Tom to meet up with me again and autograph the photo of himself? I figured an autographed photo would go for much more in auction. I also found out that Collective Soul was set to perform that same night, RIGHT BEFORE Tom! I desperately tried to find contact info for them or their management but couldn’t find anything online or elsewhere…. but that’s another story 😉
I didn’t find out about Tom being headliner for the music fest until it was too late to send him a message at Myspace – so I simply took the 8×10 glossy pic I had, bundled it up good and secure (so it wouldn’t get bent out of shape) and made sure I had a good new sharpie, and off we went to the music fest and our weekend camping holiday. I figured if it worked, it worked, and if not, so be it. I also figured I’d be able to find a ‘backstage door’ as I had with Steve Gorman from the Black Crowes (our first photo!). I also took my small photo album that I had started – 4×6 photos of the band’s we’d worked with so far. Spur of the moment decision but it paid off big in the end!
Once in Nakusp it was Music Fest all weekend and I could hardly wait for Sunday night! There had been one band the night before who tried to sign autographs with fans over the fencing up front, but who were ‘moved along’ by security and their own people, as they were on a time schedule to catch the ferry (the only way into Nakusp from both directions is by ferries). Some bands signed autographs in the media tent, but mostly the afternoon acts – night time acts were anxious to leave town in decent time and be on the road for their next show. Figuring it was an exercise in futility, I went to the ‘back stage’ area only to have my suspicions confirmed… all buses and vans etc were well behind security fencing with a security guard at the entrance. Not a chance. But just then, Tom’s bass player Jeff Jones (Jonesy) walked past. I told the guard I needed to speak to him, and amazingly enough, the guard called him over (I had forgotten his name (blushes) or I would have called to him myself). Jeff came over and smiled as soon as he saw me – remembering the comfort doll from last time we met. He asked how I was, I told him what I was hoping to accomplish, and pulled the small 4×6 photo of Tom and his comfort doll out of my mini album and I wrote on the back – asking Tom if he had time, would he sign an 8×10 version of this same photo for the auction – then put my cell phone number on it and gave it to Jeff. He promised he’d put it in Tom’s dressing room mirror and that was that.
The show was amazing! Tom Cochrane was strong voiced, and full of spunk and energy – I had never seen him in concert before, so it was an amazing experience for me. I somehow ended right up front, right on the rail (most people stay seated in their lawn chairs further back at this festival) and I took many photos of the band with my new digital 🙂 At one point Tom climbed the side rigging to sing to the audience, and Jonesy found me in the audience, and smiled all night at me and the people I was with. Tom saw me near the end of the show, made sure my hand was one of the multitude he shook as he walked along the stage edge, and then the show was over – by the very last song Tom and the band were literally covered in white moths who were attracted by the stage lights.. it was a pretty incredible sight actually.
About an hour after the concert had ended, just as I was walking back to where we were camped for the weekend, (about to give up hope and accept that it wasn’t going to be,) I got a phone call! Be at the security gate in 10 minutes. I was elated and ran back to the festival, and was met by security who had my small 4×6 photo in hand, and gave it back to me. It was autographed by Tom on the front side. I must have looked completely crushed, because he asked me what was wrong. I explained to him that the smaller photo was simply a note to Tom asking for the larger photo to be signed, and then showed him the larger one. My eternal gratitude – he radioed to someone inside and talked to them out of my hearing, told me to wait a bit, and then he let me in! I was told to go down some stairs to the “green room”, and someone would meet me. The ‘green room’ was a concrete dressing room in the hockey arena. As I was escorted down, I ran into Jeff Jones who gave me a super hug, and I showed him the glossy 8×10. He loved it. He walked me in to where Tom was waiting…. Tom had a few other young people there already waiting to see him. One fellow was blind and I watched Tom with him – his attention was on this one young man completely -there was literally nobody else in the room. They had a photo taken together, and there was a young couple who were next. Again Tom spent a fair bit of time with them, treating them as equals rather than ‘fan’ and ‘superstar’. I watched again, and the young man did an amazing magic trick – had us all in stitches. Then it was my turn.
I showed Tom the photo – he loved it, but he was going to personalize it! When I asked him to just sign it without my name on it, he seemed surprised, so I explained what I had in mind and he was good with it. We spoke for some time but I could see he was absolutely wiped out but being polite, so I thanked him and bid him good night and that was that! Our photo was autographed, and we were ready for our auction.
You can view results of this auction (Tom Cochrane, Daniel Lanois and Jimmy Eppard) HERE. We raised a staggering $500 dollars for World Vision!
And no.. that’s not the end of the story with Tom Cochrane. Part 3 HERE
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