One Phil Collins story.
I had a big appointment in CT to sell in-car videos to a local PD. Well as luck would have it I won a contest to see Phil in a short concert at XM studios in Washington with just 30 other people on the same day. I told my wife that I could not go because of my appointment. Behind my back she calls the dept & the captain says tell Rich to go we can make another date later on. So, I went. I decide to get down there early because they warned us by e-mail that parking would be difficult. So, I do the hotel & steak dinner thing & drive to XM studios three hours early lol. There were a few spots on the street as I was incredibly early, but I decide to go inside & ask first just to make sure it was the right location etc.
I tell the lady at the inside desk that I am here for the Phil Collins event........she because I am so early assumes I am part of the group & tells me “do not park on the street use the lot”. I thought it was kind of strange but thought Ok why not. So, I get back in the car & drive to the lot with a gate & two security guards.........For work I had a light bar mounted on my white crown Vic. But at the time I did not put 2 & 2 together lol. The guards wave & open the gate. So, I drive in & they point me to a great space in a crowded lot.
When I get out of my car I see a guy standing outside standing by himself in the secure parking lot talking on a cell phone. When I look again I see that it is Phil lol.. Ok, I am a little slow but then it hits me how I have made it in so far lol. I laugh as I walk up to Phil but as I get closer I hear that he is having a heated talk with the other person on the line, so I decide to just walk in the door that was there.
I find myself in the green room with the band & we start talking after getting a pass put on me. Security is walking all around me, but nobody knows that I got in by mistake lol. Fudbutter you will appreciate this I start talking to Leland Sklar. No, I did not ask him when was the last time he had a shave but he was as nice as can be. A question that I remember was do you ever play guitar? His answer “No too many strings” (laughs) & he went on to say “Phil wants me to play a five string bass more, but I fight him on this”. So, we stayed there talking for some time.
The next guy I really spoke for some time with was Daryl Stuermer . We are talking & some security guard decides to ask me....who I was...Darn. So, I tell him my story as I am a real honest person. He gets on his radio & says We have a security breach in the green room or whatever they called it. Now a group gets around me & they have a pow wow........not too happy with me they say you got to move your car out of the lot & find a spot on the street..........So for those that do not know me I get angry....I should add during our semi heated talk Daryl comes to me & said don't worry I will bail you out of jail lol. So, what did I say? I said look guys I did everything right I get here early; I ask the question where I should park & you people tell me where to go. I followed your directions 100% & now a few minutes before the concert you tell me to go back outside where there will be no spaces for a mile.....NO. Daryl & a few others from the band said let him stay he is already in the lot. So, they talk & say Ok you can stay............................There is more to the story but that covers the parking lot part of my semi-private Phil Collins concert.
Part two will be Me & Phil in the bathroom together LOL.
