A good friend of mine, JP, had been working for Guns N' Roses for about a year or so. He was out on the road with them in 1988 when Iron Maiden had GNR supporting them on the Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son Tour.Anyway, JP and I go way back, and in fact it was our mutual friend (Where the hell are ya Jitsy?) who turned us on to Maiden in the first place back in '81. So when JP called to tell me that he'd be on the same tour as the mighty Maiden....well let's just say it was laundry day for a few of us. In fact, in mid-tour he left GNR to work for Maiden....can't blame him, being that close to the best for weeks on end...
Anyhoo, I got the call to meet JP at the gig, drove out, and did the Rock Star hang.... oh boy. Well, pretty good show, casual after party and I found myself with Tony Mottram (old school photographer and personal assistant to the mega-metal-stars), JP, a cast of a few others, and Bruce Dickinson.
(From the DeVito Archives)Bruce returned to the bar after a few moments, and we proceeded to get obliterated. I remember showing Bruce that, yes, I really could do a stomach roll (old school Hip Hop dance move) to some interest, but then I got the 15 minute lecture about how fencing is a much better sport than break dancing....I believe we ended the conversation with agreeing not to agree.... or something to that effect.
We exited the hotel bar to saunter down Market Street in search of new drinking environments.. and soon encountered a very disheveled, reeking of urine, older, black homeless man. He was squatting in the corner of a bus stop and the fumes from his trousers far surpassed any liquor dulling our senses...
Bruce and our group casually swerved around the gentleman, with Bruce saying something to the effect of, "You Americans treat your own so horribly...."
All of a sudden, the homeless man leapt from his squat and came right up to our Booze Brigade (with Bruce, JP, and myself in the front) and said, "Wait a minute!"...
The man lifted a finger towards the Metal Master and proclaimed, "You're that Iron Maiden guy.... Bruce Dickinson. Man, I love you guys!"
As he said those words, our group had already gone around him since we had no idea what he was going to say....
Bruce stopped, turned around, walked back up to the man, and handed him a Twenty. "Good man, that guy..." said Bruce and off we went into the San Francisco night.
Bruce is my hero.
1988 Tour Meal Ticket(From the DeVito Archives)
Maiden... Always.
