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A little problem with miniature bread
In a recent interview the ex-Queensrÿche frontman Geoff Tate told this mildly amusing anecdote how he witnessed David Coverdale’s contribution to the Spinal Tap lore:
Well, my ‘Spinal Tap’ moment would be the scene in the movie where — I can’t remember the characters’ names, but the guy’s complaining about backstage in his dressing room with the sandwich meat. I saw the reality of that, the real one.
Before the movie came out, I was on tour with WHITESNAKE, and David Coverdale was having a meltdown in his dressing room regarding the same issue about the catering and the meat didn’t fit the sandwich. And I swear, somebody heard that and they wrote that into the ‘Spinal Tap’ movie years later, because it was the exact same scene.
At the time, I remember I was very young and I remember thinking, ‘Why is [Coverdale] upset about that?’ But the older I get, I really understand that he wanted it done — he wanted his dressing room set up the way he wanted it to be set up. It makes it better and easier for him, and that’s why he has it there. And so it wasn’t done right. And so he was letting his guy know that he wasn’t gonna take it anymore. [Laughs]
Thanks to Blabbermouth for the info and quote, and to Tumma Nuotti for helping to unearth the truth.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
This is Spinal tap was filmed in 1983 and released in March 1984. Just saying!
June 8th, 2025 at 05:45Ah, DP and dressing room drama & havoc! Back in 1977, IGB played Offenbach together with Black Sabbath, AC/DC and Doctors of Madness
https://www.instagram.com/p/DIJkix8JqEp/
and left their dressing room in a shambles with the walls decorated with food and various fruit neatly pierced on coat hooks on the wall. A German rock mag (Music Joker) devoted a whole article to it, not amused, and the IGB management even replied saying it was – of course – “the roadies” (I have my doubts, especially with John Gustafson’s drinking habits and enfant terrible reputation). But the reply was really lame, quickly veering into “so what is new about taking apart a dressing room at a rock gig”-relativism.
There is also the little story Rudolf Schenker of the Scorpions tells having witnessed as a Purple fan himself how Big Ian once poured a drink over a fan in the audience at some early 70s Purple gig in Hermany and how it made him vow “never to do something like that to my fans shall we ever make it big”.
June 8th, 2025 at 15:49@1:
June 8th, 2025 at 20:25Queensrÿche began touring in support slot for big names in 1983, so it’s all plausible.
Yes, Nick, but Whitesnake didn’t tour the US in 1983 at all, they were busy touring the UK, Europe & Japan plus recording Slide It In. Early 1984 saw the release of Slide It In in Europe (UK Mix), A US release was delayed until April 1984 (US Mix) because Geffen and John Kalodner thought Martin Birch’s production dated and dull. Only then did WS – sans Moody, Hodgkinson, Galley & Lord who had all left or been let go over a six month period – begin touring the US (Coverdale/Murray/Powell/Sykes + Bailey on hidden keyboard) in promotion of Slide It In. They initially opened for Dio in the US.
I was surprised myself, but apparently the previous Galley-Hodgkinson-Moody never set foot on American soil which is strange given that Mel Galley with Trapeze did pretty much nothing else but tour the US, the only region where Trapeze meant something (in places).
Or does anybody have something on Whitesnake in the US in 1983?
Whatever, maybe Coverdale’s toast tantrum was a case of life imitating art, in 1984 Queensryche and WS had plenty of chances to meet at gigs in the US though I couldn’t research one where they played together. It’s in any case a fun story and confirms Jon Lord’s once statement about the Saltburnian that in MK III a young DC turned from a very humble man who had never been in a first class hotel to someone quite demanding as amenities go in the course of a few months. Yes, saints and sinners, priests and thieves …
What I cannot rule out, however, is that Tate might have toured with WS with one of his pre-Queensrÿche bands or even as a stage technician (as aspiring musicians are often wont to do to make ends meet and/or get a whiff of the stage), so he might have been talking about WS in the US in 1981/82.
June 8th, 2025 at 23:04great detail Uwe! WS toured the US in late 1980, don’t believe at all in 1981 and certainly not in 82 or 83.
June 10th, 2025 at 07:49Did they tour the US that little?
When was that US tour with Jethro Tull where they basically – as Tull openers often do – got slaughtered and limped home?
I guess the US already had Bad Company and Bob Seger and were happy with those. It’s like their Status Quo was Foghat and their Rory Gallagher Johnny Winter, sometimes there is only room for one.
June 10th, 2025 at 15:19yes the Tull tour late 1980, so very few US dates until Slide it in.
June 13th, 2025 at 15:11Queensryche supported Whitesnake first in 1997. Maybe he mixed that up with Quiet Riot, Queensryche toured with them in 1983.
June 13th, 2025 at 19:04Regarding Whitesnake US tours. They played one gig in LA there in September 1979, then the Autumn 1980 tour supporting Jethro Tull. In Summer 1981 they did a short tour with Judas Priest and Iron Maiden (in the middle of the Heavy Metal Sandwich). A tour supporting Foghat afterwards was cancelled. No US tours in 1982 and 1983. In 1984 there were plans that they do a tour supporting Blue Oyster Cult, but that was cancelled after Jon Lord’s departure. But they did a short tour supporting Dio in Summer and a longer tour supporting Quiet Riot in Autumn. There were other support bands on these two tours too, but to my knowledge Queensryche wasn’t among them.
June 13th, 2025 at 19:13Thanks Peter & Jörg, I had no idea that Whitesnake’s early attempts to conquer the US were so half-arsed! Almost as bad/futile from the get-go as GILLAN’s. Rainbow at least toured with REO (and failed) which sounded sensible on paper.
Considering that DP only started earning real money when they established themselves in the US in 1972, that is kind of baffling. John Kalodner to the rescue indeed. DC should thank him on his knees on a daily basis!
June 14th, 2025 at 04:19We’re jumping a bit, but this here is pretty telling on GILLAN and their failure to crack North America:
https://eltablerodeajedrez2000.blogspot.com/p/bernie-torme-urge-scrapyard-gillan-ozzy.html
QUOTE
Question: With these three albums (“Mr Universe”, “Glory road” and “Future Shock”) Gillan the band was at the top of the charts in UK. You played many shows but, unfortunately, didn´t come (up with) the massive success. Also it seems that Gillan the band wasn´t successful enough in North America. You had got the songs, the music, the chemistry and the attitude, what did you think that happened for not get this massive success?
Bernie Tormé: “No management. Ian appeared to have a problem about that manager/artiste relationship. Both Rainbow and Whitesnake had powerful old school style management, but when I joined Gillan the band basically managed itself: that was ok, and it meant that we evolved in a different more chaotic and far more individualistic way, but it also meant that we were not really able to make the jump past being big in the UK, or to get a major record deal. There was no one with their finger on any business pulse, or with any strategy, it was basically a case of stagger from one state of chaos to the next. Ian did not want anyone to tell him what to do, he wanted to do what he wanted to do, tour, do albums and have a party every night. He didn’t want to support anyone, he wanted to headline clubs. There was no plan to make it bigger. He did not want that. But I am a bit like that too.
When he finally did get a manager ( just before I left) it was our agent, Phil Banfield, who had no control at all over Ian, he was just there to do what Ian wanted. More slave than manager. He was also not experienced and had no thought of anything other than make the next few quid, a nice enough guy, but not impressive, and an agent, not a manager.”
UNQUOTE
I guess you can say that Ian wanted the freedom to be unsuccessful. That is something you have to be able to afford – an ex-Deep Purple with comfortable Machine Head and Made In Japan royalties very well can, but a Bernie Tormé, Mick Underwood, Colin Towns or John McCoy cannot.
Of course, Karin is now gonna say that Ian’s attitude showed what a great person he was, not giving a damn about success + solid earnings and all. But varying views on that must be allowed too, perhaps not all ex-GILLAN members saw the band as a glorified hobby.
June 14th, 2025 at 17:45