Robben Ford Discussion

[jconstant]

What do you say to Robben when you meet him at a show?

I saw Robben at the Catalina Jazz Club in Hollywood last night. As usual, I'm never sure what to say to him if I meet him before or after the show. I feel very awkward.

Now I've met Robben probably 75 times, I've been to four clinics, including the one in his living room. He knows my face, but I also know that doesn't make us personal friends. So part of me feels I should just act like it's the first time we've met because he doesn't really know me and I don't feel I should act like he does. But then I also know he knows my face so I feel like I can say a little more than, "Great show, Mr. Ford."

Case in point. We got to the club at 6:30 and were one of the first few there. Robben was sitting on his amp while Toss and Travis were fiddling with their stuff. Maybe 10 minutes later I was checking out the joint and Robben and I were walking toward each other. I was wandering, but he was on his way somewhere. As we passed each other I said, "Hi, Robben." but just kept walking because I didn't expect him to stop and chat. He smiled, tapped me on the arm and said, "Hey, man." When I got back to the table my girlfriend said, "What was that? You just blew off Robben." I was shocked when she told me that she saw him hesitate like he was going to stop and talk. Then I felt like shit. My whole intention was to not bother the man and my outside observer says it looked like I blew him off.

Know I know Robben probably didn't think much of it but I still felt bad.

What do you all think? What would you have done?
_________________
"Somebody's got to make some music around here." - Robben Ford

[Millibobs]

Senor Constant

If Robben is half the man I suspect him to be, he'll have known exactly what had transpired and he will be cool.

I just heard that Robben is due in Manchester UK later this year and I am having a bloody fit at the prospect of seeing him live for the first time.

Over here, we do not do 'subtle', so if I get the chance, I will shake his hand and tell him what a frickin' genius he truly is. Will he mind? I have no idea, but it won't stop me. Life is short and such moments are few and far between - you have met him 75 times - how lucky is that?!!!!!! If I only meet him once, it will go down in my 'book of moments'. This is the cerebral book that will accompany me to the old folks home or the sanatorium or the funny farm - wherever I end up.

[Daved]

[diatonicdude]

[quote="Daved"]

[sfhalo]

My "meet & greet" is a bit of a different story. On Jan. 31, I saw Robben play at Anthology, a great small venue in San Diego. The band played great (Toss & Travis) and Robben stayed after the show to meet the attendees and sign CDs. I decided to say a quick hello, but when I mentioned to Robben that I also had been at the clinic in his home, he barely responded and I felt a bit awkward that I'd even mentioned it. As a way to keep the conversation going a bit, I told Robben I'd recently been in touch with Don Mock (who has produced several of Robben's clinic DVDs) who told me that they might possibly do another clinic/lesson DVD featuring the playing style of Mike Bloomfield, Robben's original guitar influence. Robben very abruptly told me he had no plans for ever doing any additional material of Mike's. I was put off a bit, said "Thanks", & walked away. I happen to be friends with Mike Bloomfield's mother, Dorothy Shinderman, who lives in Los Angeles and when I attended the clinic that was held in Robben's living room, I gave Robben Dorothy's contact info, thinking he might want to get in touch one day. Don Mock even suggested that I might personally set up an introduction to Dorothy for Robben & Don, if they did the DVD I mentioned. Since there were only 10 people at that particular clinic, I thought Robben would remember that occasion and possibly me, but it was surely not the case. I wasn't offended, but definitely felt I'd intruded in a way Robben didn't appreciate. Basically, I think if you are not a personal friend of Robben's, you're just another face in the crowd at one of his shows. That's not good or bad, just the way it is. I do plan on attending another clinic in Ojai, but when I attend any additional shows, I'll only go for the music, not to say hello.

[parker]

I was at Catalina's too Saturday night, on the right side of the stage, great show.....!

[rainmkr63]

Jconstant, I feel for you man. This type of thing can snowball in your head, I have been there a few times. Like you I see a lot of shows that are intimate and I show up early and stay late just to drink in all the energy from the event. I have had many chances to talk with the performers and I have been intensely inspired by a lot of them. I also like to have a few drinks and awkward moments can happen from that

Robben meets lots of people and has for about 30 years so he probably took it in stride and new exactly that you just didn’t want to intrude on his prep. Next time you can handle it differently, Those Catalina shows must have been amazing I just saw CCEB there a few months ago.

R.

[edpesco]

[Millibobs]

It' only rock'n'roll............

[Bluelobster]

Hi , Jim , i can hear U.
The first time i dared to speak to Robben was in LA circa 90's at my place in Santa Monica. I just went to them 'coz they were just hanging on after the show , ehh what the heck , to meet some fans.
I was such in a awe that i just lost myself. The only thing ok for me that i went for an autograph rather than trying to start a rave , BUT i did it anyway talking about a french guy we might knew together ( but later i understood it was not quite the samechristophe at all) and telling him that i was in GIT just because i presumed he was still an instructor over there.
He gave me thumbs up and told me good luck. So it went not so bad at all , BUT after all these years the ONE thing i am ashamed of is not having CONSIDER Roscoe & Tom , oh man i were so DUMB SHIT just to look at rooben like Whore ...................................................
Second time was much more fun , being introduced by miss Elizabeth , oh man that's something in a life , i know she can calls her N°1 fan...........
But i was still dumb ass ..................................................................
And almost drunk ......................................................................
Hey Robbbennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn,..///§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§

Talking about being ridiculous .............................................
_________________
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_music.cfm?bandID=147748

[yebdox]

This is too much, I thought I was the only one who gets tongue-tied, acts strange, etc. around musical heroes! I've met Robben maybe 6 or 7 times over the past 20 years, but never in a way that left me feeling good - not that there's anything wrong with his behavior, he just seems very hard to connect with if you don't know him personally, which just has to be okay. I imagine he gets very tired of gear heads who just want to pick his brain, sound like him, etc. and that he would likely very much prefer to be appreciated by non-musicians much more than musicians. But, we can't help ourselves, can we?

After a show, you sometimes find yourself standing next to someone like Robben in the restroom or somewhere around the club, and it seems awkward to NOT say something. He's a great and talented player and it just seems rude to act like something special didn't just happen. So, you feel compelled to say something like, "thanks, great gig, come back soon!" and leave before you risk a non-response. And sometimes it goes well, like spending 10 minutes chatting with Pat Martino or Mike Stern or Pat Metheny (3 incredibly gracious players that come to mind) and you think, "wow, I should never pass up a chance to say something nice to someone I admire, even if I risk a bit of rejection!"

The last time I saw Robben was summer 2006 at Jazz Alley in Seattle. He had Mike Landau with him, who I love but have never had the pleasure of hearing live. I was forced to walk by these guys after the show, as the dressing room is before the restroom. Trying to think of something original to say, I said something to Robben like: " You guys always sound great, but thanks for bringing Mike along, it's a treat to finally hear him live!" Then stuck my hand out to Landau, who said thanks quietly and kept his hands behind his back. I left, wondering if I'd offended someone, then found out later that he's a bit of a germ-o-phobe and apparently tries not to touch strangers when he's on tour to keep from getting ill. But I still felt like a failure at trying to connect briefly with someone I really respect. Oh, well.

So, I'm right there with the same head game, jconstant. I think we have to just be okay with people's needs for privacy, regardless of how enthusiastic we are about their talents. Funny that some celebrities seem to handle it better than others, and that has to be okay, as well. It sounds as though you've made a better connection with him than most fans, but I would probably have done what you did. He's a very talented guy and I wish him all the best, but I probably won't go out of my way to try to connect. It feels better to just enjoy the music and clap loudly at the right times.

[jconstant]

Thanks, guys. I knew you'd understand where I was coming from. I know Robben didn't think twice (get it, Think Twice?) about it. It was an awkward moment for me and only me. Like you said yebdox, I was just playing my own head games I suppose.

I find Robben much more receptive at the clinics, for example. But then again, that's what those are for - to interact and discuss. After a show Robben's probably just tired and wants some peace. Thinking back on Saturday night I could see a distinct difference in his reaction to me when I 'blew him off' before the show and when I said hi after his first set back in the dressing room. Before the show he apparently stopped walking to at least chat for a minute but after the first set he didn't want to say too much to me and I could really tell. I can't say I blame him and I don't take it personally.

Okay, I'm over it. Thanks for the therapy session.
_________________
"Somebody's got to make some music around here." - Robben Ford

[Danny]

I've never met Robben personally, but my guitar teacher, Griff, has. I told Griff about the Robben Joe Bonamassa show and got him to come, and he told me a bit before the show that he'd met Robben before, but that Robben was a little off putting to meet. This was at some festival and apparently after the show Robben came down with Anne and Griff went up with his wife, introduced himself, shook hands, and told Robben it was a great show. He said Robben was just kind of shy, shook loosely, said thanks, and walked away...I don't expect much more to have happened but loose dead-fish handshakes have always been a pet peeve of mine...but how many guitar geniuses out there have booming personalities?
_________________
"Music is the only thing that you can share with a million million people and you don't lose, you gain. It helps you to get energy and to live long, because when your soul is very happy then you don't want to die." - Ali Akbar Khan

[JohnnyZ]

re: handshakes

I've always wondered how guitar-playing pro's like Robben feel about hand shakes, not so much about the hygene aspect but the risk for potential injury. I've only had the opportunity to shake just a few important hands, and afterwards, I've always been amazed that they obliged so willingly. And, I'm one with a firm grip, but with musicians, I consciously lighten it up just a bit. Maybe it's just my own made-up phobia?

[bluenote]

as for meeting Robben or any other great, I try to act like we are all buds, if nothing comes naturally I just say hi and move on. I dont want to sound too rehearsed like a wind up monkey (hmm band name). And its funny Johnny mentioned the "handshake" I always try to lighten up a bit when shaking a guitar players hand...you know the whole injury thing...but heres a good one, a while back I had eye surgery and afterward I was taking to the Dr. now in the grand scheme of things eye surgeons are probably a bit more skeptical about shaking hands, but I instictivly held mine out afterward and to my surprise he shook it.....very soft and femininly..but he shook it....so for a brief second I thought "I could crush this little hand like it was a light bulb"......but it was just a sick thought, of course I would never. thanks for listening.
________
apple games