Written By Backstage Bruce
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| Joe Perry's pick- front, with Aerosmith wings |
I didn't think this day would ever get here. The music gods have graced us all. Maybe the greatest American band ever, Aerosmith, took a break after their 1979 tour. Collectively all of us, their fans for years, didn't know if we would get to see them play live ever again. They needed a break from everything: each other, touring, recording, etc... Fortunately it was only about a five year hiatus, by 1985 they were out there working the road again, train kept-a-rolling. Thank goodness.
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| Joe Perry's pick- back |
And in April of 1986 they rolled through, performing at Madison Square Garden. This would be my very first visit to 'The World's Most Famous Arena'. I had just moved to New York a few months prior. I didn't have tickets nor did I even know where to buy them. I came up with the bright idea that I would just scalp a ticket outside. 22-years-old, mid-eighties, streets of New York, what could possibly go wrong?
Ten dollars is what I wind up paying. The prices were dropping as the opening act, Ted Nugent, was finishing up. I walked in, the place was cloudy with smoke! It was just like the pictures from the KISS 'Alive' album. The house lights were on. In no time they were dimmed and the 'Bad Boys from Boston'- Steven Tyler (vocals), Joe Perry (lead guitar), Brad Whitford (rhythm guitar), Tom Hamilton (bass) and Joey Kramer on drums- emerged on stage and rocked the garden! It was great 'Dream On', 'Sweet Emotion', 'Walk This Way', et al.
Their best was yet to come. The time apart did them well. The music they were writing now was even more popular than ever. They released the album 'Permanent Vacation' which contains the smash hits 'Rag Doll', 'Angel', 'Dude Looks Like A Lady', plus others. They started headlining stadiums. That is when I would get to see them again. I was working my catering job at the Meadowlands stadium, where both the Giants and Jets played.
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| Meadowlands |
The day was pretty typical. Aerosmith headlined, the opening band was 'Guns and Roses'. They were touring their debut album 'Appetite For Destruction'. The show was phenomenal. G&R looked and sounded great. The day was so nice, being outside, breathing fresh air, listening to great music all day. I could hear every note and was able to stop and watch it, for ten minutes at a time, here and there. I was having such a blast driving the golf carts all around the stadium, so everything was fine. Those were the best days of my life.
One thing that was really memorable was the fact that there was a 'no liquor' policy in place. There was absolutely no liquor anywhere backstage, none. None in the dressing rooms, none on the stage, none on any of the tour buses, none in the hospitality suites. It had never happened before. I'm the caterer and I had a few different VIP people come up and ask me if there were any beers around. If someone backstage wanted a beer badly enough they would have to leave the backstage area and go out to the concessions, pay for it themselves, consume it there, before they were allowed backstage.
Aerosmith was up next. Their energy level was just tremendous from all of them, especially the front man. Steven worked that entire stage from one side to another, he really gave it his all. They played all their classic hits and all their new ones. It was a really fun time. Here they were selling out stadiums and still their best was yet to come.
Now that they were clean and sober everything they touched turned to gold, or in their case, triple platinum. 'Permanent Vacation' was a hit as was their next album 'Pump', released two-years later, which has the hits 'Jamie's Got A Gun', 'Love In An Elevator', 'What It Takes', plus more. A little more than three years after that, 1993, the band would release 'Get A Grip' which would be even bigger! It was their first album to debuted at number one. It has multiple hits including: 'Living On The Edge', 'Cryin', 'Amazing', 'Crazy', plus more.
Three smash albums in a row. The band was now winning and performing at every award show imaginable, including The Grammy's. That is when I would get to see them next. I was working at a nice hotel, about a block away from Radio City Music Hall, where The Grammy's were taking place. Some of the crew were staying with us for about two weeks.
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| The Grammy's working pass |
There is a lot of set-up, then a week of rehearsals, the actual show, the breakdown of everything, etc... I met the crew members, coming and going, for the two weeks. I was talking to one of them and he gave me his backstage pass. It was a daily backstage/ working pass. He was finished with work for the day, and the next day he will receive another one in a different color. Everyday the backstage passes change color. He also gave me Joe Perry's pick. He had an extra one. He was at work all day and he picked up any little souvenir he could find. He had a youthful spirit to him.
Now that I had this backstage pass I could run over to Radio City, during my lunch break, and poke my head inside for a bit. I got there and Aerosmith was on stage rehearsing. When I walked in they were playing 'Walk This Way' and I did just that! I walked right over toward the stage, where the music was coming from. This was so much fun to watch, the band looked and sounded great. I hung out for about 15 minutes then returned to work. I handed the pass off to my buddy Michael, who was now going to take his lunch break. He got to see the big Curtis Mayfield tribute rehearsal.
A few years after this, they would have their biggest hit ever, and to this day their only number one song. In 1998 they released, 'I Don't Want To Miss A Thing'. It was written by Dianne Warren for the movie 'Armageddon', which coincidentally stars Liv Tyler, Steven's daughter.
It's a metaphor, no matter where you are in life, no matter what your particular situation, whether you're down and depressed because your band broke up or if you are on top of the world, selling out stadiums, never get complacent. At all times strive for your own growth and happiness, always continue to dream on.
