Teen Invited to Play with Mick

[michelej1]

[Click to see picture of Mick in a Santa suit. Hey, that kid doesn't seem all that thrilled]
Times Columnist

http://www.timescolonist.com/news/lo...hawaii-1.33409

Duncan teen invited to jam with Mick Fleetwood in Hawaii

Sandra McCulloch , Times Colonist December 22, 2012

young musician from Duncan has been asked to jam with Mick Fleetwood of the iconic band Fleetwood Mac next week on Maui.

The chance of a lifetime happened when Connor Head, a 17-year-old Grade 12 student from Cowichan High School, ran into Fleetwood at the Maui airport and then had a followup encounter at Fleetwood’s Lahaina restaurant, Fleetwoods on Front Street.

Fleetwood Mac, with Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, is celebrating the 35th anniversary of the release of the album Rumours — which sold 40 million copies — with a 2013 tour that includes a May 19 stop at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.

It was a thrill for Head, who already had the band’s song Never Going Back Again programmed as the alarm on his smart phone. His own band, the Royal Canadians, formed a year ago and opened for Chilliwack this summer at the Cowichan Community Centre in Duncan.

Head ran into Fleetwood at a cabaret show in Lahaina on Thursday night.

“I ran into him in the hallway and he recognized me from the airport,” said Head. “He poked me in the chest and said, ‘;Hello.’ ”

Head approached Fleetwood’s manager and asked if he could pass along a copy of the Royal Canadians’ first CD, Lonely Whale. Fleetwood agreed to take the CD and they had a chat.

Fleetwood told Head that he and former Fleetwood Mac member Rick Vito were part of a Maui-based band that’s having a concert on Friday.

“I just threw it out there as a joke saying, ‘;If you need a guitarist, I’d like to play,’ and he just got the idea he’d invite me over to his vacation home the day before to come jam with all of them,” said Head.

“It was his idea. I was kind of shocked. I can’t really believe it’s happening.”

Head’s mom Cathy called the chain of events “pretty exciting.”

“I think jamming with Mick Fleetwood would be quite a highlight of Connor’s life,” she said.

Rehearsing with the band, which plays a lot of Fleetwood Mac hits, could lead to more good things, she said.

“Who knows? Maybe he’ll get up on stage [during the concert] on Friday.”

She laughed at the idea that Fleetwood Mac might need another opening act at Rogers Arena: “You never know!”

The Royal Canadians album is available on iTunes and on the band’s website at theroyalcanadians.com.

[WildHearted]

What a lucky kid.

[TrueFaith77]

"Head's mom".... love it. This is a great story.

Although judging by the picture, by "jam" they actually mean "toke".

[WildHearted]

Also lol forever @ Mick dressed in a Santa costume.

[michelej1]

BC Local News, by Peter Rusland

http://www.bclocalnews.com/news/184568251.html

Connor Head of The Royal Canadians to jam with Fleetwood Mac's frontman

December 22, 2012 5:08 PM

Lady luck keeps picking local guitarist Conner Head.

The lead player of Cowichan's Royal Canadians band has been invited to jam with Mick Fleetwood, of the superband Fleetwood Mac, next week in Hawaii, the Times Colonist reported Dec. 22.

The jam will happen at Fleetwood's Hawaiian home where a Maui-based band — including former Fleetwood Mac player Rick Vito — will be rehearsing, the Colonist says.

"I look a little stoned but I don't even care because Mick Fleetwood just invited me to his vacation home to jam with Fleetwood Mac," Head, 17, says on his Facebook page, above a snapshot with Fleetwood decked out as Santa Claus.

There's also a beach-type Facebook shot of Head with Fleetwood.

Head got the invite after bumping into Fleetwood at the Maui Airport, then meeting Fleetwood again at Fleetwood's Lahaina restaurant Thursday.

The Cowichan Secondary School Grade 12 student asked Fleetwood's manager to pass a copy of The Royal Canadians' debut CD Lonely Whale, to Fleetwood, and the two players chatted some more.

Hearing about the session at Fleetweod's place, Head suggested he'd be available if the band needed another guitarist, and gregarious Fleetwood extended the invitation to a shocked heard, explains the Colonist.

And head's luck may not end there.

Fleetwood Mac is booked to play Vancouver's Rogers Arena May 19 during a big tour toasting the 35th anniversary of the band's 40-million selling monster album Rumours.

Opening-act duty for Fleetwood Mac would be a career catapult for The Royal Canadians.

And it doesn't hurt having Fleetwood Mac's tune Never Going Back Again as the alarm song on Head's smart phone.

The local quartet, that formed about a year ago, played the summer's SunFest 2012, after May's opening for Chilliwack in the Cowichan Theatre.

[michelej1]

Cowichan's Connor Head playing at Mick Fleetwood's pad today
http://www.cowichannewsleader.com/news/184976101.html

December 27, 2012

The Royal Canadians' lead guitarist says he's headed to Mick Fletwood's place for a house jam today.

Cowichanian Connor Head's lucky break came after twice running into super-band Fleetwood Mac's frontman while vacationing in Hawaii.

The News Leader Pictorial hopes to interview the Cow High Grade 12 string bender about his musical house call that'll hear him jam with Fleetwood's Maui group.

But meanwhile, Head was amused about perhaps asking Fleetwood if his band could consider playing the Cowichan Theatre when they visit Vancouver's Roger's Arena in May.

"I wish that could happen, but I don't know if Fleetwood Mac will be able to make a pit stop on their international tour to Duncan for a night. Haha, but wouldn't that be cool," Head emailed us.

[KindOfWoman90]

how amazing! what a fabulous experience for that kid!

[WildHearted]

Not really sure that I would call Mick the frontman of Fleetwood Mac.

Regardless, this kid is lucky, and I am jealous.

[chiliD]

Originally Posted by WildHearted

Not really sure that I would call Mick the frontman of Fleetwood Mac.

Regardless, this kid is lucky, and I am jealous.

He is with all things Fleetwood Mac EXCEPT on stage.