Limo Drivers' Story

ShangriLaTroubl · #1 10-22-2003, 11:51 AM

This is from a website of a limo driver who wrote of his story of doing a Fleetwood Mac show this tour :

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I profusely apologize for being away and not getting up to date responding to comments. I still have to do that as well. I have been driving quite a bit. In fact, this past week was kind of fun.I ended up driving Aerosmith on Wednesday and Saturday I drove Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac. It took 3 stretches, one SUV, 2 luggage vans and one sedan. And that is all you do. Drive. Well. Very well.
Your connection is the production manager or their security. You are basically instructed never to address the 'star' so it is not as if you have real contact.

Which is fine with me. A few moments in the presence of a celebrity doesn't seem to do it for me. What I really enjoy is the pandemonium back stage and observing the elaborate provisions, tons of equipment and seemingly tribes of people functioning at a feverish pace to ensure a smooth production. Fleetwood seemed much more organized and mellow compared to some. Aerosmith/Kiss was a traveling buzz show. Hundreds of crew furiously coordinating the dispersal of myriad carts and piles of equipment from both acts, one setting up , one leaving. Long silver semi-trucks easing between a line of parked Prevost tour buses, admirable beasts of burden, all purring quietly in a crooked row, people spilling in and out of them, carrying food, towels, clothes. Sometime I will have to describe having chow with the road crew. These shows usually set up kitchens and dining halls replete with some of the best food I have ever eaten. And the selections are as esoteric as the diet of the many stars they serve. The traveling kitchen and food production alone is mind boggling. In addition, most acts usually order local, which makes every pizza delivery boy's day. They get up to the gates at least. Fleetwood was very generous. It appeared that those delivering food were also given tickets. Three young girls from a local favorite, Graeters Ice Cream, were grinning ear to ear as they were escorted backstage to personally deliver some ice cream and they remained for the show. Fleetwood gave us, the drivers, backstage passes and tickets for out front as well.In some cases the drivers are not acknowledged at all, beyond being given instructions. It does not matter either way, but it is always more pleasant to be treated as humans . After all, if a driver ****s up, you have no star.

But the very, very best part is the police escort. It is just too much fun stopping traffic and running red lights, sirens going, folks staring. Then you hit the highway and you just simply concentrate on not ramming the stretch in front of you or running over the cops along side. You have to maintain about 5' or less between vehicles, (so no one can break into the line) at about 60 - 70 MPH, easy in a sedan, but in these boats, I tell ya, it requires some attention. I love it. It is just you and the road, the car in front of you, the traffic, and then it is a dance, choreography on the run, a dip, a weave, accelerate, ease the curve, tap it, brake it, it has life. It's driving. The people just happen to come along. Safely. Job done.

Now Fleetwood came in on their own 747 and none of the privates around here can handle that which meant we had to go out on the tarmac at CVG. Someone said it is the first time in a few years that they have allowed livery to access the tarmac there. Ease of entry at private airports varies, but you never get close at CVG without escort. But folks flying in private pretty much insist their car pull along side the plane as soon as she stops rolling. But anyway, we needed extra security and more cop cars to access the tarmac at the airport. We have to have a clean police record to have a chauffeurs license but, in some cases, everything is run through again when you are driving prior to an event and, in this case the cops already had our ID's. And that is the sweet part. All the limos rolling under the shadow of that huge jet. These strangers from far away living those lives your read about, now just simply tired campers all, dragging satchel and bags to the attendants. We stand by our cars. Not allowed to deviate from that in a secure area. And I look at the vast black canvas of sky above, moon sifting through fast moving clouds. The air is thrumming with jets rising into the night, thousands of lights glittering across the expanse of tarmac and runway. And I love this country. The complexity. The industry. The vitality. Just the logistics for tonight's simple concert in simple Cincinnati. That little event employed me and hundreds of others here in this town. Fleetwood made some bucks, we made some bucks, no one hurt, fun had by all. And to top it off, when Stevie got out of the car, she acknowledged me with a nod and a thanks, as did her security. Small thing. In my tiny little driving career, it was a first. I don't mind being invisible, but it's nice when someone notices too.
Well, when all were assured that nothing remained in the limos, we spiraled back out through the gates, cop behind, front, left and right. That's cool. That's security.
And that was a nights work. Too much frigging fun...

Anyway, I've been driving and I get home and I'm trying to put all these Islamic pieces together of this kind of Islamic puzzle I'm trying to comprehend and I am just damn well inundated with too much data, too many links, too unsettling, too depressing, and, ah hell, I've been AWOL from my post. Literally. I have abandoned the cause. No. I simply have only minimal brain power. And now, I have to get ready for a Lexington run. Which will be gorgeous today. Nothing finer than green Kentucky hills to drive my Lincoln through. A fine day in the mid west indeed.
Tomorrow I am off and I have a ton of stuff to post. So, please bear with me, my faithful few and valued readers. Here is the topic. Dubai. That is all I'm saying.
Bye

dissention · #2 10-22-2003, 12:10 PM

At least we know from that that Stevie takes the time to be nice to others instead of being like all kinds of other stars who act as if they are the closest thing to divinity. And the Mac sure is damn gen'rous with their backstage passes and their tickets and their food!!

golden braid · #3 10-22-2003, 01:39 PM

Thanks for the article. I always want to know what goes on backstage and behind the scenes. And it's nice to know that Stevie was gracious too.

deribish · #4 10-22-2003, 02:02 PM

My chiroprator told me that some 20 years ago when FM was playing Buffalo (Mirage or Tusk tour) -- his friend was Stevie's limo driver for that evening. She got into the car and asked if she could sit up front with the driver, becuase she said she didn't want to sit back in the big limo by herself. He said they chatted all the way to the hotel and that Miss Nicks was very funny.

Mystical88 · #5 10-22-2003, 02:08 PM

Yes it is nice to know that they are not totally ignored and have some previes too. My brother in law was a limo driver for a while and he told me some stories. Nice to hear they are just like everyone else you know? But is true if you screw up thats it for you.........

Nice to share the story!

Thanks

Johnny Stew · #6 10-22-2003, 02:10 PM

Thanks for posting that, Chris.

In all my years of fandom, I've never heard a story of Stevie being anything less than gracious with fans and employees.

Even though she's often accused of being pampered and "out of touch," it's nice to know that she's never forgotten simple human kindness.

David · #7 10-22-2003, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Johnny Stew
Thanks for posting that, Chris.

In all my years of fandom, I've never heard a story of Stevie being anything less than gracious with fans and employees.

Even though she's often accused of being pampered and "out of touch," it's nice to know that she's never forgotten simple human kindness.

She's always been an extremely well-mannered & gracious person. The DJs used to talk about her in glowing terms personally. Even the DJs & the magazine writers who didn't care much for her music generally spoke about what a nice person she was & how they appreciated not being lied to by Stevie, the way they often were by other rock stars.

strandinthewind · #8 10-22-2003, 02:30 PM

That story is great. A private car driver in Manhattan told me that he drove Stevie and some other people from the city to Long Island one time and she was great. He did say, however, that they smoked pot the whole way.

Rock On Stevie!!!!!

Les · #9 10-22-2003, 05:23 PM

I like that. Not only is it a neat story, but it's a pretty well-written one. I love his descriptions of the whole atmosphere. Thanks for posting that.

The Catdancer · #10 10-22-2003, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by David
She's always been an extremely well-mannered & gracious person. The DJs used to talk about her in glowing terms personally. Even the DJs & the magazine writers who didn't care much for her music generally spoke about what a nice person she was & how they appreciated not being lied to by Stevie, the way they often were by other rock stars.

You're right about that. About 10,12 years ago I spoke to Nicky Horn, a UK DJ. He was invited to Stevie's house to do an interview. He arrived at midnight and they talked till 6 am. And she told him everything he wanted to know. He said that she was crazy (in a good way) and so very honest. He said he interviewed a lot of rock stars but nobody was so open and honest as Stevie. He also praised her for her hospitality, he could have evertything he wanted, all he needed to do was ask. She showed him around the house and the studio and she played Rhiannon for him on the piano. He was very nice and sent me a tape of that interview.
Debbie

sara1998 · #11 10-22-2003, 11:23 PM

Stevie's so sweet.... She's not completely caught up in herself!

Thanks for that story! Does he have a website or something? Where did you find this?

Maria

tigermike68 · #12 10-23-2003, 10:02 AM

Wow! Great story. Thanks for sharing. It's good to know that Stevie is such a cool person. And it's enlightening to know how much preparation goes into each concert.

ShangriLaTroubl · #13 10-23-2003, 12:36 PM

Yeah I was just browsing around..and happened to stumble upon it...it's from his personal website...and hes a limo driver...and he writes a blog on there...and diff experiences with bein a limo driver

Chris

ricohv · #14 10-23-2003, 12:58 PM

Hey CatDancer- I think I have that interview w/ Nicky Horn on cassette tape buried away somewhere. I think it was for an English radio show. I think it came out around TimeSpace. She was talking about a big coffee table book of her art and writing that she was going to compile (which I'm sure is in limbo, like the Rhiannon movie, or the children's books, etc. etc.), and how her art had been printed on t-shirts that were selling like crazy out of her moms store-being sold for a charity or something.

I kind of like when you catch interviews with her in a "down" time, as you learn a lot more, there's more focus on what she does in her life, etc. Of course I'm glad for their new limelight (again!) ...I can tell you I will be happy when I don't have to hear things like "power trio" anymore!

Ricoh

dissention · #15 10-23-2003, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ricohv
Hey CatDancer- I think I have that interview w/ Nicky Horn on cassette tape buried away somewhere. I think it was for an English radio show. I think it came out around TimeSpace. She was talking about a big coffee table book of her art and writing that she was going to compile (which I'm sure is in limbo, like the Rhiannon movie, or the children's books, etc. etc.), and how her art had been printed on t-shirts that were selling like crazy out of her moms store-being sold for a charity or something.

She was still babbling about book of her art being published by her friend once the TISL tour ended on a radio show in Worchester, MA.

That obviously never came to fruition.