[Slowhand] MSG - June 28th - EC Story

[Clapton495 at aol.com]

Hello all fellow Slowhanders...

I went to see EC June 28th at Madison Square Garden.  And what a show it was.  It also happen to be my 21st birthday which made it really fun.  I purchased my first official beer for $6 at the Garden.

Anyway, it was a great show.  I started off the night by heading over to the stage to watch Mr. Lee Dickson work on EC's guitars.  Upon arriving on the side of the stage to my surprise Mr. EC himself walks out and begins talking to Lee, something about how many guitars they had with them.  He seemed a little mad.  But I was completly surprised and didn't know what to say.  So I kept my mouth shut, mainly because the security guards are really nasty at the Garden.  My seat was sort of close but not directly in that area, so if I began to get loud they would have chased me out.  So I watched EC have about a 5-7 minute conversation with Lee.  It was pretty cool.  After EC left, Lee started looking around the audience.  Now being the smart person I am :) I brought with me a magazine clipping of an interview with Lee.  I wanted to have him sign this for me, mainly so I could get on his good side and maybe get a pick (this being a goal of mine for the last 5 years, going to EC shows).  But it would also be cool to have the autograph of EC's guitar tech.  Moving on, as soon as Lee looked up and spotted me I held up the clipping and he looked at me funny, wondering what it was.  I said to him, "Can you sign this for me?"  He asked, "Who, Eric"? I said, "No you..."  He was surprised at first and walked over, I gave him the clipping and he said, "Oh it is me!"  I handed him a Sharpie, but it was not to much to his liking, there was no point.  He looked at it, and made a funny face and threw it back to me, then walked over to his desk and got his own.  I thought this was pretty funny.  He took the clipping and took his time to sign it, and it read "Best wishes, Lee Dickson, N.Y. 2004."  He then walked over and handed me the signed clipping, and I said thanks a lot.  And then asked him how it was to see the 335 go, and he mentioned it was sad to see them all go.  Then the security walked over and asked to see my ticket, I said I would be leaving soon and only came to watch the guitar tech, but he asked me to leave.  And as I was leaving I yelled to Lee, "Do you have any picks?"  He shouted back, "...at the end."  I was like damn, no pick this year!  

But anyway, I waited the entire show, (which was great by the way, "I shot the Sheriff" was amazing)...and at the end of the last song, as they were taking their bow, I started making my way towards the side of stage hoping Lee would keep his promise.  By now almost everyone had walked off stage, except Nathan East who was right on the side of the stage still waiving, which was cool.  But then as he left and the lights came on, I yelled..."Lee!...Lee!"  He looked at me and quickly threw a pick in my direction, I caught it in my opened right hand on the fly (and for anyone that has ever had a pick thrown at them or threw a pick, they don't exactly fly great).  He saw that I had caught the pick and looked at me and winked.  I said to him thanks a lot and then quickly got chased away by security.  But I had achieved my long time goal and I was happy, extremely happy.  As I was walking away a few people started asking, "Hey, do you have any picks?"  Lee ignored them for a while and then as I looked back Lee started throwing picks into the air, which made me feel good, because he gave ME one!  Anyway, that is my EC story, I hope you enoyed.  eRic (and yes my name is Eric, pretty funny huh?).