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Post by elophile on Aug 14, 2019 11:40:55 GMT
You longtime ELO fans definitely deserve respect for your dedication through all those years when the biggest ELO related news you could hope for was Jeff going out to eat with Joe Walsh... elophile , I caught the tail of those years, the last 2 or 3, with the complete emptiness of news, the forum having at times only 3 or 4 comments a day and just a handful of regularly active members, the polls and contests being the main attraction, and I even remember that news about Jeff going out to eat with Joe Walsh. And as I recall, you were there. You didn't participate as much as you do now but you popped in from time to time and participated, with the blue violin as your avatar image. Am I wrong? Yup! That was me Helmut83 . The old blue violin!! My current avatar is so much better!! I was more of a lurker back then. And as for The Joe Walsh Incident (great name for a band BTW) I used to joke that I was such a big JL fan I even knew when he went out for dinner... then I'd get super serious and say "No, I'm not kidding. I really know when Jeff goes out for dinner."
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Post by queenofthehours on Aug 14, 2019 15:23:39 GMT
I am still in admiration of the poise and dignity with which Grroosss and nobodyschild met The Great One.
On the forum we have often imagined how we would act if we were ever called into Jeff's presence. Reactions to this impossible scenario seem to have ranged from collapsing and speaking jibberish up to spontaneous combustion and floods of tears.
Grroosss and nobodyschild did none of these things and have shown great nerve in a very unique experience. I for one know that I wouldn't have coped so well as they have.
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Post by Helmut83 on Aug 14, 2019 18:33:17 GMT
as for The Joe Walsh Incident (great name for a band BTW) I used to joke that I was such a big JL fan I even knew when he went out for dinner... then I'd get super serious and say "No, I'm not kidding. I really know when Jeff goes out for dinner." Eh, if I had been you I would have left it after the first part, when it was still supposed to be a joke, just in case. I bet after the second part your parishioners started crossing worried looks between each other... My point is you congratulated other fans for having been there through the no-news times as if you hadn't been there yourself, take some credit too!
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Post by elophile on Aug 14, 2019 19:14:51 GMT
Eh, if I had been you I would have left it after the first part, when it was still supposed to be a joke, just in case. I bet after the second part your parishioners started crossing worried looks between each other... Who says that wasn't the effect i was going for? My point is you congratulated other fans for having been there through the no-news times as if you hadn't been there yourself, take some credit too! True, but I was only there for the tail end of it... imagine waiting since the end of The Wilburys for Jeff to do something!
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Post by Helmut83 on Aug 14, 2019 21:35:32 GMT
Eh, if I had been you I would have left it after the first part, when it was still supposed to be a joke, just in case. I bet after the second part your parishioners started crossing worried looks between each other... Who says that wasn't the effect i was going for? Was that the effect you were going for?
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Post by elophile on Aug 14, 2019 22:52:02 GMT
Who says that wasn't the effect i was going for? Was that the effect you were going for? yes.
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Post by nobodyschild on Aug 15, 2019 20:26:38 GMT
Terribly sorry for the long gap in our story...But wait! There’s more! Some of you may have noticed a little something else sitting on the table in that photo and wondered, wait, what’s A New World Record doing there? I hadn’t originally wanted to, because I didn’t want to be too much trouble, but I’d somehow been brought to my senses and was convinced to take my LP sleeve along in hopes of a signature. I’d still been a bit on the fence about asking about it, even though we’d been carrying it around all day, but with some prompting from my family I’d shyly managed to ask Emilie earlier if perhaps, if it wasn’t too much trouble of course, Jeff could sign it. She’d asked which album it was (I was a bit puzzled, would he not sign certain albums or something? but maybe it was just to satisfy her own curiosity) and then assured me it wouldn’t be any problem. So, after Jeff had signed the guitar, they handed him a silver Sharpie—and before he could test it on some unsuspecting notepad he was assured that it also was a brand-new one. Some debate sprang up over how I wanted to be addressed in Jeff’s note to me; I had, out of stiff formality, introduced myself as Ariana at the beginning of the day, but had rather quickly fallen back into the familiar, comfortable habit of using my three-letter nickname, so some confusion had arisen. Eventually we settled on that all I wanted was just a nice A, R, I (“Ariana is only used like, ‘Ariana, you go clean your room riGHT NOW,’” which prompted a good laugh from all the adults in the room, Jeff himself included). Our dad had resumed his habit of bragging about us and was now telling the room how we owned every ELO album on vinyl except for the first one, but then we both butted in with a “No” to correct him. “We don’t have Zoom either,” Grroosss said,to which I added that it’s a rather elusive one to find on vinyl since they never made that many. At this, Craig perked up: “Oh, which one don’t you have? Zoom? We’ll get you a copy.” My eyes must have gotten as big and round as saucers—a certain flying one—and either the expression on my face did all the talking or I actually squeaked out “Really?” because the next thing I knew Craig was assuring us yes, really, we have your contact info and everything, we’ll mail it to you, nodding his head and giving off an air of “It’s no big deal”, leaving me totally shocked. Now that albums/guitars had been signed, pictures had been taken, and it was approaching 8:00, Jeff and his entourage left to go prepare for the show, and we were led back out into the hallway en route to our seats. Emilie let us know she would keep the guitar, album cover, and our VIP goody bags safe during the concert, and she explained as we walked down the hall that we’d have to be ready to go as soon as Roll Over Beethoven was over, she’d come grab us and lead us out the back with the guitar so we didn’t have to fuss with the crowds. I was still (excuse the bad pun) “Rattled” from our encounter and everything that had just happened, but by now had enough control over my senses to understand that this was important, I should listen—and of course, to approve of our Hard Day’s Night-style concert getaway plan.
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Post by Horacewimp on Aug 15, 2019 20:58:59 GMT
Great instalment nobodyschild I had spotted the ANWR cover on the table it seemed to still have a price label on it, can you tell us what Jeff wrote when he signed it?
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Post by BSJ on Aug 15, 2019 21:11:40 GMT
Good girl, Ari! Well done, poppa! You got the girls Zoom by special delivery. Mmmmm… wonder if it will be blessed with Damey's signature? Not have to "fuss" with the crowd! Welcome to the rock and roll life!
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Post by unomusette on Aug 15, 2019 22:19:29 GMT
WOW! You might have been thinking things couldn't get any better,then this! Fantastic end to your meetup chronicle, thanks millions for sharing your experience with us
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Post by BSJ on Aug 15, 2019 23:17:45 GMT
You are right, Toots. This one is golden.
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Post by Grroosss on Aug 16, 2019 6:16:19 GMT
Great instalment nobodyschild I had spotted the ANWR cover on the table it seemed to still have a price label on it, can you tell us what Jeff wrote when he signed it? nobodyschild you’re such a drag... I figured you would’ve taken a photo of your newly-adorned album to show it off here!
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Post by Helmut83 on Aug 16, 2019 6:43:19 GMT
Girls, what an incredible experience you two lived! Lifetime memories. And on top of everything you'll get the bonus track of completing your collection of vinyls with the missing piece, what else could you have asked for? I’ve been learning a bit... I know a handful of chords, and I figured out the riff to ‘Day Tripper’, but my fingers aren’t very agile yet... and I’m not exactly great at strumming yet either Come on, you have to learn how to play it now! It's not just any guitar, it's a guitar that Jeff Lynne himself gave you and signed for you! Destiny put it in your hands, I say now it's time to do your part.
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Post by nobodyschild on Aug 16, 2019 6:50:00 GMT
Grroosss oh please, of course I have a picture, I’m not “such a drag” as you put it... A New World Record (Sleeve), as photographed the night it was signed:
(Yes, of course I enjoy showing it off—not only is the fact that it’s been signed amazing, but look at how the message curves PERFECTLY over the top of the spaceship!!)
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Post by Grroosss on Aug 16, 2019 7:08:44 GMT
Well done, poppa! You got the girls Zoom by special delivery. Mmmmm… wonder if it will be blessed with Damey's signature? It arrived safe and sound just a few days after we returned home from Chicago—no, sadly it’s not signed. But it was only the second album that I’ve had the privilege of opening the shrink wrap on! (the first being Alone In the Universe) ...Always something sacred and awe-inspiring about that, at least for me, knowing you’ll be the first to play that record... doesn’t happen very often since I prefer to not buy reissues, I like used vinyl ‘cos of the little pieces of history you get along with it.
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