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Posted by: Smells Feb 12 2008, 04:00 PM

So the band I currently play in is having a revamp of members, a drummer and bass player, no ones been dumped or anything like that but we live too far apart and it makes organising rehearsals etc a real pain!

so mutually we`ve parted company sad... but thats life, we`ve known each other (all of us) and played in bands together for the last 15 years!

Anyway, we have a drummer to audition next week thats more local to us, so I was pondering around the internet for an alternative rehearsal studio to play in (as the one we where using was also miles away!)

I came accross a studio not too far from where I live here in the UK so I rang it up and booked their rehearsal room, no problems, extremely polite guy answered and sorted it out for me.

then I was looking through the studio`s website to discover that its owned and run by guitarist Bernie Torme!, now.. . for those of you unfamiliar with this name he played for a while for the Gillan Band (Ian Gillan from Deep Purple) and actually replaced Randy Rhoads on the tour that Randy was tragically killed on, I have an album by this guy, he also played with Dee Snider (Twisted Sister) in the group Desperado, an alternative almost Punk style you can check him out here http://www.bernietorme.com/

I have a friend that actually knows him personally and I already knew this but just didnt put two and two together!

So you can imagine that I`m pretty excited about my rehearsal next week, sod the practice I`m getting to meet Bernie Torme lol!!!

I realise this guy isnt front page for most of you but for me its quite a big deal

Posted by: The Uncreator Feb 12 2008, 04:56 PM

Awesome Chris!!

Always awesome when you get to meet on your heroes!

Posted by: OrganisedConfusion Feb 12 2008, 05:02 PM

Cool. That is really awesome. Let us know how it goes. The other guitarist in my band has played with some of the very early Iron Maiden guitarists.

Posted by: Iluha Feb 12 2008, 05:04 PM

Wow, that's great Chris! allways great to meet you'r idols!

Posted by: Smells Feb 12 2008, 05:32 PM

yea! I`m looking forward to it he came accross as a really nice guy on the phone so hopefully I wont be disappointed

Posted by: Smells Feb 23 2008, 01:13 AM

So tonight was the night, and I got to meet the man! A hero of mine from when I was sixteen and learning to play the guitar!

I wasnt disappointed, what a great bloke! He spent more time and genuinly seemed interested in us and asking where we`d played in the past than we got to ask him any stuff at no point did he drop in stuff like "well of course I played Madison Square Gardens with Ozzy" or anything like that to belittle us, a geniune decent guy, I`m chuffed to bits

Posted by: The Uncreator Feb 23 2008, 01:32 AM

Sounds awesome man, glad you have fun

Posted by: DeepRoots Feb 23 2008, 01:35 AM

Man, if i played with/met any of my current 3 guitar heroes id forever be satisfied with any and all work i spent on guitar, Glad you had fun Chris

Posted by: Smells Feb 23 2008, 01:43 AM

Well I`ve been lucky enough to meet, and when I say meet I really mean meet, not just a quick hand shake or a quick photo etc, I mean sit down chat & meet 2 (now) guitarists that I considered as hero`s for me when I was younger, of course as you get older your idols, people you aspire to change but the originals never get forgotten and to have met Paul samson (unfortunatly dead now) and now Bernie Torme is for me just fantastic

Posted by: sam47 Feb 23 2008, 02:20 AM

Very cool to actually sit and really chat him up. Closest I ever got was about 10 seconds getting Buddy Guy's autograph . I'm not bitchin' though, I rode that high for weeks! You have to really be stoked. That's really great.

Posted by: Smells Feb 23 2008, 01:59 PM

yea thats putting it mildly, I`ve bored my wife senseless this morning with it lol!

Posted by: Andrew Cockburn Feb 23 2008, 02:39 PM

I bet! Cool thing though, congrats