Читать книгу Now This is a Very True Story - Jimmy Jones - Страница 6

NICKO MCBRAIN

I’D HEARD OF Jimmy Jones but I’d never seen him – his reputation went before him. So the first night I was due to work with him I was really nervous. I didn’t know what to expect. We were in Gullivers, a Mayfair nightclub, back in the early 1970s and Jim had his own room in the basement which was called Kinnell’s in honour of his catchphrase.

I sat at a table in the little balcony, stage right, and surveyed the audience. Keith Emerson, the legendary keyboard player was there, a couple of starlets, a minor Royal, and I wondered what I was letting myself in for. Then Jim started. He grabbed the audience by the throat and didn’t let up. I was in hysterics from the off. Jimmy had a lot of one-liners back then and the pace was relentless. I was actually hurting from laughing at him. And when I got the call to go on stage I didn’t know how I’d manage it. How would it be possible to play the drums when you were cracking up?

With most shows, the band might watch the star’s act once or twice and after that they’d tend to spend the rest of the shows at the bar. But Jimmy Jones was so funny I didn’t miss a single performance. I saw every one of his shows and they were always a riot. I was a fan for life.

Unfortunately, Jim wasn’t much of a fan of my drumming. As you’ll see later in this book, he gave me the sack because my drumming was too loud. I put dusters on and everything but I was still too much for Jim and I was out – the rotten bastard!

He was up front about it, though, and he did apologise. It was impossible to stay mad at him, because he’s such a wonderful man. You couldn’t wish to meet a nicer gentleman. He’s straight down the line, too. What you see is what you get with Jim. That’s what endeared him to me. He never takes anything or anyone for granted. And he’s funny off-stage as well. He doesn’t crack jokes all the time; it’s just that larger-than-life personality of his. He can’t help but make you grin.

I was lucky enough to get to know Jim socially and spend time with his family. Once I went to Sunday dinner at his house in Essex with Phil Hilborne, the blues guitarist. We had a great time, a few beers, some stories. Jim’s wife Marion cooked up a smashing roast. Jimmy’s only job was to carry in the peas but somehow he managed to trip up and the peas went everywhere. Most blokes would have gone ballistic. Not Jim. He just looked back and said, ‘Kinnell, who put that rug there?’ Then we were all down on our hands and knees picking up the peas before Marion could see what had happened. They tasted great! A bit of grit and shit doesn’t hurt anyone.

Ten years after Gullivers, I joined Iron Maiden. Sitting in the tour bus, I started telling a few Jimmy Jones gags and it turned out that the boys all loved him as well – we used to play his tapes on the road, as a lot of rock bands did. We would have Jimmy Jones nights on tour where we’d all sit around retelling his greatest jokes. We invited him down to a few of our shows and parties. He’s performed at charity bashes for us. We all love him to bits.

Some po-faced people take Jones the wrong way. I was angry on his behalf back in the ’80s when certain councils banned him from performing at their venues. Yes, his act is brutal, but that’s comedy. There was never any offence meant – I know that because I’ve known Jimmy Jones well for 37 years.

I’m proud and happy to say that as well as being a living legend he’s a great person, and a true friend.

Nicko McBrain, September 2010