I receive a lot of very interesting stories from people who have just seen Robin for the first time or at some time in the past have had a unique experience meeting people from the band or sometimes they just want to make a statement about the music that may be too large to write in a guest book.   I felt that they would be interesting reading to the people who visit my site. So with the writers permission here are a few for you to enjoy.........
 

July 22, 1988. The Robin Trower Band at Bogart's in Cincinnati, Ohio. My long suffering wife, who had tolerated Trower on the record player for years,  offered to accompany me if we made a two day road trip out of it by staying  in a motel and eating a good meal.  Sooo. We leave WAY early and head south the 70 miles to Bogart's. After  driving around in a circle for a while, we small towner's spot the place.  It's a converted movie house tucked deep in the bowels of a side street.  So off we go to look for a place to stay overnight. Down the street about 5 blocks, we see this massive old timey Hotel called The Vernon Manor. Looking  up at it we're thinking  probably expensive.  But it was a rare night out  for the two of us, so in we go.  $76.00 for a room on the 5th floor. Wow. That was steep for us peons back in '88! So we ride up to see the room. Hoo Haw  about the size of a master  bedroom closet! Very nice, but very small. Really high class bed and dresser  - woven rug and fancy wall paper. We kinda laughed and went back down to check out the Hotel's restaurant, off the lobby.  Wow. Again, high class. Huge red upholstered horseshoe shaped booths. Waiters in bow ties. Fresh flowers and live foliage. We felt like the hicks we were!  Hee Hee.  So we eat. Excellent food. I won't say too much more, save for something that cracked us both up. A waiter materialized with a crystal ashtray when he saw  us with cigarettes. Funny thing was that the dude was a dogged professional  about his "tray duty". No sooner would my wife or I grind a butt out that "Tray Man" would again materialize, cover the used one with a new, dump the old - and smartly disappear.  After this happened the 3rd or 4th time, we started to giggle. The night was  going well.  OK. Done with our steak suppers, we head to the elevator to go back to our closet. There's four guys already in there watching us run up to get on. We're quiet in their presence as the lift takes off. Doesn't take too long to hear the obvious English accent detectable in their hushed conversation. Then  I notice 2 of them have Trower T-shirts on. Ut Oh!!   In a rare moment of social boldness I blurt out  "you guys with Trower?" ...  a pause, then I continue with ... "Is Robin staying here?" They quickly exchange smirkish glances amongst their selves and the one dude says  "errr well, we're not supposed to say". Friggin' DUH?  So I start blabbing away about Trower and the upcoming concert. They're all  nodding politely while I'm prattling away. So the lift stops and they get  off. Hee Hee ... I get off with them - leaving my wife standing in the  elevator giving me a queer look. The head dude says "our floor chap". I go "oops" and blurt out a "see you tonight" or something equally inane and step red-faced back on the lift.  My wife razzed me for that. Oh yeah. Called me a "goof ball", if I remember right. "Trowers' men" ... I breathlessly offered. The night is definitely going well.  So on up to the closet. We sat there for a while. Wife touched herself up and then we say, "Now what"? We thought we'd go drive a little. Maybe go back by Bogart's and see if there was a line starting.  So down the elevator to the lobby. We get off and start across the floor towards the front doors and Melanie hisses and pokes me roughly with her elbow. Startles the pee out of me, but before I can punch her back, she loud  whispers "Isn't that him!?"  I look in the direction of her eyes and I'll be goll damned ... Robin Trower was headed in through the front doors, coming right at us.  People, that was a VERY strange moment. You got to realize what this meant -  I was nuts for him back then, I had just started seriously practicing the guitar a year before. (I've calmed down some in my old age  ) The guitarist I'd listened to SO much was walking right toward me with, get  this .... tennis shorts on and a towel around his neck!  Carrying a tennis racket and very obviously alone, it was bizzare to happen upon him like that. I thought very quickly about speaking to him, but I only had a split second to think, then say something that wasn't embarrassing.  I chose not to say something  from fright, more than anything. In  retrospect, what I probably should've said was a controlled and dignified - "Hello Robin" and just sashayed on by. But as fast as it happened, the opportunity had passed. I passed within inches of Trower "Live" - "Bridge of Sighs" ! .... I was shaking when we hit  the doors and my wife about spit, she was smirking so violently. I'm saying stupid shit like "God that was him" with her claiming first sight on him. A  great moment for Mel and I. The night was going well. So we take off in the car and head straight back down to Bogart's and see this monster line clear around the corner. (Bogart's is in the middle of the block) Damn! we both comment. No problem, we had advance tickets, but we  thought we'd best get in line. We park and take our place. Anybody that was near to us in that line, and would listen, got told the  "Robin in tennis shorts story". Some looked at me with a pitiful expression  reserved only for pathological liars but, a few thought it was SO cool to see Robin in a casual, non-music setting. Yep, me too! Melanie was soooo proud with her eye rolling! What a wife!  So we get inside about 45 minutes later and suffered a short opening by a  local band. Trower's show prep started to get underway and guess who I saw?  Yep, the dude in the elevator was the sound man. We exchanged American-like "HEYS" to each other, but that was it. Again, I didn't want to bother, he WAS busy.  Soooooooo.  1988 was one of Trower's better lineups with Davey Pattison on vocals - Dave Bronze on Bass and Pete Thompson on drums. Here's the set list from that tour-  Too Rolling Stoned, Love Attack, Day Of The Eagle, Bridge Of Sighs, Second Time, No Time, Take What You Need,  Rock Me Baby, Tear It Up, Little Bit Of Sympathy, Lady Love, Into The Flame, Daydream, If You Really Want To Find Love.  Good show, we were half way back with some friends, that had came down  separately. At that time Bogart's had a few metal folding chairs and some  industrial-type folding tables that everyone stood on. We did the "Sing-along" with Robin during "Rock Me Baby" ...  Had a grand old time.  When he hit the trill to start "Bridge of Sighs" I leaned to Melanie and said something fan-ish like "This is the song he's known for". So Melanie says, with a knowing waggle of her head, ... "well, git up on the table, so you can see it" (eyeball roll) Hee Hee. The night was going well.  We leave after the show and head back to the Vernon Manor and straight up to our room. Antsy as hell after the concert and knowing now where Robin is  staying  I tell Melanie I'm going down and try to catch Robin for an  autograph. All I had with me was a cassette J-card from "Take What You Need" It would have to do.  So, down I go stopping at the front desk for an ink pen for RT. Nice, warm summer night … I wander out to sit on the fountain in front and  take up my vigil. Well, 4 cigarettes later, I'm starting to be concerned. I  know he's eventually gonna come, but I'm wondering if there's a back or side entrance that he'll use.  About that time, I snapped my head around to see a dark Lincoln Town Car pull up in front. Damn!  He got by me! So I hop up and flat run towards the car that has now pulled past the entrance and stopped. The driver gets out - big guy and I don't recognize him. Then the passenger door. It's him. Black leather jacket,  parachute pants.  Now I'm slowing my sprint down to a bouncy jog, with the big guy eyeing me firmly as I approach. (I hadn't seen a pic of Trower's long time manager Derek Sutton back then. But now I think it was him, judging by pics I've seen  on the 'net.) Anyway  RT is looking at me, too. I'm knowing that it doesn't look too cool - me running towards him, so in an effort to ease his possible anxiety, I say "Robin". (a few heavy breaths) "Would you mind an autograph?". Then an impish smile appears on his face and he nods to me and shakes my hand.  OK. Out of breath standing in front of Robin Trower. What do I say? I believe it was "Great show tonight, Robin" And as he had taken the pen and started his distinctive autograph, I add "I have all your albums!" Hee Hee. Hey, I was nervous!  Then "Big Guy" (Derek) spouts off with "how'd you know where we were staying?" I come back with "cause I'm staying here". Hee Haw.   I then ignore Sutton and say "Thanks, Robin" - as they were at the front door. I laid back as not to ride up with them. Really didn't trust myself. I was happy with what had happened. So I took the elevator minutes later to the room.  I walked in and Melanie said  "you seen him, didn't you!" It was wrote all over my silly face. I showed her the autograph and she pats me and asks "Happy?"  Yep, a hellava night.  MikeTTF

This from Dave Salzman who provided us with those great "Go My Way" posters that were for
sale at all of the shows on Robin's 2000 tour.

Greetings Steve! I wanted to introduce myself as I am a long time HUGE fan of Robin's and like to meet  others who share an appreciation for this man's work. I read your story on attending your first show and your  meeting Bill and everybody and it sounded fantastic and like you had a GREAT time!   It was a fun story to read and thought I'd share my story here with you hoping you don't mind.       I am 40 years old now and first heard Bridge of Sighs 25 years ago (in 1975 probably about 6 months after  it came out in '74). I remember that day very clearly. A friend of mine brought in this wild looking green LP  cover and put it on the turntable. As the record was playing, I sat up in my chair and started listening really  intently. The sounds grabbed my attention like no other record ever had before (or has since). I asked my  friend, who is this? He replied Robert Trowler or something like that. Upon closer examination of the LP  cover I saw that it was actually "Robin Trower", a name I had never heard. A few days later, I started  looking into this man's music and found Twice Removed From Yesterday (more incredible stuff!) and from  then on to this day have been completely hooked and purchased every RT recording made. Also, since I live  in Chicago (a town frequented by RT) I've had the privilege of seeing him live about 40 times (beginning with  the For Earth Below tour). Those early recordings were SO inspirational to me that I went out and bought my  first strat in 1976 and haven't put it down since. Robin's music has easily been the biggest influence on my  own playing ever since   then. However, with me it was never like "yeah, I'm learning these Trower songs and I'm gonna play them".  It was always more of IDENTIFYING with the emotion(s) he has in his music. When Robin talk's about a  sort of lump in his throat when he's playing, that's the kind of emotion I relate to as this happens to me as  well. That's not something you learn. That's something you either have or you don't, and I suspect that's  something you relate to as well.   .   Some years back, (I think it was the Passion tour) I did some guitar tech work for friends of mine who  opened for Robin a few times in Chicago. This helped afford me the opportunity to have one of my Strats  signed by RT, although I unfortunately wasn't in the room when he signed it. Apart from getting the Strat  signed and getting an autograph while he was about to drive   away from another show, it wasn't until THIS YEAR that I actually had the opportunity to meet and chat with  Robin in person. I had contacted Derek Sutton through the TrowerPower web page and told him I am a long  time fan, and that I own a printing company in Chicago. I expressed to him that it would be my pleasure and  honour to provide any printing services that he and Robin may need. Derek contacted me and after a few  emails and phone calls, he contracted me to print the "Go My Way" posters which have been for sale on the  tour. Needless to say, I was ecstatic to get that printing job! I completed the posters and shipped them. When  the tour then rolled through the Chicago area, I met Derek and he gave me tickets to the House of Blues  show and backstage passes for myself and my wife Janice. I found Derek to be a very nice person, and a  manager who obviously has been a friend of Robin's for quite a while and works very hard to help promote  Robins music and career.       After the show (which was tremendous as usual!), Janice and I were invited into the dressing room to meet  and chat with Robin, Richard, and Derek for a bit. (Alvino was out I believe visiting with some family of his  who had attended the show). As brief a visit as it was, Robin was very friendly and gracious. It was like  meeting a brother I've had for 25 years only he never knew me. It was like, where do you even begin when  you have only a few minutes to talk with this man? Still, it was quite a thrill for me.  His music has graced so  many pages of my life story, and I have to thank him for making that story a little bit brighter.       Take care Steve and hopefully we can chat someday too. It's always fun to get to know others who have  the same appreciation for this EXTRAORDINARY person and artist.   All the best,   Dave Salzman

I saw your Robin Trower pages and thought you might be interested in my story.  I am a big  Jimi Hendrix fan, and have been since 1971 when I was fourteen.   I learnt to play guitar and listened to a lot of guitar-oriented music, aside from Jimi this  included Roy Buchanan, Focus, Rory Gallagher, Deep Purple, Santana, Blue Oyster Cult, and  others.  In the early Seventies Robin Trower was making a name for himself, but I never heard his  music.  Many music papers tagged him as a Jimi Hendrix clone, and used that as a starting  point in their reviews.  Recently, I found an intereview with Jimmy Page dated 1974 where  Jimmy and the interviewer are discussing Jimi Hendrix, then the interviewer says "I  mentioned Robin Trower" to which Jimmy Page replies "Yeah, it's nice. But, y'know, that's  just one little aspect of Jimi's style."  Those sort of comments, and the stance reviewers took,  put me off listening to Trower's music.   Let's jump forward more than 20 years when I'm in a record store and I see the CD "Robin  Trower" in the "Champions of Rock" series (Disky CR 862682, (P)1996).  It's budget price  and I decide to buy it.  I listen  to it and love most of the tracks.  I play it over and over listening for the style that  pretends to be Jimi, but I just can't hear it.  This man has what most professionals aim  for - his own musical identity.  I simply do not hear anything approaching the style of Jimi  Hendrix.  I avoided listening to a  talented musician because I was misled into thinking his  music was derivative.   I post a message to a mailing list asking about this 16-track CD and find out that it contains  one track from "Twice Removed from Yesterday," "Bridge of Sighs," "For Earth Below,"  and "In City Dreams," four from "Long Misty Days," three from each of "Caravan to  Midnight" and "Back it Up" and two from "B.L.T."  So quite a mixture.  But I need to listen  to albums proper.  So I get "Bridge of Sighs."  This is a knock-out album, and I play it  often.  I get "Passion" but that doesn't seem as good, nor does "Someday Blues" and "Go  my Way." Maybe they don't sound so good because I'm comparing them to "Bridge of  Sighs."  I'll have  to listen to them some more.   My great guitar idol is Jimi Hendrix - he was the best.  Robin  Trower is not Jimi Hendrix,  but he doesn't try to be, and has his own musical identity.  Music isn't a competition anyway,  so  whether Jimi's "better" doesn't matter.   I just wish I'd got into Robin Trower years ago and hadn't listened to all those rather  ignorant reviewers. I suppose I should find out for myself, now, whether Frank Marino is a  Hendrix clone,  or has something to say, musically.   Martin   http://www.angelfire.com/mo3/martin0/

This one was in my guestbook  and is from Mike and Susan Short ..

HEY STEVE, WE HAVE A GREAT STORY TO TELL, BUT IT MAY BE A LITTLE LONG, HANG IN  THERE, IT IS WORTH IT. MY HUSBAND AND I WENT TO SEE ROBIN IN A SMALL PLACE  CALLED THE STEPHEN TALKHOUSE IN AMAGANSETT,NY. WE STAYED IN A MOTEL FOR THE  NIGHT. WHEN WE  CHECKED IN TO THE MOTEL, THE CLERK ASKED US WHY WE WERE IN THE AREA AND WE  TOLD HIM TO SEE TROWER THAT NIGHT AT THE TALKHOUSE. HE THEN TOLD US THAT  TROWER WAS STAYING THERE ALSO. THE EXCITEMENT THAT CAME OVER US WAS  UNEXPLAINABLE. IT WAS A RAINY DAY, SO WE DECIDED TO UNPACK AND TAKE A LOOK  AROUND. AT THAT POINT, I LOOKED UP AND SAW A DOOR ON THE SECOND FLOOR OF THIS  MOTEL OPEN, AND SOMEONE WITH GRAYISH HAIR, LOOKING LIKE ROBIN, POPPED HIS  HEAD OUT, LOOKED AROUND AS IF HE WERE WAITING FOR SOMEONE AND THEN WALKED  BACK INTO HIS ROOM, LEAVING THE DOOR OPEN. I THEN TOLD MY HUSBAND MIKE WHAT I  HAD JUST SEEN AND THAT I THOUGHT IT LOOKED LIKE TROWER.  I WAS SO EXCITED THAT  ANYONE COULD HAVE LOOKED LIKE TROWER, SO I NEEDED MIKE TO SEE WHAT I SAW TO  SEE IF I WAS NUTS OR THIS WAS  REALLY "THE MAN". MIKE AND I WALKED IN THE  PARKING LOT TOWARDS THIS ROOM AND LOOKED UP AND THE OPEN DOOR, WHEN ALL OF  A SUDDEN ROBIN POPS OUT. HE STARES AT US AND WE STARE BACK AT HIM, IN  AMAZEMENT, STUNNED, NOT KNOWING WHAT TO SAY. THEN MIKE DECIDES TO BREAK THE  SILENT STARE AND SAY "ROBIN". HE SMILES BACK AND SAYS HELLO. THEN MIKE SAYS,  "MY FAVORITE ALBUM CARAVAN TO MIDNIGHT". "WILL YOU TAKE A PHOTO WITH US?"  ROBIN DECLINES, SAYING HE IS BUSY, MAYBE LATER. WE THEN KEEP WALKING, TURN  AROUND TO HEAD BACK TO OUR ROOM AND ROBIN YELLS DOWN "DO YOU HAVE  SOMETHING I CAN SIGN FOR YOU GUYS?" WE YELL BACK "WE SURE DO, GIVE US A MINUTE  AND WE WILL BE RIGHT BACK". WE RACE TO OUR ROOM WITH SUCH UNBELIEVABLE  EXCITEMENT, WE GET 2 CD'S, HIS NEW ONE GO MY WAY AND ALSO CARAVAN TO  MIDNIGHT, WE GRAB THE CAMERA AND RUN OUT THE DOOR. WE GO UP THE STAIRS TO  WHERE HE WAS STANDING AND SURE ENOUGH HE WAS THERE WITH PEN IN HAND  WAITING  FOR US. HE SIGNED BOTH CD'S AND HAD HIS ROADIE TAKE 2 PICTURES WITH OUR CAMERA  OF THE BOTH OF US WITH HIM. MY HUSBAND TOLD HIM OF HOW LONG HE HAS BEEN A FAN  (25 YEARS). HE TOLD HIM OF ALL OF HIS FAVORITE SONGS, CD'S. I MYSELF HAVE BEEN  A  FAN 15-20 YEARS, SINCE MIKE TURNED ME ON TO HIM. WE TOLD HIM ALL OF THE PLACES  WE HAVE SEEN HIM OVER THE YEARS AND HE KEPT SMILING AND HE ASKED US WHERE WE  WERE FROM, WE TOLD HIM NY. THEN WE SHOOK HIS HAND AND SAID GOODBYE. HE WAS  SO VERY PERSONABLE. HE WAS WILLING TO SIGN OUR AUTOGRAPHS AND TAKE PICTURES.  IT WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE NEITHER ONE OF US WILL EVER FORGET. WE HAVE 2 GREAT  PHOTO'S, WHICH WE HAVE FRAMED. A GREAT, GREAT SHOW, A GREAT GREAT GUITARIST,  A  GREAT MAN. HIS SHOW WAS EXCELLENT, THE HIGHLIGHTS WERE "GO MY WAY",  "BREATHLESS", "BRIDGE OF SIGHS" AND MUCH MORE. OUR ONLY COMPLAINT IS THAT   HE DOESN'T PLAY LONG ENOUGH. WE SAW HIM THE NEXT NIGHT IN NY CITY, THE SAME  GREAT SHOW. THE TROWERMAN, AS WE CALL HIM IS TRULY A LEGEND.  MIKE AND SUE  SHORT   MICHAEL AND SUSAN SHORT <MICSU52@AOL.COM>   BAY SHORE, NY USA - Sunday, July 23, 2000 at 16:26:53 (PDT)

Brian Beam, webmaster for Trowerpower.com also had the good fortune to meet Robin for the
 first time recently in Kansas city.  Here is his story . . . . .

.I've seen Robin 8 or 9 times over the past 12 years, but got the chance to meet him for the first time    when he was in Kansas City at The Beaumont Club on June 27 (thanks to his manager Derek Sutton and    Patrick Rule, his tour manager -- they're both great!).     My wife and I arrived at the club fairly early and got a great spot. Shortly thereafter we were met by    some of the others in our web development company. (BOLD Internet Business Solution     www.bold-ibs.com ) I was on the lookout for Patrick (a hard thing to do since I'd never seen him before).    When one of the crew came by and handed me a flyer advertising relaxonline.com and trowerpower.com,    I grabbed him and introduced myself. This person ended up being Patrick's partner Matt. He said that    Patrick was with Robin and they wouldn't get to the club until just before the show. (There was an opening    act which hadn't started yet.)     After the show ended, Patrick found me and said he would arrange to get me in to meet Robin. Originally    the plan was to meet him downstairs, but the green room was very small, so instead of meeting him down    there, he was going to come upstairs to meet us. (The club he played in was very large, so it was easy to    find a private spot.) I can't tell you what a thrill it was just seeing Robin Trower walking up the stairway    to meet us!     I was soooooo nervous, I can't remember much of what we talked about. I remember we talked a bit    about the trowerpower.com site and Robin commented that he liked what he has seen.  He asked if I    played the guitar. I said Yes and that I drove my wife crazy playing Daydream all the time (that's 'our'    song!). He asked if I was any good... but I deferred that answer to Christi. Like a good and faithful wife,    she told Robin I was very good. I had almost brought my Stratocaster in to have him sign it, but am glad I    didn't... he may have wanted a demonstration!!! I'm sure I'd have been so nervous that I couldn't have    even *held* the guitar, let alone played it! (Although I would dearly love to plug into his three Marshall    stacks!)     I then pulled out about six albums for him to sign (all 70s stuff) and he kidded that I needed to update my    collection. I kidded him back that I had almost brought my entire CD collection... which is darned near    complete. He also signed my Go My Way poster. Then, for the coup de grace, I pulled out my Deja'Vibe    and had him sign the bottom of it.  As most guitar playing Robin Trower fans know, Robin uses Fulltone    pedals... especially the Deja'Vibe -- their take on the original Uni-vibe. Mine is a Deja'Vibe2 -- the model    with the built in expression pedal-- so I figure that Robin must have an original Deja'Vibe model (without    the foot pedal) because he said "So this is what they look like now." I mentioned that I had done some    work on the Fulltone website <www.fulltone.com> and we talked about that for a second, both agreeing    that the owner, Mike Fuller, is a very nice guy. Then Robin said he had to leave and we said our    goodbyes.     Now here's the kicker... all during this time, we were sooooo awestruck that we forgot to take pictures!!!    I had even brought two cameras with me just in case one failed. (Rule #1: never gig without a backup!) So    I have no photos of my first (but hopefully not last) meeting with Robin!     When I realized we had no photos, I went down to the stage where the crew was packing up hoping to be    able to catch him to get a quick photo. And who did I meet there but Richard standing around having a    beer like a regular 'civilian'! We asked the crew if Robin was still around but we were told that he had    already left the club. So I just stood around and talked with Richard for a minute. Then a little while later,    we walked outside the club where we saw Patrick again. He asked if we wanted to hang around    downstairs for awhile, so we went down to the green room -- and there was Richard again. So we sat    around and talked with him, Patrick, Matt and Matt's girlfriend (who was taking pictures during the    show). Then who should walk in but Alvino! So we hung around with all of them for awhile and had a beer    or two. (I did get pictures of all of us this time, but like an idiot, I forgot to have Alvino and Richard sign    my Go My Poster. Geeeezz!)     The group broke up around 1:30 AM. As Christi and I were walking to our car, we passed Richard and    Alvino walking back towards the club, Alvino with pizza box in hand. He had said earlier that he'd wanted    to get some Gates Barbecue while in Kansas City, but hadn't had the opportunity. So I guess Antonio's    pizza was the best he could do at 1:30 AM!     I can't adequately express what a complete thrill this evening was! Derek Sutton and Patrick Rule were    great in helping facilitate the entire event. Patrick was very thoughtful and made us feel very welcome... I    can't say enough about all the people we met that evening... all great people, every one of them.     I had always had the feeling that Robin Trower was a genuinely nice person. After getting acquainted    with Derek, he confirmed it. And Robin himself proved it in person that evening.     I hope we get to see Robin many more times...