How I nearly squished Dave Badini...

[Guest]

I had to share this story, because it still makes me laugh when I think about it. Ever since early High School when I got my first copy of Melville, I have been a huge Rheostatics fan, in fact in the recent year they had picked up steam in my cd rotation. SO needless to say, when I found out that I would be sharing the stage with them in Antigonish, I was beside myself...finally a real chance to hang out with them as a fellow Canadian Musician! Things were going great, our two bands really got along great, burt humour and Rheo humour, is very much the same. We joked around before soundcheck and before our show. Between the Rheo set and our set, Martin Tielli and I actually turned the Rush song "spirit of the radio" into a coffee commercial...."begin the day with a mellow roast...", you know it was just a perfect night.

So the rheos get on stage, and they sound fantastic, show goes on for a couple of hours, and they plow through alot of the songs that I wanted to hear. As they start playing horses Tim (bass) points at a guitar sitting lonely on the stage...he is gesturing for me to come and play with them...I am thrilled, things are going great..it's in Gmin...I know Gmin! So Tielli and I trade some licks, and then Dave Badini comes over and he is saying something..so I'm like what? and he repeats, "do you want to get on my shoulders?", I reply, "are you serious?", He nods his head yes...it's on. I start to climb up onto Dave's shoulders and he in turn tries to stand up...attempt one fails. I continue to sit basically on his head ( you have to remember I am at this point still taking a guitar solo, so I am apparently not paying attention to the discomfort Mr. Badini is in), he tries and tries again...and finally I see this hand shooting though the middle of my legs, and in front of the guitar...like when a wrestler is signaling that the figure four leg lock you are applying is working sufficiantly. We both at that point crumble to the ground...I fall basically on top of Dave Badini, and as we are lying there Martin Tiell leans over and comments on how sexy our current Rock'nRoll positioning is. We were are laughing pretty hard...and somehow the song went on..but I couldn't help to feel at the same time, that this was somewhat of a embaressing way to introduce myself on stage to the Rheostatics.

After the Show, I was very apologetic about the situation, They thought it was awesome..and assured me we could still be friends...Dave did say however that he would be working out for the next few months, so that next time we play together, the disaterous scenerio would not be repeated. That's my story. Weird. Mikey

[AD]

hahaha, that's a great story...

shoulda slapped his ass and said 'take that, kojak-wannabe'

ad

[StoneMtn]

Awesome.

[bradm]

So you had Dave Badini's head between your legs, and it just about broke his spine? I'm just imagining him trying to explain that to the insurance investigators...

Wish I could have been there. Here's hoping BNB plans a show for Ottawa on or near July 15 (when the Rheos are scheduled to play Babylon).

Aloha,

Brad

[Booche]

Is there nothing original in music anymore?

[Ms.Huxtable]

Great story Mike!

[bouche]

oh...what a fun afternoon laughter I just had.

[Kaidy Mae]

I think you'll have to reenact this feat on Friday (after a few bevvies of course). I wasn't aware that Bidini gave shoulder rides.

[Rossolee]

lmao... hilarious story!

[U.FProductions]

hey mike was your email addy?

-Shane

[Blurry]

Yup, that one had me laughing out loud too!!

Great story!

[paisley]

been wanting to squish Bidini for years!

(classic)

hope we get to see some "I Like Mike." t-shirts this summer

[whiteymuseum]

Mike, I could arrange to "fly" you into Hamilton on May 28th for the Rheostatics show for a second attempt at shoulder-rockin'

OR

I could "fly" Bidini in for the Burt gig on June 4th in Hamilton at Casbah.

Either way, I just got away with plugging 2 shows!!! BWahahahaha