BRIAN WILSON SYDNEY JANUARY 2008:
As long promised here are the photo’s from Brian Wilson’s Sydney concert’s this past January, Thanks to Dave Farras for letting me post the first lot of photo’s which he took. I wont rehash all the stories and adventures but a couple of things come to mind, as with every Brian tour i have been around once again this one was surrounded by joy and friendship and amazingly good times, whenever you are around a Brian event it seems any troubles and woes you may have fall away for the duration. As you can see by the photo’s most of us got to meet Brian and most of the band and i would like at this point to thank Tony and Robyne for pulling together the Orient hotel get together and especially Jeff Fosket who came along and just happened to bring his mate Brian along. I’ve now had the chance to meet two three of the inspirations of my life, Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney and Brian and through this meeting with Brian i was able to simply thank him as i did Paul and Linda for the absolute joy and happiness they have brought into my life.
The Orient hotel get together really felt like, and looking at the pic’s really was a gathering of family.
One final thing, i wish everyone could have been there with us when we got to meet Brian, the sense of love and care for Brian in that room was tangible, you could feel it moving around you like a warm breeze, when it was my turn to have a sit and a chat with Brian he held my hand and said ‘You’re cold!!’ i responded that i was nervous and jokingly started to rub my hand on my bum to warm it up, Brian looked at me and said ‘Hmmm maybe you should go to the bathroom and put it under one of those hand dryer’s to warm it up’. Later as Brian was leaving he passed me and grabbed my hand and said ‘That’s better, it’s warm now’, it must have been the warm breeze of love in the room that done it.
All photo’s below were taken by and are copyright David Farras
Above pic: Ah yes, the giant inflatable Beach Boys goiter, it hovered over us like a giant undecended teste just waiting to whack us on the head.
All photo’s below were taken by and are copyright Greg Swan.
Above pic: I took this photo of Nelson at Hotel during lunch, i had it blown up and i presented it to Nelson the next evening, he loved the photo and hugged me in thanks, just before the band flew out i got to chat to Nelson one last time and just as i was leaving he thanked me again for the photo.
Above pic: Nelson’s scraps.
Above pic: The infamous Brian DNA cake, when Brian cut the cake it started slip and Brian grabbed it with his hand, later some fans were to find Brian’s finger print embedded in the icing, i guess it was our version of the hand print’s outside the Chinese theatre in Hollywood, except these finger print’s were a lot more valuable and definately and lot more tasty.
Above pic: I took this photo of Brian in Newcastle in 2004 during the SMiLE tour, this is what i got Brian to sign for me at the Orient hotel.