To see Manu Chao in Consent was one of the main reasons why we went down to the Byron Blues Festival!
So after his show, I had to go and hassle the security guard to go get him for me!
I had become one of those annoying drunken fans, but I did not care, i had to try, i had to say hello to Manu Chao...
I knew he was a cool guy, see I had met him once in Barcelona, and gotten him to autograph a Post Card for my Brother Morgan! What made me realise that he was a cool guy was that as we were (my friend and I) leaving the Cafe on our bicycle, not paying attention to Manu, he is the one that yelled out "Chao"...
But I was to be blown away even more....
So after standing there for a while with the security guard, and even getting other people back stage involved in "YOU MUST GO GET MANU FOR ME TO SAY HELLO"....We eventually got kicked out!!!
I tried...I was not leaving disappointed!
The next day, was spent at the beach...In a really relaxed manner on a quit beach...
4 or 5 men came down, and Stephen and I started the Classic, is that Manu Chao, not its not, yes it it, No, Yes, No and yes its him!!!
Passing right in front of us! As they had passed us Stephen says "Go Manu" and I scream (because they are further away by then) "the consent last night was great" (in French)!
We sat there in amazement for a minute until we realised that we had let him pass and go with out a photo, an autograph....Nothing!
Stephen tells me I have to go run after him, as they might make the loop and go back the other way, thus miss another opportunity...So I get up to see where they are??
Its ok, they are coming back and seem to have found a stop not too far, so i sit down...I want to appear cool about it all....
But I notice that Manu Chao has not stopped and is coming back this way, our way...I am behind Stephen, Stephen his back to him...
But MY OH MY, Manu Chao is coming STRAIGHT TO US!!!!
He just came to say hello, asked us where we were from, where in France I was from, casual banal conversation that did not last long, but long enough to get the photo of a lifetime and to tell him that After Bob Marley he was the one person I most wanted to see in concert!
That he had no idea how much memories I had with his music, how much travels I had done listening to those tunes....
He was humble, he was so easy and once again he has shown me that he is real to himself, a human a man with talent but close to the world and those around him!
Thank you Manu Chao!
That photo is going on my wall of Fame!
