Pete Best special t.v. special in Montréal

WOW !

... I caught the Pete Best special they had here last thursday, when Pete came to Montréal !

Rats !

I saw it advertised in the days before that, but they never mentionned that this interview would be in front of a live audience... and that he's also play a short gig there shortly before the interview !

Had they mentionned it, I would have SURELY went and, as I watched it on t.v., I can tell you that I would have found it amazing !

One hour of Pete talking and taking questions and a documentary in between !

Man, I REALLY like this guy now !

Pete is so jovial, interesting and NOT at all a bitter man, as one (and myself) might have expected !

Even with his sacking from the band, he only had nice things to say about his "former band mates" and it even got touching at times, when speaking of John and George's passing away, or the fact that the one that "bonded" with the most with, in the Hamburg days, was John... and that John was the only Beatles member to later admit feeling some shame at how Pete had been fired from the band.

Also, some fascinating stories about his mother, Mona Best... who had decided to open the Casbah Club in her basement and that, as it stands to this day, the place still has the wall and ceiling paintings that John and Paul (Pete and Cynthia as well) had done there !

Listening to Pete talking, not only does he come off sounding as an actual Beatle, which he was (!)... but his simplicity... and his having stayed with good old rock and roll, gives you an idea of what George, Paul and John might be like today, if they had reached the success and fame they wound up having... you know, in remaining just "everyday guy".

And when I say Pete's not bitter about getting kicked out.... yes, he mentions how hard it was dealing with that at the time and, especially, with having to deal with all the stuff saying that he he got fired because he was a lousy drummer, or anti-social, ect...

... but he also says that he does NOT feel like "the unluckiest man in rock and roll" as some people tell him at times.

Far from it, he treasures his two years with the band and the life he has had until now (simple, happy family... ect) as he may have missed it on the fame and the fortune, but also on the stress and problems that this brings...

He says that even right after he got sacked, he would always turn up the radio when a Beatles song came on, as he was happy to see them having such success...

Pete was asked which Beatles song, on which he played himself, he liked best...

... he decided instead to say that his favorite Beatle song was "I saw her standing there", and that the best album they'd done was "The white album".

He of course has some great insight and stories about his days with the band and a lot of what he did in his documentary could easily have been fitted in that Beatles "Anthology" series ! (even back when it first came out, I always thought that it wasn't right that Pete wasn't even asked to be interviewed for that !)

Speaking of this, and the thought never occured to me before, Pete (when asked about it), said that he does get royalties from the first Anthology CD since there ten songs on it on which he plays... and I am sooooo happy for him, for that !

Better late than never, and he said that it helped a lot to heel those old wounds but not for the cash aspect... but because it finally officially confirms that he was actually once part of the group !

On his DVD, there's even an actual clip... very short and no sound, but it is colour footage of the leather clad Beatles performing at the Casbah.... and, as far as I know, it is the only footage showing them before Brian put them in suits and ties !

A really special night, all and all... Pete even going so far as saying that questions from the crowd on hand here in Montréal were among the best, and the most fun he had had, as in most cases people always ask him the same things, and it usually centers only about when he got thrown out of the group, or asking him for stories about the other fabs...

... but that, here, tonight... the people were asking him quations about his life after and before his Beatle days and also asking his opinions on things and so on...

I saw the documentary "The Best of the Beatles" recently on PBS. I found that in interviews he came across as being thoughtful and intelligent. It was good to hear his side of the story.

I've met Pete a few times. He's actually quite cool & if anybody gets a chance to see him or anything, I recommend it! He still plays around Liverpool if you can catch him!