Buddy Miles is a heavy weight champion. Drummer for Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana and a black power man. I have no picture or other proof. But I met Buddy in Carouge march 24, 1996 at Le Chat Noir.
I visited a friend in Geneva. She said: “Let’s go to Carouge au chat noir, there’s a concert tonight”. I don’t know Moondog Jr. at all. Discogs just tell me, that they are Belgians. To remember that show, is quite difficult, but it was cool. After the show, the band left their instruments on stage and the audience gets empty. Almost empty.
While chatting at the bar with my friend, I feel something is going on behind my back. Turning around and I see a big and massive man. Around him some real nice chicks. I mean, all in black and tight. The man sit down just behind me to a little table. That table looks like a plate beside this big man. Right on that point, he’s asking me to sit right beside him. All his guides and the entourage is on the other side of him or at the bar or somewhere else. He’s asking me, if I like a drink. I said: “An orange juice would be great”. He’s smiling. Talking about a show in Grenoble, France earlier that night. Then he ask me if I have some herbs. I was thinking something like that. But in fact, there was some herbs left way back in the flat of my friend in Geneva. I answered yes, but it would take some time to get it.
Don’t ask me how, but I went back to Geneva and back to Carouge (no car, no bicycle, no skates; was there still a bus?). I came back to Le Chat Noir, and when I started to roll a spliff, the barman said, not inside the club, not in Carouge. I step out the club, beside the door, I roll the spliff, went back inside and give it to Buddy Miles. He’s smiling a lot by now. And just start to smoke. Yes, inside the club and none is arguing anything.
Then Buddy stand up and enter the stage. Sitting behind the drums and starts to play. What a wonderful moment. It feels, like the man is just playing for me. There is almost nobody in the club but Buddy, his entourage, Moondog Jr. and a handful of lost souls.
With Buddy Miles on stage, it felt like Jimi Hendrix is still alive. He takes the guitar and starts to sing. Hey Joe. And then he’s playing the guitar on his back and so on… what a show. What a moment. Members of Moondog Jr. jam in. It become a concert of it’s own right. Saved in memory. Thank you Buddy Miles for letting me be so close.
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