Part One
A few years ago when I was an Advertising Account Manager at the Sydney Morning Herald - I received an amazing opportunity to interview a rockstar, Jon Stevens.
Well to me, he was a rockstar.
He peaked probably in the 90's but pretty iconic Australian Rockstar all the same.
If you don't know him you can view one of his legendary songs here
He was the lead singer of Noiseworks and these days does some solo stuff.
When Michael Hutchence died, he fronted INXS for a time.
My job at the SMH had many perks - one of them being the chance to go to the ARIA awards and VIP Party afterwards. (music industries night of nights )
Well you could go if you happened to sell a $20,000 advertisement into the guide.
As a star struck music lover - there was no way I was going to miss the opportunity to rub shoulders with the the leaders of the Australian Music Industry.
So even though I was on HOLIDAYS (yes I was nutty!!) I made cold calls to all sorts of businesses pitching the ARIA GUIDE - and finally sealed the deal with fashion house Bardot,
I rang my boss from my hotel room in Melbourne to let her know the news.
She was dumbfounded.
She was hard up getting me to do work at work - so she nearly fell off her chair when I told her I had sold $20K to a new business whilst holidaying!!!
She assured me I had tickets to the VIP party and the event.
Excellent.
As luck would have it, Bardot even sent me dresses to wear - complete red carpet treatment eh?
The ARIAS party is another story in itself, which I will write if anyone wants to know it (comes complete with lots of drunken conversations with well knowns in the music industry and tears at the end of the night because the proof of this on my AUNTY"S CAMERA was lost)
anyway back to the focus...
With a little dutch courage and an introduction to the editor of the Entertainment section at the Herald, suddenly this little Advertising A.M was in his ear about HOW much I loved INXS - how much I liked JD Fortune the new lead singer (yes embarrassed about this now, I do believe he has since left band and lives in his car) , and could I puhhhlease interview him if the opportunity came up.
I droned on and on about how keen I was to burst into the journalism scene and how good a job I would do and blah de blah de blah.
Would you believe it the next week at work, thinking this poor editor dude would not have remembered any of our conversation, let alone my name- called me up at work and said:'
"I've got an interview for you"
I am nearly dying here thinking he had JD lined up.
-- He said "It's not JD - but he did sing for INXS after Michael Hutchence died"
"Jon Stevens?" I asked.
"Yep"
My heart skipped a couple of beats.
"Yes I'll do it" I said.
"Great, I'll send you his managers details and call him up to organise it for tomorrow."
TOMORROW.
DROP DEAD FRED.
I can still feel the nervousness now as I type this.
Please understand that it was my DREAM to interview rockstars - but people, I was the most star struck person on the planet, I had NEVER interviewed anyone I was an advertising sales gal - and it was exciting - but TOMORROW?????
I agreed to do it. I knew it was the opportunity of a lifetime.
But I was PACKING IT.
When I left work that night I rang everybody I knew to gloat about it, as you do- -
Midnight came around and still , I had no questions for the lead singer of Noiseworks......
pic from here
Posts
