I had the pleasure of meeting Gord Downie twice. The first
and most memorable time was on November 3, 2006, after the first of The Tragically
Hip’s four consecutive shows at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver. I worked
for their booking agency at the time and was lucky to be given a pass for their
after-show party. I was keen to meet Gord, one of my lyricist-heroes. I knew
where the door from the backstage area to the venue was, so once the audience cleared out, I waited there. I was first in line.
One-by-one, the members of the band came out and assembled
around the bar. I waited about an hour for Gord and eventually he emerged. I was
immediately struck by how calm and soft-spoken he was. Just an hour prior, Gord
had been a typhoon of energy and charisma on-stage, shadow-boxing with his microphone
stand, using his handkerchief as a matador’s cape, and many more absurd antics
(plus, you know, singing). Now, away
from the stage, the lights and hundreds of adoring fans, Gord was… mellow. “Lover’s
Spit” by Broken Social Scene was playing on the venue’s PA and after
introducing himself, Gord mentioned how much he loved the song. For a little while no one else noticed him, so we chatted privately,
probably about music, I don’t remember. I stood
by Gord’s side for the next hour as people came over to chat to him. (I have a funny anecdote
about two female fans questioning Gord about his pre-show rituals but that one
is better told in-person).
Gord introduced me to everyone who came over as “my friend Josh”
which was
thrilling for me and gracious of him (and completely bonkers!). Not
wanting to overstay my welcome, I asked for a photo before leaving Gord’s side.
In my 10+ years of working in the entertainment industry, this is something I’ve
only done on this one occasion. I very rarely choose to meet my heroes and, even when I have,
the most I would ever desire is a pleasant conversation.
I suppose it’s easy to aggrandise the moment now but I like
to believe that in that brief hour, Gord and I connected. According to him we were
friends, however fleeting, and I’ll never forget his kindness and humility. I’m
so glad that our meeting was captured.
I could write many more paragraphs about the impact of The Hip’s music on my life and the dozen times
that I’ve seen them live, firstly at age 13 in Detroit – the concert
that was recorded and released as Live
Between Us – and most recently in my hometown of Windsor, Ontario in July 2015.
One of proudest moments as an event producer and as a Canadian was being a part
of the small team that brought The Hip to London for a free Canada Day concert
in Trafalgar Square in 2013. I met Gord briefly after that show, and he was
just as kind and calm as I remembered. He will be missed by millions of people
today and forevermore. We are so lucky to have his music and our own memories.
To quote one of my favourite Hip songs, you were a “physical
impossibility” Gord. Thank you.
Love,
Josh
P.S. I’m compelled to mention that The Hip’s
management and production teams are some of the nicest people I have ever met in my career. My heart goes out to them as well as Gord’s family and band members.