There are many Entec stories involving John. This one story that may have been embellished over the years but the key facts remain. It was a time when the industry was changing from “it’s only Rock & Roll” image to the professional state it is today.
It was a Roskilde festival, the Orange stage, late seventies early eighties, where Entec were doing Sound & Light, a late Saturday night early Sunday morning.
On stage there was a Scandinavian guitarist and his band. No disrespect but not the most exciting of acts. However as they had no sound or light crew we had been asked to provide the appropriate personnel including follow spots. John had been assigned monitors.
Tony Self the Entec crew boss had had to go back to the hotel to arrange further travel arrangements (no mobiles or email then).
I was overseeing the PA in Tony’s absence and had been checking the delay towers. It was either Rob “The Beast” McKenzie or Martin Nicholas looking after lights.
I decided all was well so went back to the Sound & Light crew hut for a beverage.
It was quite crowded but thought nothing of it.
After a few minutes John, in his customary relaxed way, leaning back on a chair, feet on the table, a method of relaxation in his fingers and huge grin asked, “Bruno, how many people are on the Entec crew?” The way he asked it was obvious that this had been a topic of conversation before I arrived.
“Well with Tony Self, there are eleven of us not including the truckers who are asleep”
“How many Entec people are in this room”? asked John.
I quickly counted “Err Ten…………..…..Holy S**t” (or words to that effect)”.
John got up, stuck his head out of the door, which let in sounds of a prolonged aching guitar solo.
He turned and said “ I wouldn’t worry about it, all of us apart from you have been in here for at least twenty minutes, and no ones noticed, least of all the band, especially playing that c**p”.