These are a couple of photos from Ronnie meeting two dozen fans long long time into the early hours this morning outside the rehearsals studio. Mick left before midnight. Charlie, Keith and the rest of the band stayed to run through songs by Keith for a few hours. Then Charlie left. And Keith left. Then in the end, Ronnie showed up. He was watching the small group of fans still hanging in there, by the gate, at a time when everybody else in Belgium was sleeping (may be with the exception of Keith of course). Then the groupmof fans started to sing "Happy Birthday Ronnie". And as a true gentleman and always loyal to the fans, Ronnie asked the driver to wait, walked down to the patient fans, and signed records, posters, magazines, whatever the fans had brought last night.
It was a magic moment. We had just finished half an hour of some magic live sessions of "Ventilator Blues". First from the record. Then starting up live. Then with Bernard on vocals. You know he can be just as wild and intense as Mick on vocals. Amazing. Then Ronnie on vocals, filled in by Keith. It went on and we could enjoy this unique rehearsals session which was a mixure of rehearsals, birthday party and happening. And before that, we had got Elvis on record, Elvis live with Ronnie and Keith, Coming Down Again from the CD, I mean pretty great stuff that could make a grown man cry...
So in the end, at a time when even the police had stopped by to see what these people were doing at these early hours in the middle of nowhere outside Brussels, there he was. Ronnie. He took his time. Even if I am sure he could have gone directly to his hotel to celebrate his big birthday, he took his time. Big smile. Saying: "I am not going to tell you how old I am". And after having signed for everyone who pushed their items on to him, through the barrier bars, he even went around looking for the owner of the marker pen - "Who's is this pen"... - signed a few more, and then drove off from what will remain a remarkable night of rehearsals in Brussels. His car window was open, and I am sure he heard the message from one of the fans who has been there all week: "Ronnie! Thank you for Ventilator Blues".
Happy Birthday Ronnie!
Bjornulf