SUPERGLUING YOUR ASS TO THE WALL
In 1973 or ’74, all the bands that were riding high in the charts at this particular time were invited to Brands Hatch to race. The list included Geordie. The public were going to be there to watch. We all had to go to the race school first and learn how to drive. The cars were Formula Fords, small, open-wheel racers. This was it, this was what I was born for, not that sissy singing stuff. This was my stepping stone to a Formula 1 drive. Boy, was I going to show ’em?
Then I hit a brick wall. It didn’t happen. I was slow, I wasn’t anything. It was like Kate Moss saying, “Come to bed, big boy!” and you realizing someone had Superglued your arse to the wall. Brian Gibson, our drummer, was much faster, and I was sad, hurt, and unbelieving.
Later in life, I realized I’m a slow learner. That’s just the way it is, but I’ll never forget that disappointment. You got to learn to learn slowly and gracefully, and slowly you become faster, and slowly you become faster than the people who were faster than you at the start, when you were slower. So one day you will overtake the slow bugger who used to be the fast bastard . . . Hang on, I think I’ll have another whisky. I think I’ll drink it slower than the first two.