Autograph
Terry Hall
2008

Terry Hall thank you card & passport photo

I can’t remember when we first met. I’m assuming it was out with ex-Smith/Aztec Camera and Terry Hall co-songwriter Craig Gannon. That’s the most likely scenario. I eventually became Terry’s agent for DJ stuff and other ‘public appearances’ (fashion launches, radio shows, you name it). Anyway, it was surreal at first, as I was a huge fan of the 2Tone movement in my youth, and especially The Specials. I loved their lyricism and deadpan humour, and in fact ‘Friday Night. Saturday Morning’ was the song that inspired me to write songs myself. A fact I shared with Terry years later, and he probably took the piss out of me for in some way, which I got used to.

I didn’t ask for a signed thing, it just arrived. It might even have been sarcastic (knowing him…”Agent No1!”).

The passport photo was for a work visa for a DJ appearance in Moscow. It was a long-drawn-out process which eventually involved a Russian Mafia figure (one of the owners of the place Terry was going to DJ in) threatening the embassy in London via email (true story)

His famous sourpuss demeanour and humour is well known, and he could be very funny, even via his DJ sets. For example, we were at a Ben Sherman event and this lad was pestering him to “play some reggae” (Terry was playing Nick Drake, TV themes etc, anything but ska/reggae at the time). Terry nodded and put on ‘Pass The Dutchie’ by Musical Youth. A banger to be fair. Another time he managed to annoy a very indie-heavy room at South nightclub in Manchester by insisting on playing Van Halen. He was pissing himself of course.

A complicated man to deal with at times, but a musical hero and I was lucky to have been in his orbit.