In this we get the explanation for the name Aerial Bender – if there ever was a great name, this is the one!
Read on.
Airport frolics
THE IDEA is to get the whole group together so that a photographer can take a few pictures before they depart for a six-week tour of America. The flight’s been called and everybody’s in a flap… Buffin’s disappeared upstairs with his bird, and nobody can find Aerial anywhere. “He’s gone to the bog,” shouts a knowing roadie.
Ex-Mott man Mick Ralphs has now turned up to add to the general confusion and the photographer looks increasingly fed up as the time for the flight’s departure draws closer. After all, he’s dragged himself out of bed on a Sunday morning on the promise of ‘exclusive’ pictures of Mott’s new line-up.
“This is the final call for TWA flight TW 761 to Los Angeles, will… ” announces the speaker. The photographer starts to put his gear back in its case.
Then, suddenly, there is Aerial and there is Buff.
“Aerial, c’moverere,” shouts Ian Hunter. “We gotta have some pictures taken”.
Aerial takes no notice until, remembering his new name, it suddenly dawns on him that Ian is calling HIM. They shuffle outside and a relieved looking lensman does his stuff.
We managed to tear Aerial away from tearful ‘relatives’ and ask him why all the secrecy and reticence when everybody knows he’s Luther Grosvenor, late of Spooky Tooth and others. “Just thought it was time for a change, man,” he replies. “I get sick of musicians who exist forever on their past reputations. I just want to act as if I was just starting out, not as if I was a superstar condescendingly joining an already successful band.”
Why Aerial Bender? “Just sounded like a good name — another of Lyndsey de Paul’s efforts actually. She gets in everywhere, that bird.”
From actually joining the band to performing “All The Way From Memphis” on Top of the Pops was only a matter of a few days for Aerial, and now he’s off on a six week American tour with a group the members of which he hardly knows by name.
“But don’t you see, that’s the way it should be. I admit it’s like being dropped in at the deep end from a great height, but that’s what being in a rock ‘n’ roll band is all about. Going on at Top of the Pops was a gas because I didn’t even know how the tune went.
“Now I’m going on this tour and gradually I’ll be able to drop in with the band so — by the time we get back and start our British tour — I’ll be right into it.”
Aerial has tasted success in bands before, but never the enormous acclaim that Mott look ready to reap in America. Is he ready for it?
“Ready for it? I’m longing for it!”
How did Hunter feel about the group’s rapid return to America?
“It’s all because of the last one. We feel we broke through a lot of barriers last time we went round and we felt that it would be silly not to capitalise on that as quickly as possible.
“C’mon Aerial,” said Ian, glancing at the roadies who, in turn, were glancing anxiously at their watches, “better go”.
Aerial looked anxiously over his shoulder to make sure that the man in dark glasses was, in fact, addressing him; extended a hand; and was gone.
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