Rock star spotted eating breakfast here
Hey, gang! Remember when I went on my last big vacation, and I took the time to snap a photo of the Kelvin Hall in Glasgow — then posted it here and asked you all to guess what the heck it was? Remember how you were able to correctly identify it as the location where the Kinks recorded the worst-sounding/most amazing live album in their career? Remember how dorky you felt for being able to figure all that out from just a photo of a red brick building?
Well, if you crapped out on the Kelvin Hall challenge, I return from a two-week vacation to Europe with a new photo to torment/delight you. We’ll play this one the same way we did the last travel pic quiz: I’ll pass along an initial clue, and see if anybody guesses off the bat. As incorrect guesses flood the RTH serves, I’ll unveil new clues until some smarty-pants gets the right answer. SPECIAL NOTE FOR HAPPINESSSTAN: as a resident of the UK (where this was taken), you may be able to lunge for the golden ring with surprising speed. In the interest of keeping things fair, if you believe you know the answer sooner than you think is fair to us state-siders, hold it in! We’ll believe you if you assert you knew the answer long before the rest of us, after the Yanks finally give up.
Anyhow, here’s your first clue: this is a home — one of many owned by a famous British rock personality. It’s in the United Kingdom. It was pointed out to me by some friends who live in the city where it’s located as the residence of (rock star X). As we walked by, I noticed one of the windows was opened. To my surprise and delight, the famous resident was home — and was just sitting down to breakfast!
I look forward t your responses.
HVB
Chris Martin? He seems like a rocket who would eat breakfast.
My first guess is Paul Weller.
Sting, although I assume that “Eating Breakfast” is the name of some complicated tantric sex move.
I’ll suggest Rod Stewart. (Noticed you said UK, not England.)
Nice!
Man, I don’t even know who that is! I said “rock star”!
Interesting guess. You might assume I spotted a mod icon, given the location of this seaside villa. But no. Though this guy is also a famous guitar player.
Those were today’s clues, by the way!
England. And I have a hard time imagining Rod Stewart living in an abode as (relatively) humble as this one. Though this building is reputed to be one of five locations where mystery guitar slinger X hangs his Strat — er, hat — it’s not super-fancy.
I wouldn’t have been so churlish to have dived in quickly if I had known, but have to confess that I don’t know either, but if I do get it from your clues I’ll hold back in the interest of sustaining the fun.
Is it a city or is it a town? There are all sorts of legal distinctions largely to do with the history of the royal family between towns and cities over here. I live in the largest town in England, which has about twice the population of several cities, and even though it was once the seat of the King and Parliament has never been afforded city status. A cynic may wonder if this has something to do with the county being the home of most of the Gunpowder Plot conspirators and taking the side of the Parliamentarians against King Charles in the English Civil War. Memories are long over such things, it’s no wonder that Ireland is still so troublesome. But interesting as all this may be, it has nothing to do with rock stars eating breakfast…
I grew up in Hastings, which is a fairly typical seaside town, once very run-down but since regenerated and now merely looking a bit shabby and faded around the edges, which is the effect that English weather and a lot of salt water spray has on buildings which are placed that close to the sea. It looks like it could be Hastings, but could equally be a lot of other places as well. I would have guessed that it was on the seafront had it not been for the reflection of another building in the front window. Most English (and I use England as distinct from the rest of the UK) seaside towns have a fairly wide prom above the beach, a slightly wider than normal road, and a long line of hotels which look exactly like that one all along the seafront, with roads at that angle leading away from them. If that hotel is a road or so away from the seafront then it must be one of the larger coastal resorts, like Bournemouth. I’m guessing that it’s on the south coast, and was one (among very many) which had urban regeneration inflicted upon it in the late 1960s and early 1970s, as evidenced by the block of flats built upon what was probably once either something to do with the railway, or a nice little public garden where the park keeper would have worked very hard to prevent small boys from kicking balls about.
It looks as though you had nice weather while you were over here, it’s been unseasonably mild since the summer, but is sure to make up for it before long.
Jimmy Page?
Wow, that’s pretty good detective work, Hap. I’m pretty sure this is a city, and it is on the South coast.
Nope. The “Strat” pun was actually a big clue. Page was more of a Les Paul guy, Knebworth notwithstanding. (Nerd alert!)
Also, note hidden clue with the whole Mod historical angle. That should give you the city.
Jeff Beck?
Now THAT is a well-informed, acceptably nerdy guess! Sadly, you are WRONG.
If I had seen Jeff Beck sitting down to an English breakfast fry-up, I think I would have fainted in my guitar-nerd/fan-boy shoes. No, this guy, while quite noteworthy, is not on my fave raves list. There’s another clue, for those of you who know me.
The clue you mentioned in response to HS has me thinking it must be Brighton. It is a city on the south side with a mod historical angle.
Now the artist may not be mod related. The residence looks nice, but not ultra nice. Someone who enjoys a good view now and again to be inspired. My guess is Chris Difford of Squeeze.
Now we’re getting somewhere! Your artist guess is WRONG, but your thinking is complex and worthy of reward. I leave you with this small token of my esteem: you are RIGHT about the location. However, I must gently chide you for thinking Chris Difford could afford more than one residence; this is an artist of more widespread renown!
Incidentally, by Brighton standards — and given the fact that the residence is, a.) right on the Strand; and b.) entirely owned by said artist, from floor to rooftop — this residence is quite posh.
Actually, to pick nits with Hap, I believe this building is technically in Hove, the posh section of the Brighton-Hove seaside enclave.
Dude, he’s the leader of Coldplay, only one of the biggest bands in the world. He’s also the husband of Gwyneth Paltrow and father of Apple and Pear, or whatever their second kid’s name is. Man, the RTH Youth Movement really needs to kick in.
Strat..not one of your heroes…and, most importantly, a breakfast eater. I’m guessing Mark Knopfler!
Wait, I now realize I’m sending mixed signals. By Brighton-Hove standards, this building, and the way rock star X lives in it (i.e., all to himself), is quite upper-crusty. Compared to the villa in the south of France, or the Las Vegas penthouse suites where the likes of Rod Stewart live, it’s humble.
Anther good guess that is sadly WRONG. But I like the way you guys are thinking. The Strat is indeed key — though, to be nerdish about it, the rock star also occasionally played a Telecaster.
One more clue: the “breakfastiness” of this artist may (or may not) surprise you. I suspect his work with his mainstay band might lead you to believe he had no need for eggs and bacon — but then his latter career work with various very famous people might make you think otherwise. The fact that I saw him sitting down for breakfast has had a measurable impact on my opinions of the man and his work!
Truth be told, I had read some time ago about him having a residence in Brighton.
Are you SURE it’s not Knopfler? 🙂 Man, this is a good one. I thought I had it nailed. The “latter career work with various very famous people” probably rules out David Gilmour and Richard Thompson….
It does?
Have you forgotten that Gilmour played lead guitar on Sir Paul’s Give My Regards to Broad Street? He’s also worked with lots of other big names.
When I was growing up, Jeff Beck used to live just outside of Rye, which is just about the tiniest town in Sussex, but not on the coast (although it used to be – longshore drift saw to it sometime around the 14th century). Legend had it that he would work on his cars day in and day out and when he was bored he would nip down to his local pub where he would also occasionally be handed a guitar and entertain. I have no idea if there is any truth in this.
John Martyn used to drink in The Nelson down Hastings Old Town and as an underage drinker I saw him there on more than one occasion. “Over The Hill” on Solid Air is about walking home rather the worse for wear up over Hastings’ West Hill after a heavy friday night session in the Nelson.
Most friday night sessions in the Nelson were fairly heavy; a friend of mine was once imprisoned for a few months for throwing a police motorbike (sic) through the window of a nearby cafe on his way home in about 1980, having been thumped by the landlord who he had been insulting just minutes earlier.
Yes, has everyone forgotten that?
All right, if you’re going to get all picky on me, Brighton is a town, Brighton and Hove together are a city. The Strand is pretty posh, Brighton is expensive and interesting, Hove is interesting but dull, so I’m thinking seventies/eighties Fender player who does a bit to tick over but prefers to live away from the spotlight most of the time, the timescale plucked because they would probably have been into Quadrophenia and moved there as some sort of homage?
Sorry, meant to say that Hove is expensive but dull. Hove on its own is also a town. I went on a financial services course there once and while walking along the seafront alone one evening was chatted up by a policewoman, which is one of the oddest things which has ever happened to me.
I suspect too many people are looking at this thread in “latest comments” mode to pick up what I been layin’ down. There’s a No-Prize at stake, people. Wake up!
So it’s Gilmour?
Surely Gilmour lives in Oxfordshire, and Thompson in the USA?
DINGDINGDINGDINGDING! Oats cashes in his “Money In the Bank Briefcase” at the last possible moment, and with the least possible amount of work, to snatch the belt out from under the nose of Mod, Hap, and many others. Well played, Oats… well played.
I was told that David Gilmour has five residences in various parts of the UK. His Hove hovel is but one. I assure you, the man was at home when I spied him through his open first-floor dining room window!
His controversial “activist” son is the Gilmour who spends most of the year in Hove; I guess Dad was paying a visit over the hols.
Thank you! The 14-year-old me would’ve been unbearably giddy to find out you saw Gilmour eating breakfast.
No, but I guess you and HVB are among the 12 people worldwide who cared. The hrrundi wrote that it seemed like his guest work eclipsed his main band’s work. Beside, who would think a guitarist involved in the song “Careful With Those Eggs, Eugene” would not be assumed a “breakfast guy”?
We came in too late this afternoon to join the fray but I must say it’s been very interesting to read the comments and discussion on English towns vs. cities.
HStan – is there an official definition of an English village?
Mod, I apologize if my breakfasty comments confused you. What I meant was that Gilmour’s work with Pink Floyd was very much a wake-up-at-2:00 p.m. kind of gig, whereas his work as a modern day session man on roots rock gigs for Paul McCartney is very much more 9 to 5 — thus requiring a plate if eggs and a cup of coffee.
By the way, can I just say again how astonishingly good Ian Paice and Dave Gilmour are on “Run Devil Run”?
Don’t sweat it – just sour grapes on my part! More importantly, I await hearing about other highlights from your trip. Thanks for that photo you sent me!
The Ordnance Survey (the official UK mapping agency) defines it as “A village is usually described as a centre of population with an area less than 2.5 square kilometres (1 square mile). A village will always have a church.” I would add that it will also always have a population who will fight tooth and nail against so much as a single bungalow being built within the village confines, and similarly resist development around the outside of the village in case it should ever be joined to the town in this way, yet complain bitterly that not enough people use the local shop and that their children have to move away to towns because there is nowhere in the village for them to live. Just as many towns in England have larger populations than small cities, some villages have larger populations than small towns.
Generally speaking, a village will have a church, a small shop and a pub, a town will have emergency services, and a city will have a cathedral, although this is by no means always the case.
Ah, I would have been very excited if I’d seen him eating breakfast, or doing anything for that matter. As an aside, Nick Mason came to give a talk at a local school last year and when I met him afterwards I was so overwhelmed that I made a bit of an ass of myself.
Our younger son, the “Getting in Tune” guy, is also a geography buff. He asks me tons of questions about these distinctions in our country. I’ll have to see how your guidelines apply.