She Likes to Watch

If you read today’s Ticket cover story, you know that Arroyo Grande’s Jon Anderson is a big fan of the movie “This is Spinal Tap.”

Many rockers have noted how the movie – a fake documentary about a heavy metal band — nails the rock and roll lifestyle. Anderson, lead singer of the progressive rock band Yes, agrees, saying it mirrored the Yes experience.

His adoration of the film (which he watches once a year) once led to a funny, ironic moment that could only happen in rock and roll.

Anderson was at a rock convention in Los Angeles when he saw one of the actors from the movie (During our interview, he couldn’t remember the actor’s name). Being a fan of the movie, Anderson approached the actor to shake his hand, but the actor apparently didn’t recognize him.

“I went to shake hands with a fictional rock star, and then he pushed me away and said, ‘I haven’t got time.’”

A rock star with a big ego might’ve been offended. Probably even peeved. But Anderson – a pretty down to earth fellow — considered the irony and merely laughed it off.

“It was perfect!’” he said.

Like the movie, Anderson’s career led to a few absurd incidents. One time, he and producer Eddie Offord got stoned and wound up on a plane to Cleveland. Once there, they realized the gig was actually in Philadelphia.

“We were looking around for the rest of the band, and we couldn’t find anybody,” he said.

Another funny story was a little scarier:

Yes was booked to play Argentina shortly after that country’s war with England – which, of course, made for a somewhat inhospitable environment for a British band.

“We were in Europe, ready to come and play at two football stadium shows,” Anderson recalled, “and the promoter rang up and said, ‘We have a problem. They’re throwing gas bombs at the people buying tickets.’”

Determined that the show must go on, the band was flown to Buenos Aires on separate air force jets, then escorted by CIA-types to the stadium in a full motorcade, with sirens blaring.

“We got to the stage, and there are 50,000 people going bananas out there,” Anderson said.

As the band was walking toward the stage, bass player Chris Squire turned toward Anderson and said, “You know who they’re going to shoot at first?”

“Who?” Anderson replied.

“You – the singer.”

Not wanting to get shot, Anderson gave one of his more kinetic performances.

“I ran around that stage all night,” he said. “I didn’t stand still for one minute.”

In the end, he said, it was one of the band’s best performances – and certainly one of Anderson’s more active ones.

The photo of Anderson that appears inside Ticket, by the way, was shot outside Lightning Joe’s Guitar Heaven in Arroyo Grande. It was Anderson’s idea to pose alongside the wooden Elvis.