The Long Tall Texan

Sitting down in a Causewayside bar with a pint of Stewart's IPA to read your Dad's death notice in the Evening News is a strange and somewhat life defining act. Moving on to read the sport and local stories didn't quite seem right after that so I put the paper down. Another pint and then I moved onto the Southsider pub where I met the renowned country singer Lyle Lovett who was having some barbecued chicken. Lyle is a great hero to me and is one of a very few musicians whose music seems to have unfettered access to, what I like to call, my soul. Seeing Lyle there in that pub, so beloved of my early drinking years, was not a complete surprise since he was performing a concert in The Queen's Hall, just up the road. That's why I was in this neck of the woods.

But, still, seeing the great man just sitting there felt strange. It felt like a sign. On this life defining evening one of my great heroes was right there in front of me. They say "never meet your heroes" and, sadly, I chose not to heed them. The ensuing conversation was not at all satifactory not least for the Long Tall Texan (LTT).

M: Hi, Lyle, I just wanted to come over and shake your hand sir.

A solid start I thought

LTT: (shaking my hand vigorously) Hi, pleased to meet you, what's your name?

M: Musters

LTT: Well, Musters, thanks for dropping by

I might have left it there. I should have left it there. I didn't...

M: Yea ... I was supposed to be seeing you play in Brussels this weekend but I couldn't make it. I'm glad it worked out to see you play here.

LTT: Oh really, where are you from, Musters?

M: I'm from Edinburgh

Confused look crosses the LTT's face. What's this Brussels nonsense he's talking about? He's obviously a nutter. Lets wind this up quickly in case he's a sociopath...

LTT:Ok, great, well thanks again for stopping by Musters. I sure 'preciate you taking the trouble

We shook hands again and I left him in peace. My face was now bright red as the enormity of my faux pas started to sink in. I downed my pint then went to the bar and surreptitiously took this photo.

The show itself was truly towering and the LTT seemed unaffected by his recent trauma. He sang beautifully and the band were stellar. His access to my soul remained unfettered and, in that dark hall, I allowed the tears to fall brackishly down my face.